Board Members

Francis Roger Nii Lanteye Acquah AM is a highly respected mental health advocate, educator, and community leader with over 35 years of experience in mental health nursing. His lifelong commitment to improving mental health care has made a significant impact, particularly among vulnerable communities, including immigrants, refugees, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations. His career spans multiple continents, beginning in the United Kingdom, where he trained as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, before making his most profound contributions in Australia.

Francis has been a trailblazer in transcultural mental health, transforming how mental health services are delivered to African and CALD communities. After moving to Australia, he worked at Larundel Hospital and pursued further education at La Trobe University, where he specialized in migrant and refugee mental health. His expertise in transcultural psychiatry allowed him to develop culturally sensitive and empathetic mental health care models, addressing the distinct challenges faced by immigrant and refugee populations.

In 2011, Francis founded the Positive Mental Health Program, which later evolved into the Positive Wellness Recovery Centre (PWRC)—a leading organization offering holistic and integrative mental health services. Under his leadership, PWRC has provided a wide range of services, including counseling, psychosocial rehabilitation, music and dance therapy, and community outreach programs. His innovative approach prioritizes person-centered, compassionate care, treating not only the symptoms but also the underlying causes of mental health conditions.

Beyond clinical practice, Francis serves as the Executive Director of PWRC and President of the Mental Health and Well-Being Foundation, a non-profit operating in both Australia and Ghana. Through this foundation, he has continued to advocate for mental health awareness and education, particularly in underserved and marginalized communities. His leadership in initiatives such as the Project Fundi Homework Club and Project Sunrise has provided vital educational and mental health support to African Australian youth and families, fostering resilience and tackling stigma associated with mental illness and substance use.

Throughout his career, Francis has received numerous accolades for his contributions to mental health. In 2024, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his significant service to mental health care and community advocacy—an esteemed honor approved by King Charles III. He has also been awarded the Australian Mental Health Nurse Achievement Award, the Living Legend Award at the African Australian National Awards, and an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc) Honoris Causa. Today, he remains an active force in the mental health sector, continuously developing innovative projects to enhance mental health accessibility. His legacy is one of compassion, innovation, and unwavering advocacy, making him a role model for future generations. Francis has also served on several boards, including the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.

Divine Kporha graduated from the University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Philanthropic Leadership from the Pan-African Leadership Institute. He served as a Registered General Nurse at the Keta Municipal Hospital, working closely with the Nursing Administration and In-Service Training as a facilitator. He is currently with the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Ketu South Municipal Hospital in Aflao.

He serves as the Project Manager (Ghana) for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Foundation and is the Executive Director of the Divine Kporha Charity Foundation.

While at UHAS, he served as President of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) Volta Regional Bloc. He was dedicated to improving community mental health as President of the Mental Health and Well-being Foundation, Ghana-UHAS in 2016 and 2017, and he graduated as the first recipient of the “Prof. Fred Newton Binka Prize for Best Graduating Student with Demonstrated Service to the University Community.”

He also served as President of the National Service Personnel Association – Keta Nurses and Midwives Wing. As a young graduate, Divine has distinguished himself through his compassion for the less privileged by working with communities to tackle stigma associated with mental health and leprosy through public workshops on healthy living and suicide prevention. He and his team have also raised funds and awareness for people living with disabilities through several community development projects, resulting in an improved quality of life.

In 2018, he was honoured with the Kofi Annan Youth Inspirational Award for his dedication to community service, and in 2019 he received the Diana Award for his selfless social action and humanitarian efforts.

His interest lies in community volunteerism by partnering with corporate bodies to maintain, preserve, and promote quality healthcare delivery and reduce stigma for people with mental disorders through community participation, mobilization, and public education in the Volta Region.

Just this year, Divine received an Honorary Award from the Volta Youth Awards for his dedication to youth development in the region.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Ghana with a B.Sc. in Psychology and an MPhil in Clinical Psychology. She is currently employed as a research officer at Everymind, where she works on the Mindframe programme that promotes responsible media reporting, portrayal, and communication about suicide, mental illness, alcohol, and other drugs. Previously, she worked as a Clinical Psychologist and lecturer at the University of Ghana. She recently completed a PhD in Psychiatry at the University of Newcastle’s School of Medicine and Public Health in Australia, researching the experiences of families who have lost members to suicide in Ghana and the impact of these tragedies on communities and service delivery. She has taught Psychology courses and published on topics such as suicide prevention, child and adolescent sexual health, and the impact of food insecurity on mental health.

Her research interests include mental health, suicide, and the sexual health of children and adolescents.
Despite mental health being a critical component of overall health, it remains neglected and underdeveloped in some parts of the world. More culturally specific research is required to inform policy development and reduce stigma. Inspired to pursue a career in mental health, she sees numerous opportunities to generate culture-specific data that can enhance the field.

Jennifer is a member of the Ghana Association for Suicide Prevention, the Ghana Psychological Association, and the Ghana Centre for Suicide and Violence Research.

Gordon holds a BSc in Human Biology and an MBChB from the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, and an MBA from China Europe International Business School. He specialised in psychiatry at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.
He practiced as a General Psychiatrist and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he was instrumental in designing and implementing psychiatry residency programs for the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Gordon served as an adjunct faculty member at KNUST’s School of Medical Sciences and as a part-time lecturer at the University of Cape Coast’s School of Medical Sciences, fostering the training of residents through partnerships with institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard University) and Boston University Global Mental Health Division.

