The Chair of The Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN) Affiliate Associate Professor John Rasa announces the resignation of the inaugural Chief Executive Officer, Mr Chris Gibbs, effective from March 2024.
Over Chris’ 15 years at the helm, MHPN has grown to become a key program in the mental health workforce landscape – providing unique and innovative programs that support practitioners to enhance how they engage in interdisciplinary practice and collaborative care in the mental health space across Australia.
Under Chris’ leadership, the organisation has evolved from its initial successful phase in 2009-10 that delivered 1,200 practitioner workshops across the country, to now supporting an established portfolio of 300+ interdisciplinary networks, an annual online professional development program (encompassing webinars and podcasts) that attracts thousands of participants, as well as a bi-annual virtual conference.
The Chair maintained that “the key to MHPN’s success has been Chris’ ability to develop relationships and partnerships with a range of key stakeholders that have provided many opportunities to work together to support the needs of Australia’s mental health workforce.”
Reflecting on his time at MHPN, Chris said, “It has been a privilege to have been part of the development of the unique organisation that is MHPN. I feel confident that the organisation is well positioned to continue to make a valuable contribution to the national mental health workforce into the future, particularly with funding now secured through to June 2026.”
The Board will initiate a comprehensive search for a new CEO, ensuring a seamless transition of leadership in 2024.
MHPN’s Chair expressed his appreciation for Chris’ significant contributions, stating, “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Chris for his outstanding leadership and dedication to MHPN. Under his guidance, the organisation has achieved remarkable growth and success. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”
The Chair indicated that “as MHPN moves forward in 2024, our commitment to supporting practitioners working in the delivery of mental health services continues. We are confident that under the guidance of the MHPN Board, our strong leadership team coupled with the remarkable talents of our staff, will continue to propel MHPN toward a bright and successful future.”
