Dr Sophie Davison has been appointed as Western Australia's first Chief Medical Officer, Mental Health.
The McGowan Government established the new position of Chief Medical Officer, Mental Health (CMOMH) within the Mental Health Commission to help strengthen its leadership role in the sector.
Reporting directly to the Mental Health Commissioner, Dr Davison will contribute clinical expertise to strategic planning and policy development, strengthen consumer and community focused clinical care, and liaise with non-government services to support system integration across WA's public mental health, alcohol and other drug services.
She will have a key role in a newly created Mental Health Executive Committee, that will bring together chief executives and clinical leadership from across the Health Service Providers and the Department of Health.
Dr Davison has been appointed to the position on an acting basis for the next six months.
The Commission is currently in the process of considering expressions of interest for the key positions of consumer representative and carer/family representative for the Committee and the Community Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Council.
The Committee will focus on improving partnerships, including with the community sector, and strengthen consumer focused care, to ensure lived experience is central to policy development and service delivery.
The decision to create the CMOMH and the Committee follows the release of the Review of the Clinical Governance of Public Mental Health Services in Western Australia.
Dr Davison is currently the Deputy Chief Psychiatrist in Western Australia and has been leading the clinical mental health response to the COVID-19 pandemic within the Department of Health for the past four months.
For more information visit http://www.mhc.wa.gov.au/
As stated by Mental Health Minister Roger Cook:
"Congratulations to Dr Davison on being appointed to this important role.
"Now, more than ever, we must listen to those who have firsthand experience with the mental health system. Dr Davison will work closely with consumer and carer/family representatives to help ensure our health system can grow to meet the needs of the community.
"Our mental health system is under immense pressure and with the uncertainty of the pandemic continuing, having a strong and collaborative sector will continue to be critically important.
"Dr Davison will work to further strengthen integration and collaboration at the highest levels, working closely with the service providers and other agencies who deliver services to our community."
