Martina is a Lived Experience Early Career Researcher and Consultant. Martina is currently completing a PhD at the Centre For Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. In addition to completing her PhD studies, Martina provides consultancy services in a variety of roles for a number of organisations. Prior to moving into public health research, Martina has worked across both suicide prevention and mental health in a variety of roles. Martina has extensive expertise and experience in lived experience leadership, mentoring and supervision.

Martina’s supervisory practice is informed by a deep understanding of lived experience leadership. She is cognisant of the inherent and emerging challenges and opportunities facing the lived experience workforce as this workgroup undergoes rapid and transformative expansion in Australia and internationally. Martina ensures her supervisory practice (particularly when working with lived experience workers who are working in clearly defined designated lived experience roles) are able to meet the challenges of maintaining fidelity to their lived experience informed practice principles and values. To that end, Martina’s supervisory approach is one that puts the supervisee at the centre, while constructively working to identify the issue at hand and to problem-solve possible solutions. Martina draws on her sense of positive regard, curiosity and deep listening to support supervisees to own their sense of empowerment while helping to operationalise realistic and tangible solutions to the challenges facing lived experience workers and their managers.

Martina is a member of The International Association of Suicide Prevention and Suicide Prevention Australia. Martina has completed ASSIST training and Mental Health First Aid.

Life before lived experience work. Prior to entering the lived experience workforce, Martina held leadership roles in occupational health and safety and human resource management at state and national levels for two large corporations and also while serving as an Acting Captain in the Australian Regular Army.