Full Name
John Cranefield
Job Title / Position
Nursing Director for Child and Youth Mental Health at Sunshine Coast Health
Company / Organisation
Sunshine Coast Health
Biography
John Cranefield is the Nursing Director for Child and Youth Mental Health at Sunshine Coast Health, where he provides strategic and clinical leadership across a range of mental health services supporting children, young people, and their families. With more than 15 years of experience in child, youth, and adolescent mental health, John has developed extensive expertise in clinical care, service delivery, workforce development, and health service leadership.
John completed his mental health nursing training and began his professional career in London with South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, working across specialist child and adolescent mental health services. Following his relocation to Australia in 2012, he has held a variety of leadership and clinical roles across Queensland’s public mental health system, spanning inpatient, community, and specialised child and youth mental health services.
Throughout his career, John has been committed to improving outcomes for young people experiencing mental health challenges through the delivery of safe, evidence-based, and family-centred care. He is a strong advocate for early intervention, integrated service delivery, and multidisciplinary collaboration, recognising the importance of partnerships between health, education, families, and community services in supporting young people’s wellbeing and development.
John has a particular interest in healthcare redesign, workforce capability, clinical leadership, and the development of innovative models of care that improve access to services and strengthen continuity of support for children, young people, and their families. His work focuses on creating sustainable, responsive systems that meet the evolving needs of communities while promoting positive mental health outcomes and long-term wellbeing.
Passionate about service innovation and collaborative practice, John continues to champion approaches that bring together health, education, and community sectors to provide coordinated support and improve opportunities for young people to thrive.john.cranefield@health.qld.gov.au
John completed his mental health nursing training and began his professional career in London with South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, working across specialist child and adolescent mental health services. Following his relocation to Australia in 2012, he has held a variety of leadership and clinical roles across Queensland’s public mental health system, spanning inpatient, community, and specialised child and youth mental health services.
Throughout his career, John has been committed to improving outcomes for young people experiencing mental health challenges through the delivery of safe, evidence-based, and family-centred care. He is a strong advocate for early intervention, integrated service delivery, and multidisciplinary collaboration, recognising the importance of partnerships between health, education, families, and community services in supporting young people’s wellbeing and development.
John has a particular interest in healthcare redesign, workforce capability, clinical leadership, and the development of innovative models of care that improve access to services and strengthen continuity of support for children, young people, and their families. His work focuses on creating sustainable, responsive systems that meet the evolving needs of communities while promoting positive mental health outcomes and long-term wellbeing.
Passionate about service innovation and collaborative practice, John continues to champion approaches that bring together health, education, and community sectors to provide coordinated support and improve opportunities for young people to thrive.john.cranefield@health.qld.gov.au
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