SPEAKERS MEN | Conference Services

2018 Indigenous Men's Conference

GUEST SPEAKERS

Uncle Alfred Smallwood

Bindal Elder, Birrigubba Nation

Churches of Christ Men's Support Group

Uncle Alfred is a Bindal man from the Birrigubba Nation who has a strong cultural connection with Townsville. A decade has passed since Uncle Alfred began volunteering his time to support Townsville men seeking his guidance with their troubles. Uncle Alfred’s men’s group has grown from the humble beginnings of Uncle Alfred supporting men from the carpark in his flat to the workshop now located at the Churches of Christ in Vincent. Uncle Alfred realised that there was little support for men within his community and in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men who were struggling through the courts.

Associate Prof. Peter Shine

Director, Aboriginal Health NSLHD

Clinical Associate Professor, Australian Catholic University

Clinical Associate Professor Peter Shine is a Gomeroi man from north-western NSW. He has been involved in Aboriginal health and social emotional wellbeing for many years. He is currently the Director of Aboriginal Health Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD). He wrote the NSLHDAboriginal Health Services Plan 2013-2016. www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au. This is the very first Aboriginal Health Plan written for NSLHD. He is a member of the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM) and a member of The National Congress of Australia's First Peoples. Peter’s professional specialities are Aboriginal Health, Aboriginal Social Emotional Well Being, The Social Determinants of Aboriginal Health, The Social Determinants of Health and Health Promotion. He is married to Jo a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and lives in Western Sydney. They have three adult children and one grandchild.

Dr Timothy White

Psychologist

Cairns, Australia Mental Health Care

Tjintipit Psychological Services

Dr. Tim White is a registered psychologist who grew up in Mt Isa in Kalkadoon country and was immersed in the strong Indigenous traditions and practices as a young man. Tim brought together his cultural and psychological knowledge to specialise in working with Indigenous communities and healing Indigenous men. At age 17, he joined the Australian Army and Served in Somalia, a role that has shaped his strong community justice principles. Tim has strong connections with the Yarrabah Kunganji community, and have been privileged to advocate and stand up for Indigenous rites and the improvement of standards of living. Tim have been welcomed in so many Far Northern Indigenous communities, particularly during times of high community distress, in particular during the Palm Island Riot, The Lockhart River Air Disaster and most recently during the Kowanyama funeral tragedy. He is currently investing his energy in delivering the warrior program, aimed at improving the future of Indigenous men in remote communities and actively contributing to closing the gap.

Charlie Rowe

Community Outreach Manager

Carbal Medical Services

Towoomba QLD

Charlie Rowe is a proud Aboriginal man from the Kamilaroi tribe of Northern NSW who grew up in Toowoomba. Charlie's mum’s family is from a little mission called Toomelah. Charlie currently works as Community Outreach Manager at Carbal Medical Services, an Aboriginal Medical Service offering extensive health services and programs in Toowoomba and the Southern Darling Downs where his role includes direct clinical engagement, provision of community social and support services and managing an extensive and diverse suite of health programs. Charlie considered his greatest achievement is the establishment and local impact of the Strong Fathers, Strong Families program which is a life-changing program for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders men, uncles, pops, dads, carers and their families. He works with men of all ages to assist them to improve on the self-awareness, knowledge and skills needed to be a positive role model for their children and community. More recently, the strength and value of this program has grown with it being recognised as a key referral pathway for the Murri Courts. The Strong Fathers, Strong Families program was nationally recognised as a benchmark to ensure the future safety of our children and the health and wellbeing of our fathers.

David Helmers
Executive Officer

Australian Men's Shed Association

David Helmers is currently the Executive Officer of AMSA. He was originally employed by CatholicCare Newcastle as the Coordinator for the Shed at Windale. From 2008-2010, David was provided the latitude to concentrate on the development of the Australian Men’s Shed Association. The idea of creating an Association to collectively represent Men’s Sheds nationally and to freely share information between sheds was conceived at the 2nd National Conference in Manly 2007. Since then AMSA has grown from strength to strength to what is now regarded as the largest Men’s Association in the country. David has represented AMSA at the Senate Hearing into Men’s Health, the National Roundtable Meeting on the Men’s Health Policy as well as continuously lobbying for the Association and its members at all levels of Government. Prior to this position, David was the General Manager of a large Association, providing an insight into the potential opportunities for AMSA. With experience in administration, marketing and tertiary studies, David also has over 17 years experience in a medium sized family business.

