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Updated August 12, 2026 \u2014 1:52pm,first published 1:42pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n The fly-in, fly-out boss of Victoria\u2019s flagship new youth mental health service has resigned after revelations she was overseeing the role from her Queensland base.<\/p>\n The Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service announced via its board on Wednesday that chief executive Dr Leanne Geppert would be leaving the role.<\/p>\n \u201cI am writing to let you know that Dr Leanne Geppert has tendered her resignation as CEO of Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS),\u201d board chair Cath Bowtell wrote in a statement to staff.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been a difficult and deeply considered decision for Leanne.\u201d<\/p>\n The Age revealed<\/a> on Tuesday that PYMHWS has been beset by staff claims of deteriorating patient care and frustration with so-called \u201cabsentee management\u201d.<\/p>\n Related Article Six workers at the service \u2013 including psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, detailed an exodus of senior medical staff, a rise in violent incidents, widespread drug use in secure wards, and claims that the hospital\u2019s management is more focused on its brand than patient care.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, four masked intruders forced their way into the reception area at the service\u2019s Sunshine campus<\/a> and assaulted two people and fled before police arrived.<\/p>\n Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt told parliament on Tuesday that she had spoken to Bowtell and made her expectations about Geppert\u2019s work arrangements \u201cvery clear\u201d.<\/p>\n In a public statement on Wednesday, Geppert said her resignation followed considerable personal reflection about the next chapter of her life and career.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cReform has been the work of my career and helping to establish PYMHWS has been one of its most significant chapters. I leave with enormous belief in what we have built, in our people, and in what this organisation can continue to achieve for young people and their families, carers, supporters and kin,\u201d Geppert said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a decision I have made for myself and my family after a great deal of reflection. With our first grandchild on the way, there is also an exciting new chapter ahead for my family and I know this is the right decision for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Bowtell thanked Geppert for her \u201cextraordinary contribution\u201d and said she always led the organisation with \u201ccommitment, capability and an unwavering belief\u201d in its purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving led PYMHWS through its establishment and first year of operations, she has been considering for some time when the right point would be to step away. Importantly to her, she wanted to see the organisation through a number of significant milestones.<\/p>\n \u201cHer departure will be a significant loss for PYMHWS but I understand and respect the reasons for her decision, and I know she will leave an important legacy in the organisation she has helped to establish.\u201d<\/p>\n The message said the board was working through a process to select an interim CEO and Geppert\u2019s departure was not requested or sought.<\/p>\n The youth service was billed as a major response to Victoria\u2019s mental health royal commission<\/a> when it opened in June 2025, operating as the state\u2019s first dedicated public youth mental health service for people aged 12-25.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/14cf5cf14e91ce1eedc6ef21087308fb2c9b569a.jpeg\")
Dr Leanne Geppert had been appointed as the Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service\u2019s CEO despite living in Queensland.<\/p>\n![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786520653_726_4903fe7e3612da0c9e337a0702aeceb212e2e42b7ae019c836e69e75cd3d039c.jpeg\")
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