The Mental Health Coalition of SA’s vision is for a high quality, qualified and skilled, sustainable Lived Experience/Peer workforce in the NGO mental health sector. LEWP is leading this work, building quality pathways to Lived Experience/Peer work study and employment. As well as supporting people exploring Peer work as a career and current Lived Experience workers, we work closely with our sector to co-designs tools, resources and professional development opportunities that support organisations to prepare for, recruit, support and grow their Lived Experience/Peer workforce effectively.

Our NGO Mental Health Lived Experience Workforce Standards and Guidelines are a self-assessment tool for organisations to measure where they sit against best practice standards and develop an Action Plan to address these. There are three versions available; while they essentially say the same thing, they’re written in very different ways as they speak to the workforces that have co-designed them:

  • Mainstream/LGBTIQA+ (this document speaks to ‘HR language’)
  • Aboriginal Lived Experience Workforce
  • CALD Lived Experience Workforce

The Standards and Guidelines align to the National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines, making them an excellent implementation tool. Our LEWP Reference Group is currently reviewing and editing them to ensure our language reflects that which has been recognised in this national document – the updated version will be added to our website later this year.

NGOs who have implemented them have reported many positives to their workplace as a result, e.g.:

  • A greater understanding of designated Lived Experience roles and Lived Experience as a skill set
  • More effective recruitment processes
  • Improved workplace culture
  • More effective worker-line manager relationships and working relationships between Lived Experience positions and other roles in teams

It can seem overwhelming when first glancing over the Standards and Guidelines but implementing doesn’t have to be. All organisations are different, meaning there is no single way to approach implementation. LEWP can support you as you undertake the process and our  fee-for-service Peer Supervision, Training for Line Managers and our free Communities of Practice will give you access to opportunities to build your knowledge and learn from others. 

Pru De Garis, Youth Clinical Services Manager at Sonder has written about their experience of implementation and generously shared it with us to support others considering the Standards and Guidelines – to read more, click here

You can watch a short video and access our Standards and Guidelines at our website. Scroll to the section ‘For Non-Government Organisations’.

If you would like to explore implementation in your organisation, contact Senior Project Officer Lizzie Graham at lizzie.graham@mhcsa.org.au

Belinda Brown

Program Manager, LEWP