Congratulations to Dr Paul Dignam PSM who was awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) for outstanding public service in SA Health as a consultant psychiatrist. 

Dr Dignam is an experienced psychiatrist whose career has spanned over four decades, with a particular focus on child and adolescent mental health. Dr Dignam has held senior clinical and leadership roles, including Director of Psychiatry at Modbury Hospital, and spent two decades as a Consultant Psychiatrist with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Elizabeth, South Australia. His work has extended to rural communities through outreach services in Port Augusta and Whyalla.  

Passionate about teaching, Dr Dignam has been a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Adelaide and has contributed greatly to the education of medical students, psychiatry trainees and allied health professionals. He has played a key role in developing CAMHS consultation frameworks and has been active in service improvement, medical education and consumer engagement throughout his career.  

Congratulations to Associate Professor Phil Brinded ONZM who was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his services to psychiatry.

A/Prof Brinded has made crucial contributions to mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand, including being part of the team behind the 1988 Mason Report and its implementation at Hillmorton and Porirua Hospitals. A pioneer in the field of forensic psychiatry, he has been a member of the New Zealand Parole Board since 1993 and has also served on the Public Protection Order Review Panel.

A/Prof Brinded has an extensive publication record, has contributed to the RANZCP’s Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry, and was appointed as an Expert Witness to the UN Assistance Khmer Rouge War Crimes Tribunal in 2009.