Matt Welch CNC 2015

Poster Design & Development by Matt Welch 2016

For Further Information please contact:

Diana Grice DON 0756877002

A Peer Workforce Group supporting consumers

and people with lived experience in a Mental Health Service

Transforming healthcare

through effective partnerships

The Gold Coast Mental health and Specialist Services Peer Workforce Group is an exciting initiative of

the Gold Coast Mental Health and Specialist Services Consumer, Carer and Family Participation Team.

The Gold Coast Mental Health & Specialist Services Peer Workforce Group has been established to

promote the inclusion and participation of people with a lived experience of mental illness within the public

Mental Health and Specialist Services and Community services of the Gold Coast region.

The Peer Workforce group began in 2012 as a small internal Gold Coast Health group with a membership

of only four. The original membership included 1 x Consumer Consultant, 2 x Carer Consultant and 1x Carer Consultant with the Child and Youth Mental Health Service.

The group membership was expanded to include other members of the Gold Coast Mental Health and

AODS Consumer, Carer and Family Participation Team such as the Peer Recovery Support Workers,

Consumer Companions and Consumer and Carer Representatives and the venue for the meetings

changed to the MIFQ MI HUB at Southport.

Group membership has continued to expand with current membership also including GROW Peer

Facilitators, Headspace Youth Peer Workers, Queensland Voice Peer Project Workers, CCAG Peer

Facilitator and Active Voices Peer Facilitator

Background

Gold Coast Mental Health and Specialist Services

We aim to specifically support the needs of peer workers endeavouring to coordinate their efforts influencing the quality of services provided to the community……..

Our Aim…. to Promote Inclusion & Participation….

The Team! Gold Coast Peer Workforce Group Members 2016

We have established great relationships with Peer Workers employed by Community Mental Health Organisations on the Gold Coast such as Mental Illness Fellowship Queensland,

Aftercare, and the Freedom, Social Justice, Growth (FSG) group. Group membership has continued to expand with current membership also including GROW Peer Facilitators, Headspace Youth Peer Workers, Qld Voice Peer Project Workers, CCAG Peer Facilitator and Active Voices Peer Facilitator

Amanda Eggington (Aftercare) and Jackie Robinson (GCH) participate in cross organisation peer supervision session

Carer Representative Marina Cover shares lived experience perspective with Angela Davies (Gold Coast Health) on a clinical redesign Project

Matt Welch CNC Suicide Prevention and DR Kathy Turner Clinical Director consulting with the Peer Group on the Gold Coast Suicide Prevention Strategy

Our Vision………..

Gold Coast Health are committed to transforming healthcare

through effective partnerships within our community.

We seek to surpass all requirements under EQUIP National

Standard 2- Partnering with Consumers and further we

specifically aim to support people with lived experience in Mental

Health & AODS to lead consumer and carer participation activities

at all levels within our service.

We are guided in this by the Qld Health Consumer, Carer and

Family Participation Framework and the Qld Mental Health

Commission Strategic Plan.

Our Achievements…..

• Group has achieved high visibility and influence on the Gold Coast as an inclusive peer community of practice on the Gold Coast.

• A variety of stakeholders seek consumer and carer perspectives and consultation with the group in addition to GC Mental Health Services clinicians & management.

• Establishment of cross organisation peer supervision models between members.

• Collaboration with Partners in Recovery and Community Managed Mental Health organisations to create the Gold Coast Peer Workforce Development plan.

• High interest in the group format and processes and our Gold Coast Peer Workforce.

• Development Plan on a National level by people keen to emulate in their own areas

Some of our partners…