Providing clinical leadership and expert advice to mental health services and leading the implementation of reform within the state’s mental health and wellbeing system.
The Brief
Future Leadership has a long-standing relationship with a state health department and has conducted over 10 executive searches within the organisation over the past five years.
The department was seeking a new Chief Psychiatrist following the departure of the previous incumbent, who had served in the role for five years. The department required an established Psychiatrist to provide contemporary leadership and expert advice to clinical mental health services, driving continuous improvement in service quality and safety. The ideal candidate needed to possess strong clinical and operational expertise with a systems-thinking approach and an innovative mindset.
Candidate net Promote Score
Future Leadership combines truly personalised relationships with innovative technology solutions to ensure an approachable and efficient process for all our Net Promoter Score across clients, successful candidates and unsuccessful candidates is well above industry standard.
Candidates supported every year
We maintain genuine relationships with past candidates and continue to support them with leadership solutions long term, after they land their role.
Senior Women Appointed since 2002
Over half of the executive search assignments undertaken by our team have resulted in the appointment of outstanding female or LGBTQI+ leaders to high profile roles.
Candidate Retention Rate for 12 months since 2002
Our thorough briefing process and ability to engage passive candidates mean that we go to great lengths to find the right person for the role – long term!
The Process
A comprehensive briefing process with the Deputy Secretary of the Mental Health & Wellbeing Division provided detailed background on the position, including the specific nuances of the role and the desired skills, experience, and characteristics of the successful candidate.
The process included regular formal and informal progress updates, calibration sessions to discuss the emerging candidate field, formal reporting, consultant participation in panel interviews, psychometric assessments, and 360-degree reference checking. Future Leadership prepared a detailed shortlist, which included the results of psychometric assessments for the five shortlisted candidates. One of the panel members noted that the assessments were incredibly accurate, as they were familiar with all the shortlisted candidates. Five candidates were shortlisted, with four being considered appointable.
Emerging Capabilities
Psychiatry
Psychiatry involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, utilising a combination of medical, psychological, and social approaches.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, focuses on helping individuals manage and overcome mental health issues through structured conversations and therapeutic techniques.
Psychiatric Care
Psychiatric care encompasses the comprehensive management of mental health conditions, including medication management, therapy, and support for patients across various stages of their treatment journey.
Mental Health
Mental health is the holistic state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing how individuals think, feel, and act, and how they handle stress, relate to others, and make decisions.
Adolescent Psychiatry
Adolescent psychiatry specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in teenagers, addressing the unique developmental challenges and psychological needs of this age group.
The Outcome
In March 2024, a highly experienced and committed executive Psychiatrist was appointed as the new Chief Psychiatrist for the department.
With over 20 years of experience leading teams delivering Mental Health Services within the public health sector, the appointee brought a wealth of knowledge and a collaborative approach to the role. Their extensive experience across various departments enabled them to work effectively with both internal teams and external stakeholders, fostering growth and innovation to achieve outstanding outcomes.
