Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces – Mental Health Commission

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The Mental Health Commission’s Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces Framework

The Mental Health Commission’s Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces Framework provides orientation around key concepts that are foundational to sustaining robust Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces in the mental health, alcohol and other drug and suicide prevention sectors. It states ‘A Lived Experience (Peer) worker is an individual who has had a personal life-changing experience of mental health, alcohol and other drug challenges and or suicidal crisis (including thoughts, feelings or actions) or has or is caring for someone with these experiences or who has been bereaved by suicide. ^[1]

The individuals, family members, carers and significant others who work in the Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces use a combination of their lived experience plus training and professional development in their practice. This work has strong links to the knowledge and skills of broader social justice and human rights movements, ^[2] which are required to develop Lived Experience expertise. This expertise is a pre-requisite for a wide range of volunteer and paid designated roles.

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About the Framework

Since 2010, with the development of the Mental Health Commission’s landmark reform policy, Mental Health 2020, we have prioritised listening to and learning from the experiences of people who have faced mental health challenges, alcohol and other drug issues, and suicidality.

About the Framework

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Thriving Lived Experience Workforces

People thrive when they are understood, supported, and valued. It is no different for the Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces who will thrive in workplaces where other staff are thriving.

Thriving Lived Experience Workforces

Recommended Actions

Throughout the development of the Framework, the following actions were identified as central to ensuring the Western Australian Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces were diverse and sustainable into the future. The responsibility for these actions is shared across all sectors.

Recommended Actions

Appreciation

The Mental Health Commission has worked closely with stakeholders to develop the Western Australian Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Framework and the supporting documentation for the mental health, alcohol and other drug and suicide prevention sectors.

The Mental Health Commission would like to thank all the people who gave their time and expertise to the development including the Steering Committee and Advisory Group members. We would also like to offer a huge thanks to all the Lived Experience (Peer) Workers, service providers, consumers, family members, carers and significant others who took part in the project that informed this Framework and whose expertise is still contributing to the content and ongoing review of this website.

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