Consumer and carer lived experience workforce

Our consumer and carer leadership and participation activities are designed to support the incorporation of lived experience into all our service areas.

In light of recent reforms to mental health services in Victoria, the Lived and Living Experience workforce is undergoing significant restructuring.

The proposed structure encompasses both consumer and carer perspective lived experience staff employed within Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) services:

• Peer support workers
• Consumer and carer consultants
• Consumer or carer managers, coordinators and team leaders
• Consumer or carer educators
• Consumer or carer researchers
• Consumer or carer director and deputy director

Peer support workers

Peer support workers focus on developing reciprocal and mutual relationships to support all aspects of people’s wellbeing and recovery. It is a highly specialised and skilled practice.

Consumer, carer and AOD peer support workers use their personal lived experience to inform and support this role. (Casaceli, McKenner & Kennedy, 2021)

Consumer and carer consultants

Consumer or carer consultants focus on service improvement. This may be with regard to practices, policies and procedures and involve

• Leadership
• Co-production
• Consulting with consumers and carers
• Networking
• Planning
• Evaluation

Consumer and carer consultants provide information and feedback from consumers or carers about their views and experiences of the service and use this information to make recommendations for service improvement. (Casaceli, et al., 2021)

Consumer or carer managers, coordinators and team leaders

Consumer or carer managers, coordinators and team leaders are skilled and experienced lived and living experience perspective workers who have responsibility for the support and development of other members of their discipline.

The manager, coordinator or team leader may be directly line managing a consumer, carer or AOD lived experience worker, while supporting their professional development and allocating tasks to them. (Casaceli, et al., 2021)

Consumer or carer educators

Consumer or carer educators ensure consumer or carer perspectives, participation and involvement are included in all aspects of education and training in services. Consumer and carer educators also develop and facilitate or co-facilitate education and training for staff, consumers and the general community. (Casaceli, et al., 2021)

Consumer or carer researchers

Consumer or carer researchers use their lived experience to ensure full participation of consumers at all levels of research, and bring unique insights and perspectives. They can co-design research with others or lead research themselves. (Casaceli, et al., 2021)

Consumer or carer director and deputy director

The consumer or carer director and deputy director manage the consumer and carer perspective lived experience workforce across the organisation and represent the Lived Experience discipline and perspective at executive level. (Victorian Public Mental Health Services Enterprise Agreement 2020-2024, 2022)