Home About Global Leadership Council Juanita Ryan
by Kirsty Cardy

Deputy Chief Executive at Ara Poutama

Dr Juanita Ryan

eMHIC Special Interest Group on Corrections and Confined Spaces

Ko Moehau te Maunga

Ko Waihau te Awa

Ko Te Kapakapa te Moana

Ko Tainui te Waka

Ko Ngāti Maru, Ko Ngāti Airangi, Ko Ngāti Kotemana ngā Iwi

No Hauraki Ahau

Ko Juanita Ryan Toku Ingoa

In November 2020 Juanita was permanently appointed Deputy Chief Executive, Health Services of Ara Poutama.  She is responsible for the operational delivery (both internally and contractually) of health, mental health, addictions and disability services for people on remand, or sentence with the Department.  

Juanita joined Ara Poutama 12 years ago as a psychologist in the Waikato spending much of her time working at Waikeria Prison.  Other roles she has held include, Principal Psychologist, Director Programmes and Interventions and Chief Psychologist.   

Since commencing her present role in November 2019 she has worked to strengthen the leadership and service delivery within the Health Rōpu.  The Health Services team have a clear focus and vision to transform health services to support and enable Pae Ora and achieve equity of Health care for Māori health.  Four key priorities sit under this objective.  These priorities form the core of the work programme for the team:

  1. develop a Kaupapa Māori Health Service 
  2. develop a Health Services Governance Framework 
  3. develop a Health Services Outcomes Measurement Tool
  4. strengthen and expand mental health and addictions services

Juanita is particularly committed to working on social justice for Māori and greatly values the relationships Ara Poutama has formed with iwi and mana whenua in working towards a shared goal of significantly better outcomes for Māori. 

Dr Nina Ferencic

Senior Regional Adviser on Adolescent Health, Development and Participation, UNICEF

Jay Buckey

Professor of Medicine at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA

Kana Enomoto

Director of Brain Health, McKinsey Health Institute, USA

Dr. Daniel Fung

CEO, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore

Chris Wright

National Advisor for Digital Mental Health, Scotland

Liz Ashall-Payne

Founder and CEO, ORCHA

Prof. Andrew Greenshaw

Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience University of Alberta, Canada

Colin Seery

Chief Executive Officer at Lifeline Australia

Niki Legge

Director of Mental Health and Addictions, Government of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Dr Judith Kuriansky

Professor of Psychology and Education, Columbia University Teachers College; Advisor, Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations

Ashley de Silva

CEO of ReachOut Australia

Dr Jill Murphy

Executive Director, APEC Digital Hub for Mental Health

Nick Titov

Executive Director, Mindspot, Australia

Fran Silvestri

Former President and CEO, International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL)

Louise Bradley

Former Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC)

Mary O'Hagan

Executive Director Lived Experience, Department of Health, Victoria, Australia

Richman Wee

Senior Researcher, University of Waikato, New Zealand

Piers Gooding

Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne, Australia

Dr Bruce Arroll

Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Addie Wooten

CEO, Smiling Mind, Australia

Angie Chew

Adjunct Associate Professor of mindfulness, National University of Singapore

Professor Chee Ng

Professor and Healthscope Chair of Psychiatry, The Melbourne Clinic, Australia

Dr Craig Hassed

Senior lecturer at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Ed Mantler

SVP Chief Program Officer, Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC)

Nicholas Watters

Director of Access, Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC)

Juanita Ryan

Deputy Chief Executive at Ara Poutama, New Zealand

Victoria Hornby

CEO, Mental Health Innovations, UK

Stephen Appleton

President and Chief Executive of Global Leadership Exchange

Lucita Lazo

President of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Philippines

Anna Elders

Clinical Lead, Just a Thought, New Zealand

Marie Paldam Folker

Director, Centre for Digital Psychiatry, Denmark

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Victoria Hornby

CEO, Mental Health Innovations, UK

International Phone and Text Helplines

Victoria is CEO of Mental Health Innovations, the charity behind SHOUT, the UK’s first 24/7 crisis text service. From 2011 to 2017, she was Director of Programmes at The Royal Foundation, building a portfolio of projects including the Invictus Games, Coach Core, United for Wildlife and Heads Together.