Putting principle into practice
Meet Catherine O’Donnell, the Director of Lived Experience Engagement at Mindgardens.
Many clinicians and researchers want to include consumers, carers and families in their work, but are unsure how to go about it, says Catherine, who herself identifies as having a lived experience of mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction.
Through her senior executive role, Catherine says she can, “help people understand what is best practice around bringing those voices of lived experience to the table.”
Statistics
14%
Peer workers represent 14% of the NSW community-managed mental health workforce
200
Mental health peer work scholarships are available in NSW
70
Suicide prevention peer workers roles are funded in NSW
1.85 million
Peer support for people leaving hospital saved NSW $1.85 million in 3 years
Lived Experience Engagament Framework
Mindgardens has formalised its commitment to engaging with people with lived experience of mental health, drug and alcohol and neurological disorders through this statement, adopted in October 2023.
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Stories of lived experience
Consumers and families apply their knowledge to system change
How MindLabs contributes
Advocacy for system change
Connecting clinicians, consumers and researchers
Co-design training workshops
Research skill building for people with lived experience
Optimising the research agenda
Developing cross-disciplinary collaborations
Mindgardens Neuroscience Network acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures, and to Elders past, present and emerging.
We acknowledge the voices of people with lived experience, their carers, families and kinship groups. We recognise the expertise acquired through living with a mental health, drug and alcohol or neurological disorder and acknowledge those who care for people on their recovery journey. We place lived experience at the heart of all that we do.
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