Rachel Green

CEO, SANE

Rachel Green, GAICD is one of Australia’s leading innovators in mental health strategy and reform, digital service design, lived experience leadership and large-scale implementation.

Driven by her passion for lived experience-led design of community services for individuals and families facing mental health issues and suicide and her background in human geography and political economics as well as her own lived experience; Rachel has been involved in major mental health policy reform, strategy and implementation for over 15 years.

At SANE, Rachel led the co-design and delivery of SANE’s Guided Recovery pilot, an Australian first digital mental health program delivering statistically significant outcomes for people with complex mental health issues.

As Director of Policy, Rachel led the establishment of the National Mental Health Commission, developing the Contributing Life Framework, crafting Australia’s first national consumer paid participation policy, and producing the first National Report Card on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in 2012.

In her role at the Black Dog Institute, Rachel directed the implementation of LifeSpan $14M multi-site suicide prevention research trial, and directed implementation support for the National Suicide Prevention trials around Australia.

Rachel designed and implemented the Australian-first trial of ‘SPARC’ – an innovative peer led suicide prevention and recovery cottage, and opened Sydney’s first peer-led Prevention and Recovery Centre, a 28 day step-up, step down residential service in partnership with South East Sydney Local Health District; and during that same year whilst managing complex residential services safely through the COVID-19 outbreak, she designed and delivered eFriend, an Australian first virtual peer warm line.

Rachel has worked across senior roles in mental health, business development and public health policy for over 15 years, working previously for then-Health Minister Nicola Roxon, and in policy advisor roles with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Health.