Accessibility Tools

Lived Experience Workforce

— Discussion and Analysis

Ideas of and issues in co-design and co-production including overcoming barriers.

Byrne, L., Roennfeldt, H., & O’Shea, P. 
(2017). 
Identifying barriers to change: the lived experience worker as a valued member of the mental health team: Final report. 
Brisbane: Queensland Government
Full Text

Summary

The lived experience workforce in Australia includes peer support workers; consumer consultants; consumer companions; experts by experience and various lived experience roles in education, training, policy design and systemic advocacy. This emergent and increasingly impactful section of the mental health workforce is growing rapidly, however expansion of the roles is ad hoc with little structured workforce development to date.


Byrne, L., Roennfeldt, H., O’Shea, P., & Macdonald, F. 
(2018). 
Taking a gamble for high rewards? Management perspectives on the value of mental health peer workers. 
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
15(4), 746. 
Full Text

Abstract

Mental health peer work is attracting growing interest and provides a potentially impactful method of service user involvement in mental health design and delivery, contributing to mental health reform. The need to effectively support this emerging workforce is consequently increasing. This study aimed to better understand the views of management in relation to peer work and specifically explores the value of peer work from the perspective of management.


The Centre for Mental Health Learning (CMHL) 
(2018). 
Embedding lived experience (peer) workers in mental health services. 
Full Text

About

In this video, managers of lived experience workers (Cate Bourke and Tom Pickup) share their experiences and learnings about inclusion of lived experience workforce in mental health services.


The Centre for Mental Health Learning (CMHL) 
(2018). 
Fish out of water - tackling the challenges of lived experience (peer) work. 
Full Text

About

This video of the Fish Out of Water workshop recorded the Post Discharge Initiative Forum in March 2018.  In this workshop Indigo shares her thoughts and perspective about some of the barriers impacting lived experience workers employed in mental health services.


The Centre for Mental Health Learning (CMHL) 
(n.d.). 
Peer inside: Consumer and family carer workforce development. 
Full Text

About

The CMHL website, cmhl.org.au, was initially built as an online portal where workforce could access training and resources from numerous training providers and organisations, as well as provide some key information about CMHL’s functions, organisational structure, and lived experience work (under the ‘Peer Inside’ banner). Peer Inside is designed for:

  • Consumer and family carer lived experience workers, this page gives you access to tools and support to help you navigate being a ‘peer inside’ mental health services.
  • Managers, coordinators and colleagues this page helps you ‘peer inside’ and access information about consumer or family carer work.
Project Partners

Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network Logo

National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum logo

Acknowledgement of Country

The National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum and the National Primary Health Network Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we work and live on across Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Definition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience

“A lived experience recognises the effects of ongoing negative historical impacts and or specific events on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It encompasses the cultural, spiritual, physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of the individual, family or community.

“People with lived or living experience of suicide are those who have experienced suicidal thoughts, survived a suicide attempt, cared for someone through a suicidal crisis, been bereaved by suicide or having a loved one who has died by suicide, acknowledging that this experience is significantly different and takes into consideration Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples ways of understanding social and emotional wellbeing.” - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Centre

We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to this site and invite them to provide any feedback or items for inclusion.

Recognition of Lived Experience

We also recognise people with lived and living experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who are carers, families, kin, or supporters.

 

Aboriginal flag
Torres Strait Islander flag
LGBTQI flag
© Lived Experience Digital Library. All rights reserved.