Peer Work | Lived Experience and Human Rights in Mental Health

Foundations of Peer Work

Peer work is a distinct discipline grounded in lived experience and underpinned by a commitment to human rights, social justice, self-determination and mutuality.

The roots of peer work lie in civil rights and consumer/survivor movements, where people with lived experience challenged exclusion, discrimination and the concentration of power within mental health systems. These movements established the principles and values that continue to underpin peer work today. Alongside this history, family, carer and kin advocacy movements have also played an important role in advancing recognition of the unique knowledge and expertise that comes from supporting a loved one through mental health challenges. Together, these movements have contributed to the development of peer work as a distinct discipline grounded in lived experience, mutuality, human rights and social justice.

Peer work recognises that mental and emotional distress is shaped by a range of social, cultural, economic and relational factors and acknowledges the impact of trauma and the misuse of power at interpersonal, organisational and systemic levels.

Importantly, peer work also recognises the unique experiences, knowledges and strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. From a First Nations perspective, wellbeing is understood holistically through the lens of Social and Emotional Wellbeing, encompassing connections to family, kinship, community, culture, Country, spirituality and ancestry. Peer work acknowledges the ongoing impacts of colonisation, dispossession, racism and intergenerational trauma on the wellbeing of First Nations peoples, while recognising the strength, resilience, cultural knowledge and healing that exist within First Nations communities.

Peer Work in Practice

Peer work offers a distinct lens through which to understand suffering and distress. Rather than locating distress solely within individuals, peer work recognises the influence of social determinants of health, trauma, adversity, exclusion and inequality. It promotes choice, self-determination and the right of people to define their own pathways to healing, wellbeing and recovery.

At its core, peer work advocates for the rights of people with lived experience to have influence over the decisions that affect their lives. Peer workers champion approaches that uphold human rights, maximise choice and autonomy, and seek to eliminate coercive and restrictive practices.

Peer workers draw on their own lived experience of mental health challenges, suicidality, caring for or walking alongside a family member, friend or loved one, and other recognised forms of lived experience within the peer workforce. Through the intentional and skilful use of lived experience, peer workers build authentic, purposeful relationships that foster connection, understanding, hope and self-determination.

A Diverse and Growing Workforce

The mental health and suicide prevention peer workforce is diverse and includes people working across mental health and suicide prevention services, community organisations, government agencies, education settings, research institutions, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, lived experience-led organisations and other social service settings. Peer workers may work in dedicated peer programs or services, or as part of multidisciplinary teams.

Regardless of their role or setting, peer workers use their lived experience intentionally and skilfully, applying specialised knowledge, values and practices to foster hope, support recovery and wellbeing, advocate for self-determination, shape services and strengthen systems.

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Our workforce

The peer workforce encompasses a rich diversity of lived experience, with each discipline bringing distinct knowledge and expertise while sharing the common values and principles of peer work.

Mental Health Consumer Peer Workers

Consumer peer workers draw on their personal lived experience of mental health challenges, distress, trauma, recovery and healing, as well as their personal experience interfacing with the mental health system. They use this experience to support others experiencing similar challenges and to promote hope, connection, self-determination, and recovery.

Mental Health Family Carer Peer Workers

Family carer peer workers draw on their lived experience of caring for or walking alongside a family member, friend or loved one experiencing mental health challenges, including navigating the mental health system together. They use this experience to provide understanding, connection, advocacy, and hope to others with similar lived experiences.

First Nations Peer Workers

As defined by the Indigenous Australian Lived Experience Centre (IALEC), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience-led Peer Work is Social and Emotional Wellbeing work undertaken by a skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community person with shared knowledge, experience and understanding as other community members for the purpose of helping community members to be heard, supported, respected and empowered in their Social and Emotional Wellbeing healing journey.

Suicide Prevention Peer Workers

Suicide prevention peer workers fall into two broad categories. Some draw on their personal lived experience of suicidality, including experiences of suicidal distress, thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This may also include personal interactions with the mental health system and suicide prevention services. They use these experiences to offer connection, understanding, and hope to others experiencing suicide-related distress.

Others draw on their lived experience as a family member, carer, supporter or kin of a person who has experienced suicidality, or from experiences of suicide bereavement. They provide understanding, support and hope to others supporting a loved one experiencing suicidality or navigating life after the loss of someone to suicide.

More Than Frontline Support

While peer work is often associated with frontline support roles, the peer workforce extends well beyond direct service delivery.

Peer workers can be found in leadership, management, supervision and workforce development roles, helping to shape organisations, services and systems through lived experience expertise.

The workforce includes:

Educators and trainers

Researchers

Policy developers

Advocates

Consultants

Service designers and co-design practitioners

Project officers and program managers

In these roles, lived experience is not incidental. It is a core source of knowledge and expertise that informs how people undertake their work and contribute to positive change for individuals, families, communities, services, and systems.

Why Peer Work Matters

Peer work brings a unique form of expertise to mental health and suicide prevention services. By drawing on lived experience, peer workers help create services, systems and communities that are more human, responsive, and recovery oriented. They contribute to improved experiences and outcomes for consumers, families, carers, and kin, while strengthening understanding, inclusion, hope, and human rights across the mental health and suicide prevention system.

Through advocacy, leadership, service design, governance, research and education, peer workers contribute to systems that are more accountable to the people they serve and better equipped to respond to the needs, strengths and aspirations of the communities they support.

As both a distinct professional practice and a profession, peer work strengthens the voice, influence and leadership of people with lived experience. It challenges stigma and discrimination, promotes human rights, and contributes to a mental health and suicide prevention system where lived experience expertise is recognised, respected and valued.