He co-authored “Psychotherapy in Indigenous Context: A Ghanaian Contribution Towards Provision of Culturally Competent Care” (included in the “Handbook of Research on Theoretical Perspectives on Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Developing Countries”) and “Handbook for Primary Mental Healthcare: A Practical Guide” for first-line mental health professionals.

Gordon is currently enrolled in a PhD in Psychiatry at Australia’s University of Newcastle, researching how criminal justice and penitentiary systems recognise mental health challenges as integral to certain criminal behaviours and developing a model for a forensic mental health system to support Ghana’s criminal justice system.

He is a passionate and committed mental health educator in global training programs in low-resource countries, volunteers for mental health NGOs by running outreach clinics and training programs throughout Ghana, and serves as the Vice President of the Mental Health and Well-Being Foundation of Ghana. He is also a member of the Ghana Psychiatric Association, Ghana Epilepsy Association, American Psychiatric Association, World Federation for Mental Health, and the World Psychiatric Association.

Winifred holds a B.A. in Psychology (with Philosophy) and an MPhil in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ghana. She was formerly a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Psychology at the University of Ghana, involved in faculty research and teaching. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Psychiatry at the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia. Her research interests focus on mental health, suicide, forensic psychology/psychiatry, and workplace programmes.

Winifred believes that although Ghana has excellent mental health policies, there is inertia in implementing these policies to improve citizens’ psychological well-being and remove barriers to accessing mental health care due to stigma and discrimination. She asserts that significant public mental health education is needed to reduce stigma and enhance government commitment to funding and training.

She is a member of the Ghana Association for Suicide Prevention, the Ghana Psychological Association, and a research fellow at the Centre for Suicide and Violence Research in Ghana.

Dr. Arthur holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Project Management, both from Ghana. Prior to these qualifications, he trained as a professional teacher for over eighteen years, holding roles in management and administration in private industry. He later completed his PhD at the University of Victoria in Australia, researching the mental health literacy levels of Ghana’s community leaders (assembly members, akin to councillors in Australia). Upon completion, he was conferred the honorary title of Adjunct Fellow within the College of Health & Biomedicine at the same university and has published several works. He is a member of the Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association.

Currently, Dr. Arthur is the Head of the Mental Health Department at the Mental Health Authority in Ghana. He works to provide the public with accurate knowledge about mental health and to reduce negative stereotypes and attitudes. He is an advocate for positive mental health attitudes and for breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health disorders in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries.

Daniel is a highly accomplished professional in digital product design and management. He holds an MSc in Management Information Systems from Coventry University and is currently pursuing an MSc in User Experience Design & Digital Business at IPAG Business School in Paris, France. He is deeply committed to promoting mental health and the role of inclusive design in enhancing the daily lives of individuals with mental health challenges. Recognized as an advocate for inclusivity in design, his commitment to excellence, drive for positive change through technology, and professional yet relaxed approach have made him a valuable asset to the Mental Health and Well-Being Foundation since its inception.

Chris holds an Associate Professorial position with the Faculty of Health at The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, and is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of New England in New South Wales. His 33 years of experience as a mental health clinician, educator, and health service executive span the UK, South East Asia, and Australia, covering integrated primary mental health care, acute inpatient care, tertiary care, forensic care, and child and adolescent inpatient services. He worked for ten years with the Australian Council on Health Care Standards (ACHS International), evaluating mental health care standards across Australia.

Chris is currently researching the influence of lay beliefs on the attribution of mental illness and health-seeking behaviour among African refugee communities in Australia, with his research involving communities from Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, Mauritania, and the Congo. His research interests include cross-cultural psychiatry, ethno-psychology, trans-migratory groups, stigma, discrimination, social rejection, and citizenship.

Prof. Sallar holds a BSc from Legon, an MBA from Baruch College (City University of New York), an MPH from New York Medical College, and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of British Columbia.

He is currently the Dean of Students and an Associate Professor at Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) School of Business, where he teaches Ethics and Statistics. He is the West African Regional Director of the Johnson & Johnson-funded Management Development Institute (MDI) for Health Care Organizations, offering intensive leadership and management programmes for underserved Sub-Saharan African entities.

Prof. Sallar was the Board Chairman of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the largest referral/teaching hospital in West Africa, from 2014 to 2017, and was a lead facilitator in the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) programme in Ghana and Nigeria. Prior to GIMPA, he taught at Ohio University and Jackson State University (Mississippi) in subjects including Epidemiology, Program Evaluation, Research, and Quantitative Methods, as well as Maternal and Child Health and Ethics. He has published extensively, presented at workshops worldwide, and served as Chairman of the Refugee and Immigrant Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association.

Professor Mike Hazelton, RN MA PhD FACMHN, is a Professor of Mental Health Nursing at the University of Newcastle. He served as Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery until the end of 2013 and has worked throughout Australia, including in Western Australia and Tasmania, as well as internationally in Singapore, Korea, and Malaysia.

He has previously been Head of Nursing at the University of Tasmania and at Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia. Currently, he is the Honorary Director of the Halla/Newcastle Centre for Problem Based Learning at Cheju Halla University, Republic of Korea. With a research background in both qualitative and quantitative methods, he has published over 75 articles, books, and abstracts on mental health nursing and the sociology of health, and has consulted for various governments. He is a past Editor of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing and serves on the editorial boards of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry and Nursing and Health Sciences. He has supervised 15 PhD students, received several awards for his research, and was made a Life Member of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses in 2003.