Lived Experience Advocacy Delegates (LEAD)

What is LEAD?

The Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network (MHLEEN) provides support and shares best practice approaches to co-design, lived experience engagement and the development of the Peer workforce.

In 2020-2021, MHLEEN undertook to develop an independent advisory group of lived experience leaders who were nominated by their PHNs, now known as the Lived Experience Advocacy Delegates (LEAD) advisory group.

The LEAD advisory group work to:

  • Build a collective and independent voice and advisory group to support the work of MHLEEN.
  • Provide support to people with a lived experience to actively participate in mental health reforms.
  • Provide an opportunity to have regular updates on state/territory and national work underway.
  • Provide advice on emerging issues faced by people with a lived experience (consumers and/or carers)
  • Have opportunities to advocate on primary mental health issues.
  • Disseminate information and updates to local networks and groups.
  • Provide feedback on how PHNs can improve their engagement activities by aiming for authentic co-design processes, supporting and/or establishing local and regional networks with communities and promoting lived experience employment and consultancy.

Who can join LEAD?

LEAD is made up of people with a lived experience who work with their local PHN in a variety of ways such as participating in:

  • Community Advisory Committees (CAGs).
  • Mental Health, Alcohol and other Drug and Suicide Prevention governance committees eg Regional plans.
  • Priority group committees eg child and youth, suicide prevention, alcohol and other drugs.
  • Project-specific committees eg Safe spaces, headspace.
  • Lived experience/Peer Workers in commissioned services.
  • Volunteers in the local mental health services.

If you would like to join LEAD but haven’t been involved with your PHN, we recommend reaching out to your PHNs MHLEEN representative. Not sure which PHN you are in? Use this tool to find out: Primary Health Network (PHN) locator map | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Highlights of being a LEAD member:

  • Influence decision-making and the direction of lived experience engagement in PHNs
  • Attend MHLEEN annual forums with Lived Experience Leaders as guest speakers. Previous guest speakers include Leilani Darwin, Robyn Priest, Vicki McKenna, Ellie Hodges, Kerry Hawkins and Christine Morgan.
    • “What was it like? Profound, empowering, moving, amazing, very emotional, loving, thanks to all”.
  • Be paid for your expertise in monthly meetings.

Profile of LEAD

Delegates work with their local PHNs (80% of PHNs to date). A register has now been established which provides a range of information and, most importantly, where individuals have specialist expertise in a particular area (e.g., suicide prevention, child and youth, etc.). They are a diverse group and have a range of roles including:

  • PHN community advisory committees (CAGs) as required by the Department of Health

  • Other MHAOD-specific governance committees, e.g., Regional Plans

  • Priority group committees, e.g., child and youth, suicide prevention, alcohol and other drugs

  • Consumer or carer consultant to the PHN

  • Project-specific committees, e.g., safe spaces, headspace

  • Lived experience/peer workers in commissioned services

  • Volunteers in the local mental health services.


How to get involved

This expression of interest form is an opportunity for us to learn more about you, how you might like to be involved in this work and how we can make your experience as inclusive and comfortable as possible.

By completing the expression of interest, you are consenting to sharing your personal and/or professional details and associated information with Brisbane North PHN who chair the MHLEEN and LEAD groups. All collected data will be stored securely with Brisbane North PHN and according to the terms in Brisbane North PHNs Privacy Policy. You can read our full privacy statement here. The raw data will only be accessible by the data custodian and delegated MHLEEN chair person who will be supporting your participation.

What is LEAD?

The Mental Health Lived Experience Engagement Network (MHLEEN) provides support and shares best practice approaches to co-design, lived experience engagement and the development of the Peer workforce.

In 2020-2021, MHLEEN undertook to develop an independent advisory group of lived experience leaders who were nominated by their PHNs, now known as the Lived Experience Advocacy Delegates (LEAD) advisory group.

The LEAD advisory group work to:

  • Build a collective and independent voice and advisory group to support the work of MHLEEN.
  • Provide support to people with a lived experience to actively participate in mental health reforms.
  • Provide an opportunity to have regular updates on state/territory and national work underway.
  • Provide advice on emerging issues faced by people with a lived experience (consumers and/or carers)
  • Have opportunities to advocate on primary mental health issues.
  • Disseminate information and updates to local networks and groups.
  • Provide feedback on how PHNs can improve their engagement activities by aiming for authentic co-design processes, supporting and/or establishing local and regional networks with communities and promoting lived experience employment and consultancy.

Who can join LEAD?

LEAD is made up of people with a lived experience who work with their local PHN in a variety of ways such as participating in:

  • Community Advisory Committees (CAGs).
  • Mental Health, Alcohol and other Drug and Suicide Prevention governance committees eg Regional plans.
  • Priority group committees eg child and youth, suicide prevention, alcohol and other drugs.
  • Project-specific committees eg Safe spaces, headspace.
  • Lived experience/Peer Workers in commissioned services.
  • Volunteers in the local mental health services.

If you would like to join LEAD but haven’t been involved with your PHN, we recommend reaching out to your PHNs MHLEEN representative. Not sure which PHN you are in? Use this tool to find out: Primary Health Network (PHN) locator map | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Highlights of being a LEAD member:

  • Influence decision-making and the direction of lived experience engagement in PHNs
  • Attend MHLEEN annual forums with Lived Experience Leaders as guest speakers. Previous guest speakers include Leilani Darwin, Robyn Priest, Vicki McKenna, Ellie Hodges, Kerry Hawkins and Christine Morgan.
    • “What was it like? Profound, empowering, moving, amazing, very emotional, loving, thanks to all”.
  • Be paid for your expertise in monthly meetings.

Profile of LEAD

Delegates work with their local PHNs (80% of PHNs to date). A register has now been established which provides a range of information and, most importantly, where individuals have specialist expertise in a particular area (e.g., suicide prevention, child and youth, etc.). They are a diverse group and have a range of roles including:

  • PHN community advisory committees (CAGs) as required by the Department of Health

  • Other MHAOD-specific governance committees, e.g., Regional Plans

  • Priority group committees, e.g., child and youth, suicide prevention, alcohol and other drugs

  • Consumer or carer consultant to the PHN

  • Project-specific committees, e.g., safe spaces, headspace

  • Lived experience/peer workers in commissioned services

  • Volunteers in the local mental health services.


How to get involved

This expression of interest form is an opportunity for us to learn more about you, how you might like to be involved in this work and how we can make your experience as inclusive and comfortable as possible.

By completing the expression of interest, you are consenting to sharing your personal and/or professional details and associated information with Brisbane North PHN who chair the MHLEEN and LEAD groups. All collected data will be stored securely with Brisbane North PHN and according to the terms in Brisbane North PHNs Privacy Policy. You can read our full privacy statement here. The raw data will only be accessible by the data custodian and delegated MHLEEN chair person who will be supporting your participation.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.
  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    MHLEEN are currently in the early stages of planning for the MHLEEN Annual Forum. Answering the following survey questions will provide key details that will inform the initial planning phase and produce further insight into the desired flow and aims of the Forum. We are also in conversations with the Department of Health regarding the possibility of merging the Forum with their Stepped Care Workshop replacement event. Updates on the findings of this survey and ongoing Forum preparation will be communicated at future LEAD and MHLEEN meetings.

    The survey should take approximately 5 - 10 minutes to complete.

    If you would like to provide any further suggestions that aren't covered in the survey, please contact:

    Thank you for taking the time to submit your contributions to this important piece of work.

Page last updated: 21 Nov 2023, 09:26 AM