— Lived Experience Leadership Initiatives
Innovative actions and or enterprises that support Lived Experience Leadership.
Summary
Mary O’Hagan has been appointed as the first Victorian Executive Director of Lived Experience to help build Victoria’s new mental health and wellbeing system, ensuring those with experience of the mental health system are at the centre of its reform. The appointment delivers on a key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System to employ people with lived experience in leadership positions within the Department.
The new role will work to ensure that mental health and alcohol and other drug services meet the needs of consumers and carers by integrating their expertise in the development of policies and programs.
About
This is a UK membership organisation and a network of community groups and people who have experience of mental distress, ill-health and trauma who come together to create, challenge, and campaign. As a user-led organisation, all staff members and Trustees have lived experience.
Background
Following recommendations from the November 2017 Stepped Care Workshop, in June 2018, the Department offered a contract for services with Brisbane North PHN to chair and project manage the newly formed National PHN Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network (MHLEEN). Due to its work, the Network received a commitment from the Department for a further three years.
In 2020-2021, MHLEEN undertook to develop an independent advisory group of lived experience leaders who were nominated by their PHNs because they worked with their local PHNs on co-design activities. The first step involved providing capacity building opportunities through sponsorship at two international conferences that were held virtually due to COVID-19.
About
The Global Mental Health Peer Network is the first global organisation dedicated to empowering the voices of persons with lived experience.
Since the GMHPN's establishment in 2018, the focus of its work has involved the building of a sustainable structure to serve two main purposes: 1) to develop a global leadership of lived experience; and 2) to create a sophisticated communication platform where the lived experience community can share their views, opinions, perceptions and experiences. As an international organisation for and run by persons with lived experience holds a wealth of expertise and power in diversity among its lived experience representatives.
About
The focus of the BEING Leadership Academy is to deliver consumer-led, progressive and inclusive education. Through a collaborative approach to adult education, BEING Leadership Academy aims to engage with learners, share knowledge and open opportunities, while fostering positive relationships within our diverse community.
BEING – Mental Health Consumers has recently partnered with the Nottingham Recovery College, UK, to co-design and co-produce courses aligned with our values of inclusivity and which are informed by recovery-oriented and trauma-informed practices.
Courses and workshops will be delivered in-person and online, facilitated by experienced and skilled Peer Educators.
BEING Leadership Academy has three key education streams – Speak Up, Peer Up and Lead Up – each comprised of a number of short courses and workshops.