Our counsellors, social workers and psychologists are experienced in addressing various mental health challenges, including trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviours. We also support young people on the autism spectrum, those with disabilities and individuals engaging in high-risk behaviours. The team offers individual counselling, family-based interventions, parenting support, therapeutic group sessions and well-being programs.
We tailor our approach to each young person, using a range of therapeutic techniques that best suit their needs. Importantly, we empower them to voice their preferences regarding the type of support they receive.
At KYDS, we strongly believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship between our clinicians and the young people we support. We encourage parents and carers to actively support the therapeutic process, as their involvement is key to achieving positive outcomes.
In line with our comprehensive approach to mental health, our Schools and Community Outreach team offers early-intervention services aimed at enhancing the emotional and psychological well-being of young people. These include keynote addresses and mental health-focused workshops conducted in school and community settings, webinars for parents and carers, and training sessions for school staff.
Carol is passionate about supporting young people and their families to have better lives, through improved resilience and confidence to support enhanced wellbeing. A seasoned senior executive with experience across a broad range of sectors domestically and internationally, she has volunteered for many years leading programs and initiatives that support youth. As CEO, Carol brings together her passion for improving young people’s wellbeing with her extensive business experience, focussing on driving strategy and enabling us to support more young people and families.
Carol is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds an Executive MBA from AGSM, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolasimpson/
Anthony has been a vital part of KYDS since January 2018, starting as Clinical Services Manager before being promoted to General Manager in May 2019. From March 2020 to August 2024, he served as CEO and now leads the team as Clinical Director. With a Doctor of Psychology (Counselling) from Macquarie University, Anthony brings extensive experience working with children and young people in both Australia and the UK across diverse settings.
His passion lies in empowering young people to have control over their support at KYDS. Anthony firmly believes that a systemic, holistic approach to therapeutic work is key to achieving the best outcomes for every young person.
Andrew has been a Partner at EY for 25 years, where he’s held various leadership positions. From 2009 to 2017, he served as Treasurer and later Deputy Chair of KYDS.
Currently, Andrew is a Director at Bell Shakespeare and has previously contributed to the Finance and Performance Committee of the Western Sydney Local Health District. He also mentors the CEO of a youth mental health nonprofit and is a member of the Institute of Company Directors.
David has been a Management Committee member since 2016 and has 30 years of global experience in transforming technology, risk, regulation and decision making across mining, logistics, retail, manufacturing, government and financial services. David is currently a founder of a technology business involving AI and decision making.
Recognised by IBM for Innovation Thought Leadership, David has written a book on innovation and been recognised by the NSW Government for services to volunteering. He has been involved in youth related non-profits for over 20 years.
A passionate believer in using innovation to drive good business and improve outcomes for employees and consumers, David has spoken internationally and appeared on radio and television. He arrived in Australia with little, having escaped from war, and has used those experiences to work with universities and others on how to use innovation to give the less fortunate more opportunities.
Helen joined the Management Committee in 2017 as Chair of the Clinical Sub-Committee a role which she still holds. Helen was the KYDS Chair from 2020 to 2024. She is an experienced Nationally Accredited Mediator, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP), facilitator of Restorative Engagement Conferences and Clinical Supervisor of mediators and FDRPs.
Helen has overseen a period of rapid growth for KYDS and is motivated by a desire to make it as easy as possible for young people to connect with effective mental health support. She is excited by the positive outcomes that the KYDS service model achieves, in such a cost-effective way. In 2022, Helen established social enterprise Ripple Learning, which delivers interpersonal skills and well-being workshops for workplaces – with 100% of profits being directed to effective youth mental health services, including KYDS.
Ryan has been a Management Committee member since 2023. He is passionate about working with young people to bring a youth lens to KYDS’ strategic initiatives and policies, maintaining positive outcomes for young people and their mental health. Outside of his role at KYDS, Ryan currently works at Cognizant, previously working for Ernst & Young, in their Strategy and Transformation practice.
Mark joined the Management Committee in 2023 as an experienced finance and risk professional, having worked in senior leadership roles in consulting and banking. He provides oversight of our finance function and supports the Management Committee in the development of our organisational strategy.
Cr Ward joined the Management Committee in 2024. An experienced businesswoman and community leader, she works across government, private and not-for-profit sectors with a long history of executive and governance roles in diverse industries. She is the Founder and Director of Impact One and creates business opportunities in trade, scale up, transformation and execution to the next stage of growth and maturity.
Cr Ward is a seasoned Director on Boards which includes Ministerial Advisory Council on Aging, Advisory Board of UN Australia NSW, Asia Australia Business Council, Studio A and Lifeline. She is an advocate for mental health and well-being and works tirelessly for those less fortunate in our community. With a strong focus on integrity, transparency and collaboration, she is committed to bringing fresh ideas and positive results-focused solutions.
Justin has been a Management Committee member since 2023. With over 35 years’ international industry experience, Justin has held a range of senior positions at a number of blue chip organisations across the financial services and technology domains. With a deep passion for the growth and development of people, Justin has maintained a high focus on championing initiatives aimed at empowering local communities, and being a significant contributor to the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion agenda.
Justin holds an MBA and MSc in Strategic Focus from Edinburgh Business School and is a certified Executive and Gallup Strengths Coach. As a certified Company Director, Justin sits on a number of Boards.
Jane joined the Management Committee in 2020. A brand and communications specialist, her career spans the advertising and market research industries, covering a broad portfolio of local and global clients across diverse sectors, including FMCG, Financial Services, Health and Not-for-profit.
Jane drives the brand positioning of KYDS and the shaping of communication campaigns to highlight KYDS’ unique nature and the outstanding results achieved in helping young people with mental health challenges. Her focus is to maximise the potential of all opportunities to raise funds to enable KYDS’ work to continue.
Tim has been a member of the Management Committee since 2023. A Chartered Accountant and financial and operational executive, Tim has delivered transformational outcomes across startups, scaleups and business turnarounds.
Since 2021, he has worked on the development of sustainable, agile and robust business practices for scaling up and has immersed himself in the startup ecosystem as CA in Residence and CFO at Stone & Chalk. Tim is currently working on the opportunities for KYDS to provide mental health support services to schools across Northern Sydney.
