COVID-19: 
A career built on life experience.
Lived experience workers are a key part of the recovery journey for our consumers,their families, carers and supporters. Lived experience workers bring skills and knowledge, developed from their own experiences of mental ill-health and the service system, to support effective treatment, services and care. They support services by providing insight about what works best for consumers and families, carers and supporters. The inclusion of lived experience workers within Forensicare provides a role model for recovery, helps break down stigma and contributes to vastly improved service delivery.
As a lived experience worker, you will work closely with consumers to promote participation in their treatment and care and provide a responsive service to meet the needs of families and carers of people with serious mental illness.
Watch our Lived Experience Ask Us Anything film
What does a typical day look like for a Lived Experience worker?
Being part of the Lived Experience Team means that every day is different. For the Peer workforce, your day will be working with the Multi-disciplinary team, supporting individuals in their recovery, sometimes this includes sharing your journey to encourage consumers or carers to take next steps in theirs. For the Lived experience consultant workforce your days will vary, from engaging the living experience through consumer or carer advisory groups through to advising Forensicare on best practice.
What lived experience do I need to work at Forensicare?
Having a Lived Experience of the justice or mental health systems is crucial to understanding the human rights and needs of our consumers and carers. Training can be provided to successful applicants.
Is working in forensic mental health safe?
Whether working in prison, secure hospital or community settings, you will work in safe and supportive environments.
Forensic mental health is a more controlled environment than many other public mental health settings, which means risks can be reduced and safety can be well planned and managed. For example, we know our consumers at Forensicare and we are not admitting people without knowing their risk profile. All our consumers have been profiled and assessed when admitted. For this reason, workers have reported feeling safer.
We also implement strict occupational health and safety processes at all times to ensure the safety of all workers, consumers and community members.
What support, supervision and professional development would I receive?
You will share close working relationships with a large supportive team of multidisciplinary colleagues. We also provide ongoing training and supervision so you can grow your professional career in interesting, challenging and dynamic working environments.
You will be supported through operational and Lived experience specific supervision.
You can also access education, specialist forensic training and professional development. You can benefit from research opportunities through the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science – Australasia’s leading centre for forensic mental health and behavioural science research, teaching and development.
This is in addition to the full suite of benefits available to all Forensicare employees.
I don’t have qualifications in Lived Experience. Can I still apply?
Do you have a Lived Experience as a consumer or carer of the justice or mental health systems? If your answer is yes, you can. Relevant qualifications and training can be obtained whilst employed.
Are there opportunities for career progression at Forensicare?
There are opportunities to progress to leadership or specialised positions within education and research. Some of the roles for Lived experience workers at Forensicare include:
Lived Experience Peer Workers: These role provide direct support to consumers. Workers will use thier own experience of recovery to mentor next steps in recovery. These roles are flexible across directorates to ensure as consumers move through our service, so does their support.
Consumer Consultants: These roles provide the organisation with an understanding of the impacts of care. These roles support consumer advisory groups
Family and Carer Consultants: These roles provide direct advice to the organisation on best ways to support Carers, Families and supporters as well as connecting families, carers and supporters to carer specific services.
Lived Experience Leads: Directorate specific leaders who provide direct support to peer workforce.
Director Lived Experience
Kobe Creations