Professor Beverley Raphael

MBBS, MD, FRANZCP, FASSA, FRCPsych, Hon.MD (Ncle, NSW).

Chairperson

 

Summary
Professor Raphael is an internationally recognised expert in mental health aspects of terrorism and disasters and has long-term involvement and experience in research and management in the areas of trauma, grief and disasters. More specifically, her work has covered trauma, loss and other adversities as they affect children and young people, their needs and their families’ needs, including school-based research, surveys and programs.  She has extensive experience in service provision and policy development in mental health.

She is currently Professor of Psychological Medicine at the Australian National University and Professor of Population Mental Health & Disaster at the University of Western Sydney. She has chaired the National Prevention, Promotion and Early Intervention Working Party and has written numerous reports relevant to the prevention and management of trauma, loss and grief as they affect children, adolescents and families. In 1984, Professor Raphael was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her work in mental health and in 2008 the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Psychiatrists awarded her the College Medal Of Honour – its most prestigious award for distinguished and meritorious service.

Professor Raphael is chair of the National Mental Health Disaster Response Committee and Taskforce. She is a consultant to the World Health Organisation and other international groups. She has been Chair of the Australian Transcultural Mental Health Network and with Ms Pat Delaney (Swan) responsible for the National Consultancy and report on Aboriginal Mental Health (Ways Forward, 1995).

Further Details
Professor Raphael has been involved with research, the development of mental health policies and programs and prevention more broadly, in particular prevention for children, adolescents and families. Her work includes the 2000 Department of Health and Aged Care monograph, Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People: A discussion Paper. Key Principles and Directions.

Professor Raphael has been involved in psychiatry – in service provision and policy development - for more than 40 years . She is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Queensland in addition to her current Professorial appointments at the Australian National University and the University of Western Sydney. She also holds professorial appointments at the Universities of Sydney, New South Wales and Newcastle.

Her ongoing contribution to child and adolescent psychiatry is acknowledged with honorary membership of the RANZCP Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Professor Raphael is the author of The Anatomy of Bereavement (1983), When Disaster Strikes (1986), co-editor of The International Handbook of Traumatic Stress Studies (1993), and co-editor of Psychological Debriefing: Theory, practice and evidence (2000). She has also authored over 200 scientific publications.