S2Ep3 - James Maskey - Frontline Mental Health Conference: Special Edition Series

James Maskey - Special Edition 2 for the Frontline Mental Health Conference 2026.

WARNING: This Episode discusses suicide and mental health themes.

This the second episode in a short special edition series where we hear from presenters of at the Frontline Mental Health Conference 2-3 March 2026 ( details here: https://anzmh.asn.au/fmhc )

James is driven to build a mental health system that is accessible, compassionate, and grounded in community. His lived experience as a former police officer living with PTSD shapes his commitment to timely, rights-based psychosocial support.

As CEO of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA), James leads with a focus on culture, collaboration, and lasting impact. For nearly 40 years, MIFA has united a national federation of service delivery organisations, supporting people with high needs mental health challenges, their families, carers and kin. Alongside its core advocacy and policy reform work, MIFA auspices national initiatives such as ‘Psychosis Australia’, ‘Finding North’, and ‘Out from the Mist’, shaping practice, supporting recovery, and strengthening the sector. In this role, James is advancing a more community-centred approach to mental health with government, reducing reliance on medicalised models of care and elevating the role of organisations walking alongside people every day.

James’ career spans senior roles in the Queensland Government and leading mental health organisations, including the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health, Fortem Australia, and Beyond Blue.

He continues to elevate community voices, strengthen the MIFA federation, and collaborate across the sector to advocate for the reforms needed to create a mental health system that genuinely supports the people it is designed to serve.