About us
Mental health support
For more than two years we have consulted men with lived experience and their families, as well as traditional mental health and medical service providers, to gain understanding to how best bridge the gaps in the journey to mental health wellbeing that all too often ends in suicide.
We see it as a truly community-wide service that will benefit not only the men with whom we engage, but also their families, friends and colleagues.
Research tells us that around 135 people can be affected by a single suicide (Royal Commission for Victoria’s Mental Health System, 2021). Consequently there are many, many people in our region who have suffered the loss of a loved one in this way.
It is for all these people, and especially men at risk, that we embarked on this initiative to help reduce mental health issues and suicide among men.
The BMMH difference
BMMH focusses on early mental health intervention. We provide a telephone, video or face-to-face service, delivered in a male/user friendly environment designed to minimise barriers to men seeking help.
Ours is a fully-integrated service where, following assessment by trained health professionals, men are guided step-by-step through the system and referred as necessary to other support services.
Our strong network of partners ensure that our clients receive the help and support they need quickly and effectively, providing a seamless pathway towards improved mental health.
We also believe in making the most of social connections and, over time, will engage with employers, men’s groups, tradies’ groups, sporting clubs, farmers’ groups and apprentices through TAFE.
Men benefit greatly from social and community connectedness, therefore a men’s mental health service cannot be truly effective if it doesn’t develop strong partnerships with a range of social support, employers, hobbyists and sporting groups.
Our mission
To provide counselling and support for men struggling with mental health issues in the Ballarat region, by enabling timely access to appropriate mental health care
Our vision
Meet the team
The directors of BMMH have a diverse range of skills and experience, ranging from executive level health and mental health service experience, to those with lived experience of the trauma associated with men’s mental health issues.
Maxine Troon
Andrew McPherson
Max Crawford
Mick Fryar
Kath Steenhuis
Kath has over two decades of experience in the not-for-profit and government sectors and specialises in business management and project coordination. She is currently pursuing an MBA at Deakin University, has also completed the Executive Ready program by Women & Leadership Australia, and holding a Bachelor of Applied Management. In 2023, Kath founded Paper Crane Solutions, offering freelance support to the Health and Community Services sector. Additionally, she co-founded www.bschool4homecare.com.au, a platform that provides training for professionals in in-home aged care. Through her roles at organisations like Ballarat Community Health and Uniting Vic Tas, she has led projects focusing on improving disability palliative care and implementing change management in community access programs. Kath’s goal is to drive positive change and foster collaboration in healthcare, ultimately enhancing services for individuals and communities.
Scott Morris
Scott is a Barrister at the Victorian Bar and has been in legal practice since 1998. He has lived in Ballarat since 2019. He has a daughter and a son, both of whom attend school in Ballarat. Scott is also a member of the Wendouree Cricket Club.
Greg MacLaren
Greg has a passion for community service. This is exemplified by his over 20 years of service to the Ormond Football Club in roles that included coaching, director of coaching, committee member and program manager. He is a life member of the junior football club. In October 2020 Greg became a founding board member and president of the youth mental health organisation, A Path To Follow Inc.
Greg’s professional life began as an engineer and then progressed through operations management, logistics management and concluded with executive roles in Work Health Safety, Environment and Quality. Greg brings practical, structured thinking and planning to his board role with BMMH.
Greg moved to Ballarat with his wife Lisa in mid-2023 to escape the Melbourne rat-race. Now, as a member of the Ballarat Golf Club, he volunteers his time for course and maintenance work with a team called Dad’s Army and, in addition, he is a new recruit of the State Emergency Service (SES) Grampians Regional Support Unit.
Ilan Werbeloff
Ilan is a strategic and innovative marketing leader with over 14 years experience. He has a passion for data-driven decision making, systems thinking and big-picture ideas to deliver customer-focused outcomes. With experience managing multi-disciplinary teams, committees, and large projects, Ilan is a motivational and focused leader with a collaborative style.
Rebecca Leon
Rebecca (Bec) comes to this Board with a corporate background in law and business having completed her studies at Deakin University. Her primary passion lies in mental health access and advocacy and has worked in this field for multiple years since departing the corporate space. Her mental health advocacy involves highlighting the prevalence of mental health illnesses and educating around the stigma and lack of respectful and representative discussion surrounding complex mental health conditions.
Markedly she has recently been involved in a national consultation project funded by the Legal Aid Consortium. The project team has created a toolkit for legal services and serves as a comprehensive guide to trauma informed practice in every aspect of service provision. This toolkit empowers organisations to develop services that promote safety, dignity, and empowerment for people who experience poor mental health, mental distress and/or suicidality.
Rebecca intends to bring her knowledge of this space to learn and grow within the space and is excited to serve the local Ballarat community.
Pauline Gleeson
I have worked as a solicitor at Heinz Law since February 2005. I became a Principal of the firm in 2012 and retired as a Principal on the 30th of June 2022. I continue to work part time at Heinz Law (although I have retired at least twice now). I am the mother of 4 children, and we now have 4 grandchildren all of whom bring great joy to my life.
Jay Mueller
Jay Mueller is an experienced member of the media. Having worked in television, radio, podcasting and digital media platforms for more than 30 years. Jay has experience in both the US and Australian media. He is a board member of the Melbourne Press Club and is the current Managing Editor for AFL Media, part of the Australian Football League’s Digital Team. Jay and his partner Astrid Edwards founded independent podcast company Bad Producer Productions in 2015 and since then have produced more than 1000 hours of audio content for partners around the world. Jay is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a current member of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program.
Maciek Kiernikowski
Maciek is an accomplished executive, with an extensive career in business development, product management and professional consulting. He recently served as the CEO of an ASX listed company, TYMLEZ (ASX:TYM) specialising in carbon emissions management and trading. Maciek has consulted for a broad range of technology organisations in corporate and start-up/scale-up environments in industries including financial services, energy and utilities, legal and government. Previously Maciek served as Managing Director of an integrated account at IBM Australia, and held various executive roles at IBM in his ten year career.
Lachlan Dodds
Thank you for your interest in Ballarat Men’s Mental Health. Our service is now operational.
Contact us at info@ballaratmmh.com.au, or leave a confidential message at BMMH Triage: 03 4310 2119
If you are seeking immediate assistance or advice regarding a Mental Health issue please contact either Life Line on 13 11 14 or Ballarat Health Services Mental Health Line on 1300 247 647. Both these services are available 24 hours a day. In an emergency please call 000.