<p>Mental health challenges are a "concealable stigma" — not always apparent to others — and stigma beliefs expressed by mental health workers discourage colleagues, including those in designated Lived Experience roles, from sharing their own experiences. Fear of stigma and discrimination may also discourage staff currently experiencing mental health challenges from seeking support and workplace accommodations. The false distinction between "helper" and "helped", or professional and consumer, can further limit access to support for workers in non-designated roles, who may feel pressure to play the part of the "invulnerable professional". The brief argues that mental health services should actively challenge these traditional professional imperatives of invulnerability and strict boundaries around sharing.</p>

<p>When sharing lived experience feels safe and supported within teams, it has the potential to improve the safety and quality of mental health services for service users, as well as promoting more mentally healthy and inclusive workplaces. This connects workplace culture directly to service quality — psychological safety within teams is positioned not just as a staff wellbeing issue but as a factor influencing the experiences and outcomes of the people those teams support.</p>

<p>Staff in designated Lived Experience roles report experiences of workplace stigma and discrimination, including stereotypes that affect relationships and opportunities for advancement, and having a diagnosis or receiving treatment has been reported as potentially discrediting. However, staff with lived experience also see clear value in their experiences for helping them support and connect with service users. Practices that support the Lived Experience workforce — including flexibility, reasonable adjustments, and supportive informal and formal supervision — have benefits for all staff, not only those in designated roles.</p>

<p>Reducing the impact of mental health stigma in mental health workplaces requires coordinated action at individual, manager/team leader, organisational, system, and future workforce levels. At the individual level, recommendations include using inclusive and recovery-focused language and being open to the contribution of Lived Experience expertise. At the manager and team leader level, recommendations include cultivating psychological safety, providing workplace accommodations, creating accessible spaces for support, and enabling reflective practice through supervision and mentoring. At the organisational level, recommendations include inclusive recruitment and retention strategies, senior leadership partnership with Lived Experience leaders, storytelling and contact-based stigma reduction, ongoing co-facilitated training, and embedding the National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines. At the system level, recommendations include supporting the national representative body for Lived Experience workers, creating accountability for clinicians and medical staff, and reviewing requirements for mental health declarations. For shaping the future workforce, recommendations include embedding Lived Experience expertise in medical curriculums and tertiary education and practice preparation.</p>