Our Board
Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA) is a not-for-profit, registered charity. The organisation’s strategic direction is overseen by a dedicated Board, comprised of leaders from member organisations across the country.
Board members serve on a voluntary basis, bringing deep sector knowledge, governance experience, and a shared commitment to strengthening the community-managed mental health system. We thank them for their contribution and leadership in advancing CMHA’s national vision.
Cathy O’Toole - President
Cathy has over four decades of experience leading people, managing organisations and projects, many as a Chief Executive Officer. She has worked in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Sector at both CEO and State and National Peak levels since 2002. She has worked as the lead consultant with the Tropical Brain and Mind Foundation’s Mentally Healthy City Townsville developing the 7 Ways to wellbeing for Townsville sectors and community organisations.
She has a Masters in Metaphysical Science, a Bachelor of Education, and a Diploma of Teaching TAFE, as well as Diplomas in Community Welfare, Frontline Management, Training and Assessment, Employment Services and Business Management. As the former Federal Member for Herbert, Cathy’s work involved navigating social and economic policy, driving strategic direction, and serving on various committees. In addition to being the Chair of CMHA, she is also the Chair for the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) and Immediate Past Chair of Carers Australia (CA).
Cathy has extensive experience relating to the challenges that face people living with mental ill health both in her private life and professional work as a leader, she also has a living experience in the role of an unpaid carer.
Paul Creedon - Co-Deputy President
Paul is President of the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia (MHCSA), the peak body representing the community managed mental health sector in South Australia.
He is the CEO of Skylight Mental Health. Paul has a long history in human services, and in creating, developing and managing a range of services and systems around physical and sensory disability, correctional services, and student services and supports, with the 7 years before Skylight managing mental health services across metro and country SA.
Paul is a Social Worker by trade and has strong focus on human rights and social justice; individual and organisational capacity building; consumer engagement and service co-design; and building a strong and resilient mental health community. He has worked as a one on one worker; group worker; trainer; counsellor; advocate and lobbyist; manager and CEO and has a good grasp on the politics and pressures in the non-government services area.
Dr Becc Nothrop - Co-Deputy President
Becc is a board member of the Mental Health Council of Tasmania (MHCT), the peak body representing the mental health and wellbeing needs of all Tasmanians, and the community organisations that work with and support them.
For Becc, mental illness has been an inescapable reality in her career as a clinician – not only from her patients. She highlights the irony of her colleagues in healthcare, particularly doctors, suffering unacceptably high rates mental illness predating the COVID pandemic.
Both patients and healthcare workers want and work hard for the best healthcare outcomes for Tasmanians but structural and intangible system barriers limit this impact. Acknowledging this, over the years Becc has taken herself to roles beyond the bedside and into leadership coaching for doctors, speaking, and advisory and now to the MHCT board.
Through her professional coaching and advocacy work, she has worked with leaders in primary care delivery in Tasmania and has been invited to speak at numerous national events hosted by preeminent bodies including Australian Medical Association, The Royal Australian Colleges of Surgeons, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Elsevier Publishing.
Leanne Heald
Leanne is President of MHCC ACT, the peak body representing the community managed mental health sector in the ACT. She has been working within the community service sector, for both government and community-based organisations in Canberra and Western Australia for nearly twenty years.
Specialising in mental health, disability and community outreach, she has supported vulnerable community members to access the supports they need to thrive.
She has managed emergency relief agencies, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) programs and most recently, Woden Community Service’s mental health suite of services.
Helene Nielsen
Helene Nielsen is the current president of the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia’s (MHCSA) Board, and been a board director for 7 years over two separate terms. Helene is an organisational member representing Neami National, where she is in a national role as Executive Director of Operations – Community Wellbeing, for Neami National. Neami is a values-based, not-for-profit organisation providing mental health, wellbeing, homelessness and suicide prevention services. Helene represents the MHCSA as a director on the board of Community Mental Health Australia.
Helene Nielsen is a social worker with over 25 years’ experience in the human services, with a focus on mental health service over the last 15 years. She believes in a strong and robust community mental health system, informed by lived experience.
Her experience lies across services areas including Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Homelessness, Juvenile Justice, and Registered Training Organisations, in South Australia, across Australia and internationally. In the last 20 years Helene has worked in leadership roles, at strategic and operational levels, with a focus on Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs in both non-government and government organisations.
Rachael Bowker
Rachael Bowker is the Chief Executive Officer of Darwin Community Legal Service and an experienced leader across the community, legal, disability, mental health and social justice sectors.
Based in the Northern Territory, Rachael has a strong commitment to improving access to services and ensuring people with lived experience have a meaningful voice in the systems and decisions that affect them. She brings extensive experience in governance, advocacy, strategic leadership and working across government and the community sector.
Rachael also contributes to a number of boards and national initiatives, including as Chair of the Northern Territory Mental Health Coalition and a Board Director of NTCOSS and Economic Justice Australia.
Tanya O'Shea
Tanya O’Shea is the Managing Director of IMPACT Community Services and an experienced executive leader with more than 25 years in the community, mental health and human services sectors.
Driven by a passion for creating positive social impact, Tanya has led significant organisational growth and diversification at IMPACT. Her leadership has included the development of a broad range of innovative services that respond to emerging community needs, as well as the establishment of social enterprises that create meaningful employment opportunities while generating sustainable revenue streams independent of government funding.
A strong advocate for community-based mental health and wellbeing, Tanya has a particular interest in prevention, early intervention, social connection and building resilient communities. She believes that lasting change is achieved through collaboration, inclusion and creating opportunities for people to participate fully in community life. Beyond her executive role, Tanya actively contributes to sector development through mentoring, advocacy, partnership building and leadership across local, state and national forums.
In addition to serving as Managing Director of IMPACT, Tanya is Acting Chair of the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH), where she works alongside sector leaders to strengthen community mental health services and advocate for accessible, person-centred supports. Her governance experience reflects a longstanding commitment to improving mental health outcomes, strengthening the For-Purpose sector and driving meaningful systems change.
Tanya holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), a Master of Mental Health Practice and a Master of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In recognition of her leadership and contribution to the sector, she was awarded CQUniversity Alumnus of the Year for Industry Excellence in 2021 and Outstanding Leader of the Year in the 2023 Not-for-Profit Leadership Awards.
Pierre de Villiers - Treasurer
With a progressive career spanning over 25 years, Pierre has extensive experience in working as a member of an executive team, supporting businesses to meet their strategic directives, being accountable and results focused.
Holding an FCPA qualification from CPA Australia, Pierre is determined to lead strategic functions, systems and processes with a focus on sustainable growth. He has worked as a Chief Financial Officer and Group Financial Controller in multiple organisation both in Australia and abroad.
His goals are to maximise business effectiveness through operations, resource and team management and as a committed leader he brings the ability to think critically and deal with core issues, striving for a high degree of productivity, attention to detail and strong decision-making abilities.
