Shayne Connell has more than 18 years’ experience delivering suicide intervention skills training. As CEO and Company Director of LivingWorks and a Registered ASIST and safeTALK Trainer, Shayne supports a network of more than 700 LivingWorks trainers across Australia. He has delivered suicide prevention training for a wide range of participants and has facilitated the ASIST Train the Trainer program in Australia and overseas. Shayne has experience coordinating suicide prevention programs under the initial National Suicide Prevention Strategy with Lifeline and has also coordinated a psychiatric rehabilitation centre based on a peer workforce model. Shayne believes it takes a village to keep someone safe from suicide, which is why he is passionate about educating all Australians in their suicide prevention role and providing them with life-saving skills to support those around them. Prior to joining LivingWorks, Shayne spent more than 10 years in public health promotion and management at Cancer Council NSW, as well as an elected Councillor with the City of Newcastle. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Psychology degree and an MBA from the University of Newcastle. In addition, Shayne is a Board Member and Chair of the Mentor Support Network. Outside of work Shayne is kept very busy spending time with his three energetic daughters.

Traci is the Manager Mental Health Services at NSW Rural Fire Service, the world’s largest volunteer fire service. As an Organisational Psychologist, Traci has previously consulted for some of Australia’s leading safety, psychological health and wellbeing organisations. Traci has significant experience in applying psychology in the workplace through the design and delivery of mental health, resilience, wellbeing and psychosocial risk assessments and interventions across a range of work settings. She has published award winning research and delivered numerous presentations on workplace mental health and wellbeing. Traci is an Adjunct Fellow of Macquarie University, Board Approved Supervisor, Certified Gallup Strengths Coach, LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) Trainer, and has previously held a position on the National Committee, College of Organisational Psychologists (Australian Psychological Society), as lead for the APS Workplace Excellence Awards. Traci is passionate about influencing change and championing workplaces within which people are psychologically well, engaged and supported to perform at their optimum.

Dr Janelle Levesque completed a PhD in posttraumatic growth examining types of posttraumatic growth in adults who have a parent diagnosed with cancer, and how posttraumatic growth influences broader psychological outcomes. She has previously worked in health research, developing and evaluating programs to support couples and culturally diverse patients adjusting to a diagnosis of cancer including coordinating a multi-state NHMRC funded trial and an international comparison study of patient and carer wellbeing. Janelle has published 43 peer-reviewed research articles in international journals and delivered over 40 conference presentations/posters with a focus on caregiver needs and the psychosocial challenges related to receiving a cancer diagnosis. She has volunteered as a counsellor with Lifeline and the Schizophrenia Foundation as an advocate for people experiencing mental illness. Janelle completed a Master of Professional Psychology in 2021 and is currently working with the NSW Rural Fire Service as a provisional psychologist. Janelle has strong interests in trauma and resilience, addressing the stigma associated with mental ill-health, and improving mental health knowledge for all.