Lived/Living Experience At Heart (LLEAH) Program

Lived and living experience (LLE) roles have expanded rapidly in Victoria in recent years, creating a clear need for support in recruiting, embedding, supporting, and retaining LLE workers within mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) organisations. Many organisations have expressed to the Department of Health that expectations around these roles remain unclear. They have identified that they need access to people with on the ground know how that have led changes in organisations; access to guidance and resources, along with practical examples as well as opportunities to share the journey with others.

To address these challenges, SHARC has partnered with the Victorian Department of Health, Yale University, and international expert Dr Louise Byrne to deliver the Lived & Living Experience at Heart (LLEAH) program for the Victorian AOD and mental health sectors.

A key initiative within LLEAH is The Learning Collaborative (TLC), developed by Yale University’s Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH), a global leader in peer research and initiatives. Adapted by local experts to meet the needs of Victoria’s sectors, this lived experience-led program offers a tested collaborative model for building networks, fostering mentorship, and supporting organisations that employ LLE workers. Through TLC, organisations will gain a deeper understanding of authentic LLE work while strengthening their capacity to support these roles effectively.

The 12-month collaborative is designed to help organisations build their LLE workforce by enhancing sector literacy, improving workplace culture, and developing appropriate employment processes and policies for sustainable workforce integration.

Complementing this initiative, the Supporting Organisational Lived Experience (SOLE) project focuses on mapping the current LLE landscape within organisations. Led by lived experience experts, SOLE provides a structured pathway to embedding LLE workers more effectively. As part of this initiative, Dr Louise Byrne has developed a guided assessment tool, informed by the National Guidelines, to help organisations evaluate and strengthen their LLE workforce strategies.

By the end of this talk, participants will have a deeper understanding of how the LLEAH program supports organisations in strengthening their LLE workforce and what this means for the future of lived and living experience work in Victoria.