Australia

Joy McLaughlin joined The Fred Hollows Foundation in July 2009 as Manager of the Indigenous Australia Program, based in the Northern Territory.

She has over 20 years' experience in the government sector, primarily in health policy and various aspects of Indigenous policy.

Joy has been involved in policy and program management in the Department of Community Services, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Health and Ageing and the Department of Families Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Joy's early public service career focused on child care, disability programs, and aged and community care. More recently Joy has maintained a strong commitment to Indigenous issues.

During her time (1999 - 2003) at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Joy was instrumental in the development of the Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative and the funding of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation. During this time Joy became involved in Indigenous issues, taking on the role of Senior Adviser Indigenous Policy.

From 2003 to 2007 Joy worked on a broad range of policy issues in the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in the Department of Health and Ageing.

In the last couple of years she has managed chronic disease programs in the Department of Health and Ageing and provided support to the independent Board that conducted the Review of the Northern Territory Emergency Response.

Joy has strong relationships within the Indigenous health sector and has worked closely with major organisations including the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Aboriginal Health. She has been a Program Leader with the CRC working on the research program for the social determinants of health.

Joy has a strong commitment to social justice and to working with Indigenous Australians and communities to address the disadvantage faced by many Indigenous Australians.