Leilani Darwin
Mind Board committees - Program, Practice and Quality (PPaQ)
Current and previous positions - The Black Dog Institute, Executive Director; Lifeline Australia Indigenous helpline, Advisory Board; Beyond Blue, The Way Back Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Advisory Group; National Mental Health Commission - National Suicide Monitoring System, Expert Advisory Group; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Steering Committee, Indigenous Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Clearinghouse; LEAP – Suicide Prevention Australia Lived Experience, Advisory Panel; Queensland Lived Experience, Advisory Group
Leilani is a proud Quandamooka woman, whose ancestral home is Stradbroke Island. She is the CEO and Founder of First Nations Co., a community-led Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consulting business whose sole purpose is to deliver improved outcomes for the community. Leilani is already well known within the sector for her work and leadership in suicide prevention and mental health.
Leilani is a powerful advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led culturally informed practices within mainstream services. This work derives from losing many loved ones to suicide and Leilani’s own lived experience of mental ill health. Living with depression, anxiety and suicidality, Leilani navigates workplace obligations and her own wellbeing.