ISPS Australia Board
The ISPS Board is composed of seven members who are elected by ballot, by the ISPS membership, every year. The ISPS Board is made up of people with a wide range of interests and experience, all of whom donate their time voluntarily, and all of whom are highly committed to the common aim of advancing education, training and knowledge of mental health professionals in the treatment and prevention of psychotic mental disorders for the public benefit.

David Ward
Committee Member
David Ward is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who trained in the United Kingdom where he commenced work as a Consultant in 1999. He moved to the Fraser Coast in 2011 and obtained FRANZCP in 2013. Dr Ward has been involved in teaching and training for a variety of disciplines for many years, lecturing both at Newcastle and Northumberland Universities in the North East of England. He also worked as the Training Programme Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Whilst in the UK Dr Ward was involved in the development of Early Intervention in Psychosis Services on a Local and National basis.

Sue Belmore
Treasurer
Sue Belmore has had a diverse career, working in different countries enjoying the challenge of working alongside different cultures. Drawing on her own ‘lived’ experience of mental health challenges she has over the past 16 years held a number of leadership roles within the mental health sector. She currently consults across a range of organisations co- producing peer led strategies that support unique peer work forces.
Sue has extensive experience in capability building and leadership development. After leaving the position of Voices Vic manager she led the establishment of a lived experience peer workforce and framework for a leading multi-discipline clinical setting.
Sue’s expertise is informed by her own lived experience combined with a foundation of tertiary education that includes a Master’s in Counselling and a Bachelor of Business in Finance. Sue draws on her peer work experiences to continue to improve the sector’s understanding of peer work and has a passion for mental health services that focus on people and their strengths.

Simone Farrelly
Membership Secretary

Aisha Younan
Board Member
Aisha is an alerted states traveller, psychiatric survivor and registered nurse. Her experiences as both an involuntary inpatient and inspired mental health clinician – illuminated within her a path toward alternative learning & a purpose to be of service to the cause. She believes that the opportunity to make meaning and access healing through psychosis – as she did – should not be a privilege afforded to the few- but a right for all. She is a passionate and creative advocate for amplifying the expertise of lived experience, embodying trauma informed care & for holding space and compassion for people in extreme states so that they may know freedom.

Tara Coppins
Communications
Tara is a Senior Clinical Psychologist with experience predominately within public mental health settings across Victoria and South Australia. Across her career she has worked within a variety of Hospital and Community positions. Through delivery of Individual and Group Therapy, Tara has worked with a range of individuals from those experiencing their First Episode of Psychosis to those who have experienced Psychosis for a number of years. She holds a strong sense of Hope and advocates for the value and benefits a broad range of evidence-based Psychological Interventions can offer.

Julia Nicholls
Secretary
Julia is a senior clinical psychologist who works in the public mental health sector in Victoria and is a strong advocate for increasing access to psychological therapy for people experiencing psychosis. She spends most of her time delivering group and individual therapy to people experiencing psychosis. Furthermore, through training and supervision, she builds skills within the mental health workforce to deliver psychological interventions for psychosis. Julia has a particular interest in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for psychosis and is a researcher in this area.

Amanda Habermann
Chair