Beyondblue CEO quits
Beyondblue CEO Dawn O’Neil has resigned from the national depression initiative.
The organisation’s chair and former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett said O’Neil tendered her resignation to the board on Friday, September 16.
“The board accepted her resignation, and with agreement, Dawn will finish at beyondblue this Friday, September 30,” Kennett said in a statement today.
“The board thanks Dawn for what she has achieved while with us and wishes her well in the future.”
Beyondblue deputy CEO Clare Shann – who has been with the organisation for over five years – will step into the role as acting CEO.
O’Neil was this month forced to distance the mental health support organisation from comments made by Kennett that heterosexual marriages are better for the mental health of children.
In a veiled attack on same-sex marriage in his Herald Sun column this month, Kennett used his leadership of national depression initiative beyondblue to back up his claims.
“There is no substitute for parents of both genders,” Kennett wrote. “Happy heterosexual marriages are the best environment for the mental health of children.”
Following Kennett’s remarks O’Neil said the views expressed were Kennett’s alone and did’t reflect the views of the organisation.
“They are absolutely the views of Jeff Kennett and I can give you a strong assurance that beyondblue continues to be solidly committed to working with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and intersex community, particularly to address the high rates of depression and anxiety as a result of discrimination,” O’Neil told the Star Observer earlier this month.
“The research shows gender isn’t an issue as far as mental health and wellbeing of children is concerned, it’s very much about the quality of the parenting that makes the difference.”
“We absolutely are committed to our work in this area, it’s very important, we understand the discrimination that people from the gay lesbian community experience is a causal factor often for depression and anxiety and we want to do all that we can to remove the discrimination as much as we can.”
O’Neil told the Star Observer at the time she would not comment on calls to have Kennett stood down over the remarks.
O’Neil told the Sunday Age yesterday the board “100 per cent’’ supported Kennett, but said the issue would be raised at the next board meeting.
what about kids in broken hetero families? Do we count them?
It would seem the board members have done nothing regarding the chair.
Board members are paid between 10 & 20k pa. for just sitting on the Board. Luminaries in mental health and various academics have expressed astonishment over the boards’ incapacity to deal with the chair.
Additionally the chair and board members fly business class throughout Australia with public funds. This is not practice amongst organisations that are not for profit.
BB. was paid $17.6 million in government funds and $10.4 in donations last financial year. Jeff and co. are using public funds in irreverence.
The board not addressing the issue of the chair is damned spot on academia.
As of 2010, inclusive of the board were:
Professor Nick Allen – Professor Psychological Sciences and Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne;
Laura Kennan – General Manager, Crisis Support Services, Victoria;
Ms Barbara Hocking – Executive Director, SANE Australia;
Prof Kathy Griffiths – Deputy Director, Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University Canberra;
Prof Graham Martin – Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The University of Queensland;
Dr Nicole Highet – Deputy CEO of beyondblue;
Dr John Clarkson – MB, CHB; Dip.Obst; FRACGP; ADAPsych; FACPsychMED;
Dr Adam Guastella – Clinical Psychologist / Senior Research Fellow, Brain & Mind Research
Institute, University of Sydney; amongst others.
It appears to me that the political think tank Beyond Blue is being treated as a personal slush fund of Jeff Kennett. It is important to remember Beyond Blue is not evidence based such as a University, and its publications are a Murdoch style tabloid strong on personal opinion and not on facts.
For more go to http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/kennett-in-blue-over-travel-costs-20110927-1kvgy.html
Well, I’m appalled. An ignorant bigot spews hateful bile in a right-wing rag, and the CEO of his organisation rightfully says that his idiotic views are not representative of the organisation’s as a whole. Now she’s out on her arse and the bigot has “the board’s full support”.
Clearly I woke up in Bizarro World this morning.
You’ve lost the respect of this long-time supporter, Beyond Blue. On the eve of Movember, and all! I certainly won’t be participating in any Beyond Blue fundraising until Kennett is gone and the board apologises for their disgusting behaviour. No mo for me this year…
Will Dawn’s departure change BeyondBlues lack of interest in the LGBTI community? I seriously doubt it.
Have anyone seen any initiative from them when it comes to youth suicide, male depression in gay men etc etc. While Kennett is at the helm, BeyondBlue will be nothing to more than an organisation that has given nothing and shown no concern. Hopefully with some government support the LGBTI Health Alliance can fill the gap and start an initiative on sexuality linked depression and suicide that BeyondBlue has failed to.
(from me as an individual, not representing organisation)
Dawn’s resignation is a huge setback. As well as BB’s deeply unsatisfactory record on GLBTI, there seems to be a very outdated approach from BB of “everyone who has depression is a basket case with no idea about their lives” (my words). Dawn was challenging that, both in perception (she had experienced depression) and in practicality. Now she is gone.
It is nearly 2 years (December 2009) since what can now only be called a meaningless corporate-style gabfest that was supposed to be a new era for the GLBTI-BB relationship. I not only want Jeff to go, I think it’s time to call on government to have a review of BB and the funding of it. There is clearly an organisational cultural problem in BB that needs rectification – and the sooner the better.
We have observed over the years, there is another big problem with BB. Many of their staff are devout Christians who mean well, but still carry the old anti-Gay demons with them. They are particularly from the Fundamentalist churches. The very people who support discrimination and bigotry in the first place….hatreds that cause depression and suicide.
We see their organization as a vicious merry-go-round. Honestly, a new broom needs to sweep clean. Ridding ourselves of professional homophobes like Jeff Kennett would be a good start.
We agree with Dave. “Beyond help”.
Look at it this way
A screw ball like Kennett can’t really go anywhere
he’s no high flyer, jus gotta big mouth and nothing of any substance 2 say.
He sold the state of Vic off at bargain basement prices
He’s doin his ‘boy own annual’ thing with Hawthorn footy club and uses tabloid newpapers 2 peddle his poisonous bile
The wrong person got the board’s support. That makes the board highly questionable.
what a shame… we got rid of this wanker from leading our state, and now we are subjected to his stupidity and lack of knowledge when we’re depressed and needing professional assistance… is there any way we can completely remove this man from ANY profile position that gives him a platform to voice his obviously uneducated opinion??? im sorry Mrs Kennett.. but you’re sleeping with a wanker… im not a hateful person.. i just want to see him beyond blue! :-)
Would never donate to any organisation that had Kennett involved with it! My Victorian friends, all still cringe when Kennett is ever mentioned!
Kennett should have been the one to go. Go jump, Jeff.
This is remarkable.
Kennett stated to The Age over the weekend he had based his previous comments on, ‘life experience’, as being the best tutor. This is in conflict with BB’s EBP and peer review as a means of measuring BB’s service.
Complicit in this is the management committee. The PHD’s are attached to various faculties each of whom, if not acting are complicit in Kennett retaining his position as chair. Using the brand of BB and mis-represting research for his own opinions based on ‘life experience’ is akin to bigotry.
Dawn has fallen on her sword, and for that I have respect.
Beyond Help!