This year we proudly funded Wellways Australia to develop a toolkit to support people and organisations to better lead and participate in lived experience-led research.
The toolkit is one of six translational research projects supported by the Collaborative Centre in 2024.
The content of the toolkit will help to build skills and knowledge for peer workers and lived experience professionals participating in research.
It will also provide the broader sector with a practical resource for lived experience participation and leadership across all stages of the research life cycle.
It will be made widely available to research and lived experience organisations and networks, and will be able to be downloaded from the Collaborative Centre’s Knowledge Sharing Platform.
“There are really high levels of mental ill health, violence and discrimination faced by transgender and gender diverse people," she said.
"Acute settings are not gender responsive and haven’t developed cultural competency or safety processes."
How is the toolkit being developed?
The content of the toolkit is being shaped by members of the Wellways Consumer and Carers Leadership team, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, a First Nations carer, consumer leaders, people from the LGBTIQA+ community, supporter leaders, family members, service delivery allies and researchers.
The toolkit is being informed by a detailed scoping review of the latest information from mental health research and innovation projects, including 81 separate research publications. The project team has also consulted with 23 people to further explore what a lived experience research toolkit could be, and how it can help respond to gaps in existing research and evidence.
About Wellways Australia
Wellways is one of Australia’s largest providers of mental health, wellbeing and carer services.
The organisation was founded more than 40 years ago by families advocating to improve mental health and wellbeing services, information and support for Australians.
We will share further updates about the toolkit as it is being developed. Find out more on the project web page.