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C2C Co-Design Team

The C2C Co-design Team will co-design, advise and co-deliver the Collaborate to Connect training program for the entirety of its two year project lifetime.

In alphabetical order:

Melissa Bezuidenhout

(She/Her)
Melissa joined the C2C Organisational Advisory Group as she works in Disability Employment Services and feels there is a need to be able to educate organisations regarding people with a disability. Melissa feels this is such a great opportunity to be able to help create something with a diverse group of people and experiences.

Melissa is humble when it comes to listing strengths, but has been told she leads her team from the front, is a great problem solver and a great listener. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys going to the gym & baking – fun fact; Melissa used to be a pastry chef in a previous life!

Melissa values a good work ethic, honesty and compassion, and is proud to say she has worked her way from being a consultant with no experience in the industry to managing 5 sites as a Business Manager, 8 years later.

Paula Braimbridge

(She/Her)
Paula is the Executive for Individualised Services at HelpingMinds, where she oversees a range of services supporting individuals with psychosocial disabilities. Over the past 27 years, since completing a Bachelor of Social Work, Paula has worked in a variety of clinical, administrative, educational and leadership roles in health, mental health and education in both rural and metropolitan settings. Paula’s strengths in service delivery operations, governance, quality and change management are underpinned by her values of honesty, collaboration, respect, curiosity and kindness. Paula is passionate about supporting individuals, families and communities to be able to live their best lives. Paula is equally passionate about supporting and mentoring her colleagues in their own professional growth and development, and in creating a positive workplace and team culture. When not working, Paula enjoys spending time with her family, coaching netball, completing home renovations, gardening and getting away camping and boating.

Rachael Burns

(She/Her)
Hi, my name is Rachael. I am a 22-year-old mental health and disability advocate with lived (and living) experience of several mental health challenges and of neurodivergence. I a a part of several advisory groups, boards, committees, projects, programs, and am an active volunteer in these fields. I am also a highly creative person (who loves painting, drawing, crafting, writing, poetry, filmmaking and more). In my downtime, I love walks in nature and hunting for frogs!

Jun Chih

(She/Her)
Jun joined the C2C Organisational Advisory Group as she has an interest in supporting people with psychosocial disabilities and building capacity through tailored trainings. Jun’s strengths include her sense of humour, resilience, compassion and pragmatism. In her spare time, Jun enjoys reading and “experiential gardening” (i.e. allow multiple fails and keep trying whilst having fun). Jun is passionate about making people in need feel better by simply being kind and keeping an open mind.

Steve Giles

(He/Him)
Hi, I’m Steve. I’ve been actively involved in lived experience work for some time and feel that it adds value to my life. I applied for the Collaborate to Connect project because I’ve had experiences of co-design that were done well, and done not so well, and I want to use these experiences to help improve the process for the future. I am particularly interested in Housing and NDIS related lived experience work. I enjoy hiking and being in nature, reading non-fiction books (especially about psychology) and watching online lectures to expand my knowledge.

Kathy Greenwood

(She/Her)
Kathy works for the WA Association for Mental Health as Lived Experience Engagement Co-ordinator, and is interested in collaborating with, and learning from, others.

Kathy is hard working but not perfectionistic (it took some therapy to develop that) and practises mindfulness as much as possible. Kathy tries to do a lot of self-care to stay calm and present. Kathy says, “I absolutely love gardening and walking my dog on the beach. I also really enjoy yoga and Netflix! Oh, and I am getting into cooking since I started ordering a weekly organic vegie box!”

Kathy is passionate about fairness, and gets really upset with injustice or corruption and says she honestly wants to see people live their best lives (and look after the planet). Kathy takes pride in her career (all of which she feels has been a huge achievement) and raising her four children, plus one stepson. She says, “they are all legends.”

Dana Pratt Hague

(They/Them)
I want to positively contribute to the lives of others, and I think that being a part of this group is a great way to make that happen.

I am very creative, passionate, and friendly. I pride myself in my communication and teamwork capabilities. I love drawing and painting! I frequently make art on and with recycled materials. I also play weekly games Dungeons and Dragons and cook as a hobby. I greatly value building community, fostering curiosity and compassion about the world around us, and creativity. An important personal achievement is that I have been working as a freelance artist for a whole decade as of February of 2024!

Kaysie Hilton

(She/Her)
My name is Kaysie. I am 27 years old, and my pronouns are she/her. I have lived experience of generalised anxiety, social anxiety, depression, inattentive ADHD, and Autism (with low support needs and a late diagnosis). I work for myself as a part time sole trader speech therapist with neurodivergent kids and families. I am passionate about neurodiversity affirming supports and animals. I live with my partner, and we have a new rescue puppy, Marli. I love arts, crafts, and animals. My favourite animal is the Southern Elephant Seal.

