The National Mental Health Commission has launched Australia’s first national guidelines for a ‘lived experience’ workforce.
In a statement, the Commission said the National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines contain the principles, values and roles of the lived experience workforce, together with detailed steps for employers to help them plan and embed lived experience into their core business.
“Led by the Peer Workforce Steering Committee, the guidelines are the result of an extensive consultation and co-design process with almost 800 stakeholders,” the Commission said.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said the Government was committed to expanding, strengthening, upskilling and supporting the lived experience mental health workforce.
“A thriving lived experience workforce is a vital component of a compassionate, person-centred and recovery-focused mental health and suicide prevention system,” Mr Hunt said.
“By drawing on their life-changing experiences of mental or emotional distress, service use and their journey of recovery, lived experience workers are able to offer support and hope to those who need it the most.”
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said lived experience was a vital part of the mental health workforce.
“These guidelines will have an enduring, positive impact on how we work with people who experience mental ill-health,” Mr Coleman said.
Chair of the National Mental Health Commission Advisory Board, Lucy Brogden said the guidelines would not have been possible without the many hundreds of people who contributed their time and expertise to help inform, shape and refine them.
“Nor would they have been possible without the pioneers in the consumer and carer movement who paved the way over many decades for the possibilities that exist today,” Ms Brogden said.
The National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines are available on the Commission’s website at this PS News link.
