Barry Taylor

Experienced

Barry brings 35 years' experience at the local, national and international levels to his work in mental wellbeing promotion and suicide prevention/postvention. His extensive experience includes sitting on government advisory committees; designing, implementing and evaluating suicide prevention programmes; writing suicide prevention guidelines, training packages and community resources; providing technical advice to community based and national mental wellbeing and suicide prevention programmes. A highly motivated and achievement orientated project manager with a proven track record in education and training, public health policy advice, budget management, programme development and implementation, people management, stakeholder engagement and community liaison. He has sat on numerous Boards of professional and community organisations often holding many leadership positions. Barry brings a sociological analysis and a public health framework to his work. As a health sociologist, he has an interest on the impact of social exclusion, discrimination on wellbeing and suicide. He advocates for a human rights / social justice approach to wellbeing and suicide prevention. He has a keen interest in the social and cultural determinants of health and well-being as well as advocating for evidence-based practice; the use of outcomes based logic in both programme development and evaluation measures for complex social health programmes.
Barry offers an unique insight into the evolving phenomenon of suicide in the New Zealand context and the critical social and cultural determinants that have influenced it, insights that very few others trainers or training programs in this country provide. Barry's work is enriched by the learnings from his own lived experience of depression and suicidality and his pathway to recovery.
After a number of years overseas, Barry is living back in New Zealand and is passionate about building the knowledge base, competence and capability within our country to effectively respond to the unacceptably high rate of suicide.

Barry Taylor Principal Consultant

Skilled Consultant

Policy analysis & advice Stakeholder Engagement Strategic innovative thinking
Workforce development Supervision & Mentoring Programme Evaluation
Change Management Community Engagement Knowledge transfer

Pioneering

Led pilot projects that were "firsts" in approach: Led the first national response to youth suicide in Aotearoa-New Zealand in the late 1980s Trialling community-based intersectoral collaborative suicide prevention in rural and urban settings Service design - conceptualisation and implementation of Wellington regional suicide Postvention response service National initiatives for priority populations - conceptualisation and implementation of MindOUT LGBTIQ Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Project (world first national initiative as part of national suciide prevention strategy) Organised national gathering of men to identify effective strategies to promote wellbeing in men and addressing male suicide. Insitgator of the award winning South Western Sydney Wellbeing Collaboration and Five Ways to Wellbeing Campaign

Recognised for his work

Recipient of the NSW Mental Health Commissioner's Community Champion Award for his outstanding contribution to mental wellbeing and suicide prevention. A Winston Church Fellowship who studied youth suicide prevention in the United Kingdom and United States.

Inspiring Presenter

A sought after presenter and trainer on his specialist subject areas of mental wellbeing, suicide prevention, loss and grief, spirituality and men’s well-being. He has a particular interest in suicide and depression in men as well as sexuality related suicide. He is a skilled communicator who is able to present in an easily understood manner complex concepts and ideas using a variety of teaching modalities to achieve optimal learning. Participants consistently comment on his breadth and depth of understanding of both theory and practice which evokes a strong sense of confidence that the content being delivered is theoretically sound and based on practice wisdom.

Leadership

  • A leader who has the ability and experience to:

  • - Articulate a strategic vision and obtains engagement of stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes

  • - Act with forward vision and commitment to continuous improvement through review and evaluation.

  • - Translate theory and research into applied programs which have sound evidence-based programme logic and robust evaluative processes.

For Suicide Prevention & Mental Wellbeing.

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