Sam Holland-Petty

(She/Her)
I am deeply committed to making a difference in the lives of those struggling with mental health challenges. My lived experience has equipped me with a unique perspective and a profound understanding of the issues at hand. I applied for this role on the Lived Experience Committee to ensure that those in power listen to our collaborative efforts and to advocate for meaningful change. As a strong communicator and advocate, I bring kindness, innovative thinking, and a passion for mental health advocacy to the table. In my free time, I enjoy engaging in tabletop games, reading, crafting, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and exploring various aspects of pop culture. These hobbies not only provide me with joy and relaxation but also help me connect with others who share similar interests. My passions and values include advocating for mental health awareness and support, promoting inclusivity and understanding, and upholding honesty, integrity, and compassion. I am committed to lifelong learning and personal growth, which drives my dedication to this cause. Among my personal achievements, I am proud to have earned a degree in Social Sciences while raising children with disabilities, organised events for access and inclusion, acted as a speaker for lived experience, and successfully recovered from family and domestic violence (FDV), further solidifying my commitment to making a positive impact in this field.

Kate Purcell

(She/Her)
Kate joined the C2C Organisational Advisory Group to enact positive systemic change. Kate’s strengths include her resilience, courage, fun, and positivity. Kate is a writer who has three books under the belt; “Hope Inc”, to be re-released in January 2025, “Level Up”, to be published in April 2025, and “Tell Your Eating Disorder to F*** Off”, to be published at the end of 2025. Kate was in the top 20 – TEDx Talks in 2017, but just missed the cut.

Kate is passionate about sharing her story to lessen stigma in society, and values fun, authenticity, courage, and loyalty.

Kim Hutchinson

Bio to follow…

Coryn Keith

(she/they)
I’ve just completed 18 months of studies thanks to the CoMHWA scholarships, completing both the Cert IV Mental Health Peer Work and Skill Set courses at TAFE. This is a huge achievement for me and I’m truly proud of myself. I’m also a consumer representative with CoMHWA, providing peer and in-reach support on a regular basis. This has helped me to recognise the transformative power of holding space and listening to others, and to support those who feel unseen and unheard. More recently I joined Next Step Integrated Services Committee as a consumer representative, completed the Educator Course with the WA Recovery College, and have attended numerous consumer feedback and co-design groups. Connection is important to me. Although I’ve experienced many horrific things and challenging times in my life during which I faced mental health and substance use issues, I’m a very positive and proactive force who smiles a lot! I love my son, hanging out with loved ones, walking, watching films, writing poems and other stuff, and having a belly-laugh every day!

Tracey Kilkenny

Bio to follow…

Nat Middleton

Bio to follow…

Imogen Sayas

Bio to follow…

Natalie Smith

(They/Them)
I’ve really enjoyed doing consumer work, and this is an area I am very passionate about. I am especially passionate about advocating for my peers and using the knowledge I’ve gained through my lived experience to make change.  Some of my strengths include being a good listener and a good talker. I enjoy group work and working on projects. I can be serious when needed, but I love to have a laugh. My hobbies include camping and reading. I am proud to be a member of several amazing consumer groups.

Ricki Spencer

(She/Her)
I want to share my ideas and learn from others how to build resilience, and destigmatise those like me, living with BPD, anxiety and schizoaffective disorder. I am a deep listener and a very caring person. I enjoy gardening and spending time with my cats. I’m passionate about gender equity and destigmatising mental health. I am proud to be actively connected in 22 organisations, despite having a disability.

Briana Toy

(she/they)
Bri (she/they) is a peer counsellor, mental health support worker, and intermediate-level astrologer. She is neurodivergent and specialises in ADHD, CPTSD, and chronic pain conditions. Bri also teaches yoga, breathwork, and meditation, and in her free time, she enjoys splashing in puddles with her weenie dog Daisy.

Monique Williamson

(She/Her)
Monique is committed to learning from the wisdom that comes from lived experience and harnessing this to ensure our mental health system is responsive and relevant. Monique is the CEO of MIFWA. Monique has a Masters Degree in Social Change and Development, an MBA  and more than 30 years’ experience in the community services sector. She has worked in both the NGO and public sectors in WA and undertaken senior sector development roles including with the peak body National Disability Services.

Stephanie Yoong

(She/Her)
Steph is passionate about the intersection of culture and mental health and loves creating meaningful connections within communities. In a previous career, Steph worked as a primatologist, which gave her a unique perspective on behaviour and connection. Now, Steph is focused on making a difference by helping people discover better ways of living and being, that genuinely serve them.

Alexander York

(He/Him)
Hi, I am Alex. I applied for this group so that I can help contribute towards bettering the mental health system, of which I have personal lived experience. I try to think in a non-judgemental and logical way to solve problems.