Lived Experience Lead

Wellways Australia; Shepparton; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging up to $15,899 enables

Meal and Entertainment allowance up to

Leave loading 17.5%

Paid parental leave after 12 months

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Wellways is seeking a Lived Experience Lead to strengthen peer practice across our Mental Health and Wellbeing Local. You will provide lived experience leadership, supervision and practice development to Peer Workers, guiding clinical teams to embed recovery-oriented approaches.

Working with the Local service leadership, you’ll advocate for participants’ and carers’ perspectives, mentor peers to grow in their roles, and help shape service planning and delivery to improve outcomes for our

Qualifications

• Authentic lived-experience leadership required.
• Extensive experience in mental health and/or AOD sectors.
• Completion of or active enrolment in relevant peer-work qualification.
• Formal IPS training or working knowledge as a practice framework.
• Clear National Police Check, WWC, NDIS Worker Screening Check or willingness to obtain.
• NDIS Worker Orientation module completion certificate.

Responsibilities

• Lead and strengthen peer practice within a multidisciplinary mental health service.
• Mentor and support Peer Workers to grow their capability and impact.
• Help shape service delivery through lived experience leadership and advocacy.

Skills

Lived experience leadership

Peer work experience

Empathy

Self-awareness

Collaborative approach

Influencing practice

Education

Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work or equivalent

Tools

Intentional Peer Support (IPS) knowledge

Job description

Wellways is committed to reconciliation, lived experience and inclusivity. We strongly encourage and warmly welcome people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people with a lived experience of mental health and disability and people who identify as LGBTIQA+ to apply. Even if you only meet some of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.

Reconciliation | Wellways

• Lead and strengthen peer practice within a multidisciplinary mental health service
• Mentor and support Peer Workers to grow their capability and impact
• Help shape service delivery through lived experience leadership and advocacy

About The Opportunity

This newly created role offers an opportunity to strengthen how lived experience informs practice across our Mental Health and Wellbeing Local.

As our new Lived Experience Lead, you’ll provide lived experience leadership, supervision and practice development to Peer Workers, while helping the broader team to better understand and embed the value of lived experience in service delivery.

Working alongside the Local service leadership team, you’ll bring participant, family and carer perspectives into service planning, practice improvement and decision-making. Through mentoring, guidance and advocacy, you’ll support Peer Workers to grow in their roles, strengthen lived experience leadership across the service, and contribute to positive outcomes for participants.

About You

You’ll be an authentic and values-driven lived experience leader who understands the power of peer work and recovery-oriented practice. You’ll bring empathy, self-awareness and a collaborative approach, using authentic relationships and shared learning to influence practice, support others' growth and promote the meaningful integration of lived experience across the service.

You’ll also bring:

• Personal lived experience of mental health/AOD challenges and recovery, with capacity to use lived experience intentionally and purposefully in a senior designated role
• Extensive experience in the mental health and/or AOD sector, including in a designated lived experience (consumer perspective) role
• Completion of or active enrolment in Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work or equivalent peer work qualification
• Formal training in Intentional Peer Support (IPS) or demonstrated working knowledge of IPS as a practice framework
• Satisfactory National Police Check, Working with Children Check and NDIS Worker Screening Check, or willingness to undertake
• NDIS Workers Orientation module completion certificate

About The Service

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local for Greater Shepparton, Strathbogie and Moira is part of the Victorian mental health reform, providing community-based support for people aged 26 years and over experiencing mental health challenges, including people with co-occurring substance use or addiction needs.

Delivered in partnership between Wellways, APMHA Healthcare and GV Health, the service is community-led and informed by the experiences of consumers, carers and the local community. The partnership continues to strengthen an inclusive, accessible and responsive service that reflects the diverse needs of people within our community.

What We Will Offer You

• A purpose driven culture where people can thrive, everyone is respected, and differences are valued
• An equitable, diverse, and socially inclusive work environment
• Salary packaging up to $15,899 enables you to spend a portion of your salary before it is taxed to pay for things like rent, mortgage repayments, car leasing
• Meal and Entertainment allowance via salary packaging up to $2,650 per annum
• Receive 17.5% leave loading every time you take annual leave
• Paid parental leave after 12 months of ongoing employment
• Access for you and your family to our Employee Assistance Program

Job Description Summary

Play a key role in strengthening peer practice and embedding lived experience in service delivery and improvement

Culture

We’re passionate about our work, which is enjoyable, challenging and rewarding. All of our teams work to ensure everyone can imagine and achieve their hopes and potential. We know that people are unique and the experts on their life and are not defined by impairments, diagnosis or labels. We aim to specifically promote safety and inclusivity for LGBTIQ+ and First Nations communities.

Wellways is committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people. Successful applicants must undergo a comprehensive screening process prior to their commencement.

Applications Close

01/09/2026