Dr Wallace Tsang

Lecturer, College of Professional and Continuing Education

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr. Wallace Tsang is currently the lecturer at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has rich knowledge in social work, psychology and social sciences. Particularly, he has good research experience in the areas of domestic violence, gender and men’s psychology. With this research background, he has been invited to make presentations at local and overseas conferences on parenting education for abusive parents and intimate partner violence prevention work. Wallace is a registered social worker with extensive counselling experience for families with spousal abuse, elderly abuse and child abuse problems; marital problems, parenting difficulties, mental health problems, and youth developmental problems, etc. Besides, he held a management position in a family service centre and Harmony House for a long period of time, and therefore he has rich experience in service management and development in regard to domestic violence services in Hong Kong. He also has considerable knowledge and experience in promoting gender equality and gender sensitisation programmes in the community and workplace. Wallace has committed himself to be a social work practitioner, educator and researcher. Besides, he has also devoted himself to promoting social services in the religious sector. He is currently the Chairperson of the Social Service Division of Tsung Tsin Mission Whampoa Church, responsible for managing the social service development of the church.

Brian Hewitt

Chief Executive Officer

Carbal Medical Services

Towoomba QLD

Brian Hewitt is currently the CEO/CFO of Carbal Medical Services – an Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) which delivers extensive clinical and allied health services and programs on behalf of Commonwealth and State governments and the Primary Health Network across the Darling Downs region. Carbal operates from six unique sites, has a staff of over 90 and has undergone significant growth during the four years of his leadership. Brian is committed to assisting wherever possible to build a strong Aboriginal Health support system within the region and is a member of numerous committees and advisory panels. Previously, Brian was the CEO of Regional Development Australia Darling Downs & South West – a Commonwealth Government initiative which involved providing advice and advocacy to government on priority needs in a wide range of areas for almost 25% of regional Qld. Prior to this appointment he held various senior management positions within a 35 year career with Independent Education including, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Principal, Director of Information Technology, Primary Teacher and teacher of Senior Accounting, Legal Studies and Information Technology.

Clive Freeman
Director
Galamban NSW

Clive Freeman is a traditional owner of Wreck Bay and a Director of Galamban. Galamban is providing Project Management and Cultural Communications for the Booraja Home Care pilot. Booraja Home Care is in response to the low uptake of home care packages by Indigenous Elders. Funded by the Department of Health’s Dementia and Aged Care Services Innovation and Funding Round, this pilot project aims to provide Elders with culturally appropriate care so that they can age in place at home, on country and out of mainstream institutions. Following the principles of self determination, the care will be provided by Indigenous care workers who have undertaken studies in a tailored and culturally appropriate Certificate III in Individual Support delivered by IRT Academy. All of the training modules have been modified based on the results of community yarn up sessions, as is the case for the occasions of service that will be delivered to the Elders. The project is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of male and female Elders of the Batemans Bay community and representatives of the project partners IRT Group, Galamban and Katungul AMS.

Lyndon Reilly

Strong Families Project Officer
Royal Flying Doctor Service QLD

Lyndon Reilly is a Badtjala (But-chulla) man. Badtjala country encompasses K’gari (Fraser Island) and Hervey Bay Region, Queensland. Lyndon has lived a majority of his life in the North Central Coast of Queensland Township Mackay. In June 2006, Lyndon moved to Cairns and was employed for 5 years as a Senior Research Officer with the University of Queensland’s North Queensland Health Equalities Promotion Unit, and James Cook University School of Australian Indigenous Studies. Since 2012, Lyndon has been working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Queensland Section. In 2012, Lyndon was working in the Lower Gulf of Carpentaria region across three communities, Doomadgee, Mornington Island and Normanton on a Department of Health Ageing (DoHA) Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) funded project called Strong Fathers, Strong Families. Lyndon has also worked in Wujal Wujal and Hope Vale, Aboriginal communities in the South East Cape York area, as a Cairns based RFDS Mental Health Promotion Officer. Currently Lyndon is a full time PhD student at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), School of Psychiatry, and part time with RFDS Cairns Base, working in Doomadgee and Mornington Island on Father, Families and Empowerment programs.

Gary Green

Community Engagement Manager
Australian Men’s Shed Association VIC

Gary Green is a Registered Nurse (Mental Health) and has been involved in Men’s Sheds and Men’s Health for the past 14 years. Employed as the Community Health Nurse in Orbost for 10 years, Gary was responsible for the Orbost Men’s Shed and later the Cabbage Tree Creek Men’s Shed, as well as other Men’s Health initiatives. In 2005, with a team of helpers, Gary organised the First Men’s Shed Conference held in Lakes Entrance Victoria where 180 attendees attended. At this Conference the idea of forming the Australian Men’s Shed Association was raised and decided on by those attending. Gary was also part of the original Steering Committee for AMSA and has also held positions with the Victorian Men’s Shed Association since its inception in 2007. These experiences have provided Gary with wide ranging knowledge about men & Men’s Sheds and he is proud to be part of the men’s health and Men’s Shed movement. He now works for the AMSA as the Community Engagement Manager.