Tina is a strong Pakana Woman and has worked for the Palawa Community for 25 years as an Aboriginal Health Worker across many roles. During the past two years, Tina has been the Statewide AOD Coordinator for the Aboriginal Community in Lutruwita.

Tina prides herself as a strong, trusted community member, born and raised in the Palawa community.  She supports the statewide Aboriginal community in their pathways to address AOD addictions with culturally safe options and supports.

Tina is based in Nipaluna at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, with AOD support across Lutruwita. She also supports many Palawa Community members in the prison system, with built and trusted relationships that she supports with accessing AOD programs.

Tina is a mother of three adult children and a grandmother to four strong, robust grandsons, and she loves getting away on country with her husband.

Cheryl has returned to TAC after a few years away working in other areas, including AOD rehab, Social Housing and Tastafe. She returns with various skills to undertake her role as an AOD Worker based at Pataway and across the north.

Cheryl stands with her community members to access services for a smooth and, most of all, culturally safe environment and practices. Her motto is “Keep doors open so we can walk through”

Cheryl is also a Pataway-based artist who has just finished up an artist in residence at the Devonport Gallery. She loves the solitude of home along with her chickens, adored cat and fossicking along our beautiful coastlines.

Lauren has worked within the Community Sector as a Social Worker for over a decade, with extensive experience within the Mental Health space.  Lauren has a strong interest in Alcohol and Other Drug issues and has completed a Graduate Diploma of Counselling with an AOD specialisation.  Presently, Lauren is employed as a Reform Officer at MHFFT, where Lauren engages with families and friends through the various programs MHFFT offers.  One of the key components of Lauren’s role includes providing support, referrals and education to Families and Friends within the community.

Lauren is passionate about having the lived experience voice heard across all levels and is privileged to share the stories and realities of individuals within our community to promote systemic and social change.  Lauren also brings some personal experience providing carer support within her family to the role.

Kym brings over 20 years of experience in the community sector, with a background in youth services, disability support, homelessness advocacy, and rehabilitation counselling. For the past two years, she has been a dedicated Mental Health Family and Friend Representative.

Kym’s personal and professional experiences offer a profound perspective on the challenges faced by those affected by substance use and mental health issues. Living with her husband, who is in recovery from alcoholism, she understands the impact of addiction and the importance of community support. Kym also shares her home with a cat, a dog, and a flock of chooks, and she finds peace in the simple joys of life, like walking and gardening.

Colin has worked as a clinician, academic and researcher in smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction for over 40 years. He was also a Conjoint Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales and a member of the expert advisory group that developed the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ national smoking cessation guidelines.

Colin is the Founding Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, a health promotion charity established to raise awareness of tobacco harm reduction options, and the author of the book, Stop Smoking Start Vaping.

Colin has no financial or commercial ties with any electronic cigarette or tobacco company.

For more information, www.colinmendelsohn.com.au

Three Sides of the Coin (3SOC) mobilizes the voices of people who’ve lived through gambling harm, engaging audiences in conversations about change. 3SOC is located at the Self-Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC) in Victoria.

3SOC is recognized as a successful model for professional development in allied sectors (mental health, drugs, alcohol, family violence, criminal justice). Their work strives to raise general community awareness about gambling harm, disrupt the normalisation of gambling, reduce stigma, humanize the people behind the addiction, encourage help-seeking, and frame gambling as a public health issue.

www.threesidesofthecoin.org.au

Dr Jackie Hallam is the Chief Executive Officer of the ATDC, the peak body representing community sector organisations that deliver alcohol, tobacco and other drug services across Tasmania.  Jackie has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Tasmania and over two decades of experience in the alcohol and other drug sector in a variety of roles and settings. Jackie is deeply committed to the reduction of alcohol and other drug-related harm and stigma and sees many opportunities in Tasmania to make positive changes.

Peak bodies are umbrella organisations providing leadership and representation functions on behalf of member organisations to government, community and other adjacent sectors. Peaks also seek to support and raise capacity across, the membership. Ultimately, we seek to create positive change for the alcohol and other drug sectors and the Tasmanians who access it.

https://atdc.org.au/

Jack is a proud community pharmacist born and bred in Tasmania’s North West.  He is the co-owner of the Terry White Pharmacy in Burnie and serves as the Vice President of the Tasmanian Branch Committee of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Jack is passionate about delivering services that reflect the needs of his local community and supporting vulnerable Tasmanians to take better care of their health.  Jack is particularly interested in driving innovative partnership-based approaches to health by working with other primary health providers and screening services to provide accessible, multi-faceted support for patients who need it.

Jack lives in the North West with his wife and children, and when not working in the pharmacy, he enjoys exercising in the outdoors.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s Tasmanian Branch is committed to protecting and driving the community pharmacy industry forward, representing you now and into the future.  They strongly advocate for their members and always work towards achieving the best outcomes to ensure community pharmacies in Tasmania are able to provide their local communities with a range of healthcare services.

Luke Kennedy is a motivational speaker known for his powerful talks on resilience, overcoming adversity, and mental health all shaped by his lived experience.

In a world grappling with mental, emotional, and physical challenges, Luke Kennedy is a beacon of hope. After 8 years of battling addiction, crime, and violence, he transformed his life through personal development. Today, he is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, bestselling author, mental health advocate, state champion boxer, and successful business owner.

With over a decade of experience, Luke has inspired more than 200,000 people through his relatable approach at corporate events and in classrooms. He encourages individuals to reflect on their attitudes and actions, fostering environments of honesty and self-improvement that lead to lasting change.

“He’s the Best We’ve Had!”

– Andrew Savvas, Business Excellence Manager, ANZ.

“Luke made a huge impact on our team here at the NRL and captivated the audience with his story and messaging.

– NRL CEO, Todd Greenberg

https://www.lukeskennedy.com/