A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY OF LIVED EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS WITHIN THE WIDER WORKFORCE
PLAIN ENGLISH SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
By Dr Louise Byrne
Central Queensland University
Lived experience practitioners (LEP) include all roles in the mental health sector that are specifically employed to work from their lived experience of significant mental health challenges, service use and Recovery. Some examples of LEP roles include; consumer companions, consumer representatives, peer support workers, experts by experience and lived experience academics.
The focus of the interviews was on factors that assist and inhibit LEP roles. Participants from diverse roles within government, non-government and lived experience-run services from metropolitan, regional and rural settings across several states and in a range of positions were interviewed to ensure a range of perspectives were represented.