School of Business and Law

ECU Law Assembly 2024

Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace

When: 23 April 2024, Time: Registrations open at 5:10 PM, Doors Open at 5:30 PM till 8:00 PM

Location: Beaumonde on the Point

Cost: As a friend of ECU, this event is free for you to register!

Register: Registration is essential. Click here to book your ticket.

Further Information: For further information, please email SBLlaw@ecu.edu.au

Our Speakers:

Cav Maria Saraceni

Cav Maria Saraceni is a respected Barrister specialising in ESG regulatory and compliance law with a focus on health and safety and employment-related matters. She advises, strategizes and represents clients in various Courts and Tribunals. She uses her teaching skills form her first career as a secondary school teacher to provide practical training and Masterclasses to those  seeking to keep up to date with the ever-changing legislation around employment – even the so-called right to disconnect. Maria has roles on not-for-profit Boards and Committees and enjoys giving back to society.  As a child of migrant parents, Maria has long advocated for and contributed to the advancement and well being of CALD communities – particularly Italians in Australia. Her efforts were recognised by the Italian government who conferred on her a knighthood – being the title of Cavaliere in 2017.

Dr Rodney Peyton

Dr Rodney Peyton OBE TD is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business and Law and is internationally highly regarded as an accomplished consultant trauma surgeon, author, and trainer with a longstanding commitment to surgical education. He has been involved in medico-legal reporting and court appearances as an expert witness since 1983 and is a founding member of the Expert Witness Institute. He is a well-known author and international speaker on medico-legal issues and is the co-editor of the authoritative Cambridge Textbook of Accident and Emergency Medicine and author of the best-selling book, “Whiplash, the Cervical Spine in Medico-Legal Practice”. He is the recipient of the Werner Korte Gold Medal for services to German Surgical Education, Medal of the Swedish Surgical Society for services to medical education and is an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Associate Professor Kate Blackwood

Associate Professor Kate Blackwood is an experienced researcher and educator, specialising in the field of healthy work and employee wellbeing. Her research centres around industry engagement, working with organisations and government agencies on initiatives to improve work practices for managing psychosocial risks and fostering healthy work. She joined the School of Business and Law at Edith Cowan University as Senior Industry Collaboration Fellow in the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Centre in 2023. Prior to joining SBL, Kate worked at Massey University in New Zealand, where she was co-director of the Healthy Work Group and co-director of the Bachelor of Business program. Her work is published in a range of academic and industry outlets, including Personnel Review and Safety Science, and she has received approximately AU$1.5M of external funding in support for her research.

Dr Sophie Davison

Dr Sophie Davison is the inaugural Chief Medical Officer – Mental Health at the Mental Health Commission (Commission) and has been in the role since July 2020.

Prior to joining the Commission Sophie was Deputy Chief Psychiatrist of WA where she was involved in overseeing the standards of care in mental health services. She was also Consultant, State Forensic Mental Health Service providing in-reach at Bandyup Women’s Prison. She is currently adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of WA and the University of NSW. Sophie has been a Consultant Psychiatrist for more than 20 years and is committed to improving outcomes for people with mental health and AOD issues and their families and carers.

She is a passionate advocate for integrated partnerships working to provide holistic care; and engagement of clinicians and other frontline staff and people with Lived Experience in system improvements. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists. She is an Associate Fellow of the Royal College of Medical Administrators and has an MPHil in criminology.