Executive

The Executive manage and lead the operations of the Company.

Chief Executive: Francis Lynch

Francis has worked in the non-government community services sector for many years, across a wide range of service types including children’s services, child welfare, youth services, AOD services, emergency relief, community development, employment services, mental health, homelessness and counselling services. Francis has been involved in a range of social policy activities including advocacy on child welfare issues. Francis is currently on the President of the WA Council of Social Services, On the board of Community Employers WA, and on the Board of the Australian Council of Social Service. He has a Bachelor of Social Work, Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management, Master of Social Work and a Master of Business Administration. Francis has also worked at MercyCare, Djooraminda and Anglicare.

Executive Manager: Sheryl Carmody

Sheryl Carmody has worked in the community sector in Perth since 1975. Initially it was as a volunteer in a shelter for Aboriginal people in East Perth when she was a university student. From there she went on to lead a group of young people who established Anawim, a specific accommodation and support service for younger Aboriginal women. Then from her final year social work placement she took on the research role with one of Perth’s first homeless youth research projects and this lead onto four years of active involvement in state and national youth homeless policy and service provision in supportive accommodation service for young people.

Throughout the next decade Sheryl gave priority to professional development including group work leadership, organisational and supervision training and post graduate studies in theology and mission.

In 1986 she began work in the adult homeless field at the Daughters of Charity’s Day Centre in Northbridge and thus began her journey with the organisation that is today Ruah Community Services. It was in these years she worked with others to establish the Perth City Housing Association which today has emerged into Foundation Housing.

Sheryl specialised in mental health from 1993-2012 shaping Ruah Mental Health from its outset. She was one of the leaders in WA in getting the recovery vision for mental health on the policy and practice agenda while contributing to a broad range of other reform activities in the mental health sector including many years on the Board of the WA Association for Mental Health. She led the development of mobile professional psychosocial and recovery support models and applied her support to consumer inspired projects, peer-led programs, longitudinal community research and partnerships for early intervention for people presenting with early psychosis and for children of parents with mental illness. She has an ongoing long term commitment working for change so Aboriginal people experience a more culturally secure and accessible mental health system.

Today Sheryl holds an Executive Manager role for Ruah in Culture and Workforce Development. She is deeply passionate to contribute to the ongoing review and shaping of culture, so what staff experience is positive and supportive, so they can carry the mission of the organisation into their work activities for the benefit of people and communities. She also holds the intention that Ruah is awake and responsive to the global challenges of environmental sustainability, social justice and the call for a fundamental shift in human consciousness that is required for the survival of planet earth’s life systems.

Executive Manager: Ros Mulley

Ros has worked in both the government and non-government sectors: in the Western Australian, as well as the Queensland Departments of Health and more recently in the not for profit sector in Queensland in the provision of state-wide services in child protection, early childhood, social housing, disability services and alcohol and drug rehabilitation.

Ros has participated on Queensland’s Child Protection Partnership Forum, which was engaged in identifying and addressing critical areas of child safety and well-being; and as a member of the Management Committee of the Australian Association of Social Workers (Qld).

Her tertiary qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Aboriginal Anthropology), Bachelor and Masters degrees in Social Work and a Post-Graduate Diploma of Business.

Ros has a strong interest in prioritising the issues of disadvantage and suffering experienced by indigenous people; and in working alongside other individuals and groups who are disadvantaged and vulnerable, to build community capacity.

Executive Manager: Simone Hosgood

Simone Hosgood was a Social Worker with the Justice Department before commencing employment with Ruah Inreach, in October 2001. Simone has ten years experience with Ruah Mental Health in front line service delivery and in Team Leadership and Manager Roles. She worked for two years in the Early Episode Psychosis Team in Rockingham, which provided the impetus for Post Graduate Studies in Family Therapy. Simone moved into the Senior Program Manager position of Ruah Mental Health at the commencement of

2009 and completed a Diploma in Business to support this transition. April 2009 was one of the most significant periods for Ruah Inreach as it expanded considerably under the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program under FaHCSIA. Simone was responsible for the integration of the State and Commonwealth funded programs and overseeing up to 65 staff, peer led programs, program developments and projects in specialised areas such as employment.

Simone has presented at National conferences and attended international conferences in the US, to keep abreast of international practice. During her time with Ruah Simone recognises a period of change, including the continuation of emerging practices and refinement of service models, the strengthening of the recovery paradigm, the importance of employing people with lived experience and more recently the establishment of Western Australia’s first Mental Health Commission, with a clear vision for sector reform.

When Simone moved into the Executive Manager role in February 2012 she stated “I feel fortunate to move into the Executive Manager (Mental Health) role at such an exciting time in mental health and I am honoured to lead such an incredible body of staff whose commitment to support marginalised people inspires me every day”.