Lived experience update December 2022

In our last panui we signalled upcoming consultation to inform the implementation of the Consumer, Peer Support and Lived Experience (CPSLE) Strategy Action Plan. On 1 December this consultation began with the Te Pou lived experience team presenting and facilitating at the Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Reference Group meeting.

This reference group assists the workforce centres (Whāraurau and Te Pou) to identify workforce developments and needs by acting as a source of information and intelligence from mental health and addiction services across Aotearoa New Zealand. The group provides the workforce centres with expertise, advice and strategic input.

The lived experience team presented on the programme of work to implement the Strategy Action Plan. There was a facilitated discussion led by the Te Pou and Whāraurau lived experience teams, focused around next steps, barriers to growing the CPSLE workforce, as well as leadership development and career pathways. The discussion was rich and productive and raised a number of current issues facing the CPSLE workforce.

The lived experience team gathered insight from the group, including how workplace readiness and infrastructure is needed to support successful employment of CPSLE workers. There was agreement amongst the group that work is needed to develop leadership and career pathways. This would create viable long-term careers that CPSLE workers could choose to remain in, rather than leave to develop a career in non-peer or traditional health professional roles.

Together there was a real energy and commitment to growing and supporting the development of the CPSLE workforce using the CPSLE Strategy Action Plan as a vehicle to achieve this. The lived experience team is looking forward to expanding consultation in the new year and hearing more perspectives and insights from across the sector.