Forum details
Date: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Time: 8:30 am to 12:00 noon
Location: Adelaide Convention Centre
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Forum program
8:30 am
Registration
8:45 am
Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country
Trinh Mai, Senior Authorising Officer, South Australia
9:00 am
Opening remarks
Taimi Allan, Mental Health Commissioner, South Australia
Taimi has over 20 years of experience in advocacy, governance, and system reform. Her work is deeply influenced by her personal recovery journey from eight psychiatric diagnoses and survival of suicidality. Her career includes serving as CEO of New Zealand's leading lived-experience organisation. She also served on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission in New Zealand.
A global advocate for suicide prevention and lived-experience leadership, Taimi has held prominent roles, including Deputy Chair of New Zealand’s Suicide Mortality Review Committee and adviser to the Royal Inquiry into Abuse in State Care. Her work spans research, film, digital health, and media, promoting “Edu-tainment” as a tool for mental health literacy. She is a member of UNICEF’s global Youth Digital Mental Health Expert Network and the South Australian Suicide Prevention Council. Recognised for her pioneering efforts, Taimi was named a Local Hero Medallist at the New Zealander of the Year Awards.
9:15 am
Keynote address: Dr Mark Horowitz on Effective Deprescribing
Mark is a Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry with the National Health Service (NHS) and a Visiting Lecturer in Psychopharmacology at King’s College London. He holds a PhD in the neurobiology of depression and antidepressant action and is an expert in psychotropic medication withdrawal.
His work includes contributions as an Honorary Clinical Research Fellow at University College London and as associate editor of Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology.
How to safely stop psychiatric drugs (PDF 4.2 MB)
10:00 am
Keynote address: Professor Julian Trollor AM on Effective Prescribing
Julian is a Scientia Professor, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, Director of the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at UNSW Sydney. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2025 for significant service to people with disability, particularly as a clinician and academic.
He previously held UNSW’s inaugural Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health (UNSW Sydney) and was head of the Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN).
Julian and the Centre work to improve health policy, practice and supports for people with an intellectual or developmental disability. They lead educational resource development, health promotion, consultancy, advocacy and contributions to policy and legislation. The team also conducts translational research of benefit to people with disability and the health sector.
Striking the Balance: Effective Prescribing and Deprescribing (PDF 2.3 MB)
Prescribing psychotropic drugs to adults with an intellectual disability (PDF 136.4 KB)
Watch a recording of Striking the Balance: Effective Prescribing and Deprescribing (YouTube 101 min)
10:45 am
Morning tea break
Concurrent Sessions
11:15 am
Q&A Panel with Professor Julian Trollor AM and Dr Mark Horowitz
11:15 am
Deprescribing Project in Victoria - A multidisciplinary approach to reduce the use of psychotropic medicines
Connie Wu, Pharmacist, Victorian Senior Practitioner’s Office
Connie is a consultant pharmacist by training with experience in public health, policy and government regulation. She has a particular interest in working with prescribers to promote quality use of medicines, and has previously worked for 5 years with NPS Medicine Wise in engaging GPs to change prescribing behaviours based on current evidence.
Currently, Connie is working as a clinical consultant at the Victorian Senior Practitioner’s office to collaborate with health professionals and the disability sector in reducing the use of psychotropic medications in people with intellectual disability.
A multidisciplinary approach to reducing chemical restraint (PDF 515.4 KB)
Medicine safety: Disability Care (July 2022) (PDF 2.4 MB)
Watch a recording of Session 2 - Deprescribing Project in Victoria with Connie Wu (YouTube 46 min)
11:15 am
SA Intellectual Disability Health Service
Bahman Zarrabi, Consultant Psychiatrist and Allied Health Clinicians
The SA Intellectual Disability Health Service (SAIDHS) is a state-wide, specialist health service for adults with intellectual disability and complex care needs. SAIDHS works as a multi-disciplinary team comprising Rehabilitation Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry, Nursing and Allied Health clinicians. By working closely with the consumer, families, mainstream health services, carers and disability service providers, SAIDHS provides health consultation, assessment and planning to support ongoing care by mainstream services.
Multidisciplinary Approaches to Deprescribing (PDF 3.2 MB)
Watch a recording of Session 3 - SA Intellectual Disability Health Service (SAIDHS) (YouTube 60 min)