Lived Experience

This network supports early career mental health workers within not-for-profit primary /mental health organisations in NSW and the ACT. Those within their first two years of employment are invited to join the group each month to ‘lunch and learn.’ The virtual meetings consist of guest presentations from interdisciplinary professional and lived experience leaders, post-presentation discussions, networking and peer support. This network is appropriate for those working in a variety of stepped-care mental health and suicide prevention programs across all age groups, including those within headspace centres. While all disciplines are welcome, it is envisaged the audience will predominately be graduates of social work, psychology, peer work, counselling and nursing.

The Lived and Living experience practitioners’ network is an Australia wide, online network, open to anyone using Lived and Living Experience in their work. This network aims to enhance knowledge, connections and networks for people working in the Lived Experience space. Network activities may include: Informal networking opportunities, Presentations from services and individuals, Professional development opportunities such as Intentional Sharing of Lived and Living Experience workshops. Activities will be driven by members input, aiming to meet the needs and interests of the network members. This network is suitable for anyone working in the Lived Experience space, or anyone wanting to further their skills, knowledge and/or connections in this space including, but not limited to: Lived Experience consultants and trainers, lived Experience mentors and coaches, peer workers, health and medical practitioners, academics researchers and others as relevant.

This network aims to collaborate with health professionals including lived-experience experts who wish to improve the health and quality of life of people with severe mental illness (e.g, Schizophrenia, Bipolar). One of our key focuses will be promoting and implementing social prescribing, to alleviate the stigma and loneliness associated with this patient group. We hope to achieve that through collaborative learning and brainstorming, involving social prescribing experts. Meetings are held quarterly at a local venue in Darwin. **All new members are encouraged to please complete the planning survey available in the network resources section below.**

This is a large network for Brisbane and Gold Coast with a focus on supporting clients who live with cancer and mental health issues. Our meetings consist of presentations by members, guest experts, and includes networking opportunities and peer support. We meet four times a year, and our presentations will look at medical, social, psychological, and the lived experience of cancer. If the most recent statistics is true, then 1 in every 2 people will have an experience with cancer by the time they are in their 80's. So it means, the likelihood of a practitioner in the mental health space, the social services, or community services working with a person dealing with cancer .... is high. This network is not only a gathering of like-minded professionals, but a space to seek out information on how to work with a person living with cancer.