Lived and Living Experience Careers

Alcohol and Other Drug Peer Workers draw on their own experience of substance use and recovery. They support people using our alcohol and other drug and dual diagnosis services. They help reduce stigma, build connection and support people to work towards goals that matter to them, at their own pace.

The Associate Director provides strategic leadership for the consumer and carer lived and living experience workforce across mental health services. The role leads workforce planning and development, strengthens professional practice, and embeds lived experience perspectives in service planning, governance and improvement. Working alongside clinical and operational leaders, the Associate Director champions meaningful consumer and carer participation and ensures lived experience expertise helps shape organisational decisions and culture.

Carer Consultants draw on their own lived experience and diverse family, carer and supporter perspectives to improve services. They contribute to service planning, policy, quality improvement, training and co-design. They promote family-inclusive practice, advocate for carers’ recognition and support, and create meaningful opportunities for families, carers and supporters to shape services as partners in care.

Consumer Consultants draw on their own lived experience and diverse consumer perspectives to improve services. They contribute to service planning, policy, quality improvement, training and co-design. They help ensure services are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and respectful of people’s rights, and that consumers have meaningful opportunities to shape the services they use.

Consumer Peer Support Workers work one-to-one and in groups with people using our services, drawing on their own experience of mental health challenges and recovery. They build trust, offer hope, and support people to have their voice heard in their care. Peer support is grounded in mutuality: walking alongside people rather than doing things for them.

Family and Carer Peer Support Workers draw on their own experience of caring to support families, carers and supporters. They offer emotional support and help people understand how services work. They support families to be included in care and encourage carers to look after their own wellbeing.

The Lived Experience Professional Development Coordinator supports the learning, development and capability of the lived and living experience workforce. They coordinate professional development, education and training opportunities, strengthen discipline-specific practice and career pathways, and work with staff and leaders to build a skilled, supported and sustainable lived experience workforce.

Senior Carer Consultants lead and develop the carer lived experience discipline. They mentor and support carer workers, strengthen workforce capability, and lead co-design and service improvement projects. They bring family, carer and supporter perspectives to senior leadership, governance and strategic decision-making, championing family-inclusive practice and helping ensure these perspectives shape services, policies and organisational culture.

Senior Consumer Consultants lead and develop the consumer lived experience discipline. They mentor and support consumer workers, strengthen workforce capability, and lead co-design, and service improvement projects. They bring consumer perspectives to senior leadership, governance and strategic decision-making, helping ensure consumers’ rights, voices, and choices shape services, policies and overall organisational culture.

Youth Peer Support Workers are young people with lived experience who support other young people and their families. They bring a relatable, youth-friendly perspective, helping young people feel heard, connected and involved in decisions about their care and recovery.