Mind values the expertise, strengths and skills of people with lived and living experience of mental health challenges, personally or as a family member or carer.  

We have a strong commitment to employing peer practitioners across all service models, as well as employing staff in designated lived experience roles in other key departments. More than 50 per cent of our staff have disclosed a lived experience of mental ill health. 

Our Lived Experience Workforce works to shift attitudes and concepts of mental health. It facilitates increased collaboration with, and valuing of the insights of, people with lived experience, and helps ensure the support we provide is best practice.  

Valuing lived experience benefits everyone. Mind’s Lived Experience workforce leads change and builds an understanding of lived experience at all levels of the organisation to improve how we work and how we support people in their mental health recovery journey. Find out more about our commitment to Lived Experience here (PDF 1.95 MB). 

We value the knowledge, and proactively recruit people who have lived experience with mental ill-health, personally or as a family member or carer, which assists and supports our clients, carers and families through: 

  • sharing knowledge of lived experience of mental health challenges 
  • supporting people with their own recovery 
  • assisting in fostering hope 
  • helping others through shared experiences 
  • connecting with people through storytelling.  

Peer work program: 

Mind provides a professional development Peer Work Program that supports mental health peer workers with the knowledge, skills and practice principles required for best practice in peer work.   

Our Peer Work Program is designed to create a safe space for people with a lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery to increase their understanding and confidence in their role as a peer worker. 

The Department of Health Victoria has funded a number of training places for people employed in state funded mental health and alcohol and other drug services. Places are allocated to eligible services by the Department of Health through a key contact at each service. Forms can be completed by the key contact or by the staff that have been nominated by the service to attend.  

Mind’s Peer Work resources: 

For more information, please contact the Mind Connect team on: call (1300 286 463) or email [email protected]