The Mental Health Coalition SA’s (MHCSA) Lived Experience Workforce Awards once again rounded off a hectic Mental Health Month.
Hosted by the Lived Experience Workforce Program (LEWP), the Awards were presented at a fabulous dinner on October 28 at the InterContinental Adelaide. Close to 100 guests enjoyed a delicious meal paired with sensational wines courtesy of The Usual Suspects Collective and treated to interactive entertainment courtesy of MC Catherine Campbell. Catherine is a cabaret singer and actress whose career boasts a huge number of high profile performances and positions including State Opera SA, Adelaide Festival and Fringe, State Theatre Company and UniSA.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton MP and MHCSA Executive Director Geoff Harris both acknowledged the value of the designated Lived Experience roles in mental health services and the commitment to growing the workforce. LEWP Program Manager Belinda Brown outlined the innovative work LEWP is doing to build a high quality, skilled, qualified and sustainable workforce in the NGO sector, and why it is vital that we work together to drive the change needed to achieve this vision. Guests were the first to view our new LEWP video introduced by LEWP Senior Project Officer, Lizzie Graham. The video highlights the experiences of people who completed our Orientation to Mental Health Peer Work Program and subsequently gained employment as Peer Workers, and an experienced Lived Experience worker whose skills and expertise in drawing from their own personal journey is having an enormous impact in SA and nationally. You can watch the video here https://youtu.be/1KK50MaNv9w
Our main event of the evening was the announcement of very worthy award Finalists and Winners from across the NGO and Government Lived Experience workforces:
Lived Experience Worker Award:
For provision of direct support to people experiencing mental health challenges in a paid, designated Lived Experience role that requires personal Lived Experience of mental health challenges and periods of healing/recovery or of supporting someone (carer/family).
Winner
Matthew Newlands – Lived Experience Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Military and Emergency Services Health Australia
Finalists
Jacquelyn Campbell – Peer Practitioner, Mind Australia
Kristy Lehmann – Community Peer Worker, Life Without Barriers
Samuel Sutton – Peer Support Worker, Neami National – Urgent Mental Health Care Centre
Lived Experience Leader Award:
For application of Lived Experience in ways other than direct support, in a role requires personal Lived Experience of mental health challenges and periods of healing/recovery or of supporting someone (carer/family).
Winner
Linda Ladhams – Expert by Experience Development Officer, Rural and Remote Mental Health Services
Finalists
Kat Elsby – Senior Peer, Sonder Youth Services
Anna Scheepers – Peer Practice Leader – SA, Neami National
Peer Work Student Award:
Recognising individual achievement of a student undertaking or completing the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work in 2022 with an SA-based Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Winner
Peter Bozoski – Centacare Registered Training Organisation
We are thrilled and truly grateful to be working alongside such incredible colleagues. Congratulations again to each of you.
The evening had a wonderfully relaxed, celebratory feel to it which makes it a fitting wrap up to Mental Health Month and our year.
We want to thank everyone who supported this event and LEWP throughout 2022. The very personal nature of Lived Experience work means it takes a lot out of us; we can only keep going because of you, the people who believe in what we do and why we do it.
Wishing each of you a soul-refreshing, peaceful and safe festive season. We look forward to spending time with you as we do it all again – and more (oh boy!) – in 2023.
Belinda Brown, Program Manager and Lizzie Graham, Senior Project Officer
Lived Experience Workforce Program
Photo: 2022 MHCSA Lived Experience Workforce Awards Winners and Finalists pictured with Minister for Health and Wellbeing Hon. Chris Picton MP (right) and MHCSA Executive Director Geoff Harris (left)
