About the Framework

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Framework Overview

Since 2010, with the development of the Mental Health Commission’s landmark reform policy ‘Mental Health 2020: Making it personal and everybody’s business’, we have prioritised listening to and learning from the experiences of people who have lived through experiences of mental health issues, alcohol and other drug challenges and suicidality. We recognise the importance of incorporating lived experience perspectives to drive meaningful improvements in our services and policies.

Thriving Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces are a vital component of delivering person-centred, culturally safe, and dignity-affirming services across the mental health, suicide prevention, and alcohol and other drug sectors. [1]

The WA Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces Framework is closely aligned with and receives support from a range of state and national policies. These are also listed on Strategic Alignment page.

Who is the Framework and guiding resources for?

  • Individuals currently in, or considering a role in, the Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces.
  • Organisations looking to develop strategies and actions that support the growth of sustainable and effective Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces.
  • Funding bodies interested in commissioning and supporting organisations to build and enhance their Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces.

The Framework covers the Western Australian mental health, alcohol and other drug and suicide prevention sectors and includes consideration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, alcohol and other drug, suicide prevention and mental health Lived Experience (Peer) Work.

The co-designed Framework and its guiding resources incorporate the experiences and insights of diverse key stakeholders, developed through a dedicated steering committee, advisory groups and a series of workshops and targeted consultations.

It acknowledges that the Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces may have different roles and ways of working across sectors, shaped by diverse understandings and experiences, and as a result, may apply core values and principles differently.

The Framework and guiding resources are designed to be practical and accessible for all stakeholders at all levels in the mental health, alcohol and other drug and suicide prevention sectors.

The Framework is universal and transferable across other sectors that engage Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces.

National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines

The Western Australian Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces Framework is part of a broader collection of Australian documents related to the Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces. The National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines (National Guidelines) is a key reform initiative of the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan, released in December 2021. [2]

The focus of the National Guidelines is on a paid mental health Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce. The document brings together key issues from state, territory, and organisational policies and guides, with the expertise of lived experience to create a single overarching framework for consistent national development of the Mental Health Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce.

Importantly, the National Guidelines provide detailed steps for employers at each stage from planning a Lived Experience workforce through to embedding as part of the services core business. Focussing on organisational change, the National Guidelines to build a robust, effective, and well supported Lived Experience workforce, while creating the foundations and environments for workforces to thrive.

The Western Australian Framework was the first to be developed since the release of the National Guidelines.

The Western Australian Framework and guiding resources located on this website align with the National Guidelines while recognising the nuances specific to a Western Australian context and the inclusion of the alcohol and other drug sector. Understanding and recognising there has been a lot of work already undertaken in this space, where appropriate and to avoid duplication, this site highlights external resources, tools and information for further supports.

How the Framework and guiding resources were developed

The Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces Framework was led by Mental Health Commission (Commission) and guided by a Steering Group of Lived Experience (Peer) workers with a lived or living experience of mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol or other drug issues.

To ensure a comprehensive and inclusive process, the following steps were taken to form the Steering Committee, Advisory Groups and associated workshops:

  • Remuneration – Participants were offered remuneration in line with the Mental Health Commission’s Consumer, Family, Carer and Community Paid Partnership Policy;
  • Lived Experience Leadership – people with a Lived Experience were elected as Co-chairs of the Steering Committee and Advisory Groups;
  • Co-facilitation – people with personal lived experience co-facilitated and assisted the workshops;
  • Diverse Representation – the Steering Committee, Advisory Groups and workshops participants consisted of people with a broad range of experiences and perspectives; and
  • Stakeholder involvement – Stakeholders were involved throughout the development of this Framework including in decisions making processes.

The Framework has been endorsed by the previous governance structure the Mental Health Executive Committee (MHEC), the Community Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Committee (CMC) and the then Minister for Health; Mental Health, the Honourable Amber-Jade Sanderson.

Further information can be found here detailing who was engaged throughout the development process.

References