Dr John Crawshaw, Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services, New Zealand.  Dr Crawshaw took up the position of Director and Chief Advisor of Mental Health in November 2011. He is the Government’s principal advisor on Mental Health and is responsible for fulfilling several key statutory functions. He has extensive expertise in Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Previous to this role John was CEO of Statewide and Mental Health Services in Tasmania, Australia where his responsibilities included overseeing Tasmania’s state-run Mental Health Services,  Forensic Health Services (incorporating Forensic Mental Health and Correctional Primary Health Services), Alcohol and Drug Services and the Health and Well Being Services (Oral Health Services and Cancer Screening and Control). He was also the Chief Forensic Psychiatrist at the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services.

John has also held various senior management roles at Capital Coast Health including Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, General Manager (Mental Health Elderly & Disability Services) and Strategic Advisor to the Chief Executive.

He is a graduate of Otago Medical School and his academic background has included being a Senior Lecturer in Psychological Medicine at Wellington School of Medicine and Senior Psychiatric Registrar at Otago University Medical School. He was a member of the RANZCP General Council and has served on a number of boards, councils and committee of professional bodies. He was previously the Chair of the RANZCP Board of Education.