Professor Nicholas Procter RN, BA, Grad Dip Adult Ed, MBA, PhD, MACN, MACMHN, MAICD

I am Professorial Discipline Lead, Nursing and Chair in Mental Health Nursing, Clinical and Health Sciences.

I have previously held senior independent non-partisan roles, including to the Office of the Prime Minister’s National Suicide Prevention Taskforce, National Mental Health Commission, Commonwealth Ombudsman, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and to the Ministers Council for Asylum Seekers and Detention. I currently serve as Australia’s national representative to the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Chair of Australia’s National Suicide Prevention Office Advisory Board. I have completed advanced training in Trauma Informed Practice with the United States Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and as a Suicide Death Investigator and a Psychological Autopsy Investigator with the American Association for Suicidology.

Much of my day-to-day work involves teaching, research and co-leading initiatives with government and non-government partners to realise the substantial short-term and long-term benefits that can be gained from academic-industry engagement. The strategic intent is to partner with people and organisations who use research evidence, lived and living experience to co-design person-centred care in mental health and the prevention of suicidal suffering and death.

I’m not afraid of leaning into complex and nuanced situations to create impact. My leadership style is inclusive, collaborative and strategic. People and their lived experiences are central to the work I do. Most importantly, the knowledge and insights gained by bringing together people with lived and living experience of mental distress and suicide, their loved ones, clinicians, policy makers and academic faculty. Deep scholarship, connectivity and diffusion of the insights through publication, practice and policy development are central to my community engagement strategy. I am also the author of more than 300 academic outputs. Many are listed on my ORCiD profile. My latest book ‘Mental Health: A Person-centred Approach’ (published in its 3rd edition by Cambridge University Press in 2022) is a standard textbook in Australia and is well known internationally. A 4th edition is currently in preparation for release in 2027.

Updates arising from my work are posted on Bluesky @nicholasprocter.bsky.social

Awards and Honours:

• Australia’s IASP National Representative
• Ministerial Citation for Suicide Prevention Education, Department for Correctional Services, SA
• National Educational Publishing Award
• Dr Margaret Tobin Award, SA Health Mental Health Excellence Awards
• SA Health Partnering with Lived Experience Award, Mental Health Excellence Awards
• SA Health Nursing Excellence Award, Nursing Education, SA Health
• Suicide Prevention Australia National LiFE Award ‘Communities in Action’
• Suicide Prevention Australia South Australia Awards ‘Best Practice in Workplace’
• Suicide Prevention Australia South Australia Awards ‘Communities in Action’