Hello! My name is Angie (they/them). I have worked in the Lived and Living Experience Workforce for close to 5 years now, after spending 13 years at JB HIFI as well as working as a musician. These experiences provided me with so many transferrable skills that I use every day as a lived experience worker, and taught me about patience, kindness and the power of simply listening to people.

I am a queer, non-binary white person who has experienced mental health challenges since I was a teenager, as well as the impact of having parents with their own mental health and substance use challenges. I have had many up and down periods in my life and have supported partners through significant periods of being unwell. I am interested in the intersection between the consumer and carer experience, because for me they have always been deeply connected and have shaped the person that I am.

I strongly believe in continuous learning and understand the absolute necessity of educating myself on First Nations histories, beliefs and experiences of mental health and wellbeing, as well as people with different cultural backgrounds to myself. As someone who works in a specialist role that supports a marginalised community, I understand the importance of seeing the whole person and challenging assumptions and unconscious bias.

I am interested in reframing the stories we tell ourselves and centering kindness above everything. I am a proud nerd for knowledge and love reading, history, cricket and watching a copious number of movies.

2021 - Carer Peer Support Worker/Carer Consultant - St Vincents, Community Mental Health

2021 - Volunteer Mentor, Queerspace

2022 - current - LGBTQIA+ Peer Navigator, St Vincents

2024 - Social Work Student Placement - Queerspace, Relink/Reconnect, program supporting women and gender diverse people in Victoria's women's prisons

I currently work as the LGBTQIA+ Peer Navigator at St Vincent’s Public Hospital in Melbourne. This is an organisational-wide role that aims to address the barriers that LGBTQIA+ people sometimes face when engaging with health services in order to create safer and more equitable access to care. This role involves supporting people who identify as part of the community, inclusive of consumers, carers, families, supporters and chosen families, patients and staff. I work across many different areas in hospital including the mental health inpatient service, community mental health, and inpatient/outpatient settings.

I draw upon my lived experiences to provide direct peer support and navigation to anyone from the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as systemic advocacy, education and consultations throughout the organisation. I also provide internal supervision to the consumer workforce.

After completing a Bachelor of Arts in archaeology and art history in 2021, I decided the world did not need another archaeologist and began my first lived experience role. I am close to finishing a Master of Social Work, which I absolutely love as many of the principles and values of social work align with peer work.

Training I have completed:

• Consumer Perspective Supervision training (CPS)
• Intentional Peer Support Core Competency training (IPS)
• MIND Peer Work program
• Hearing Voices Approach training
• ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
• SafeTALK for LGBTQIA+ Services
• LGBTQIA+ Cultural Awareness Mental Health and AOD Workforce Development Train the Trainer program, Thorne Harbour

During my first lived experience role, I experienced a lot of isolation and did not have access to supervision for some time. I am lucky to have access to supervision now, which has supported me to grow, understand my position as a LLE worker, and the history of our discipline. My approach to supervision is informed by my early experiences, as well as working in a LGBTQIA+ identified role on my own, which presents unique challenges.

The reality of working in mental health and in LLE roles is that most days, you feel like Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the hill. For me, I have learned (and am still learning), to focus on the tiny, micro moments instead of the bigger picture every day. I think if we spent all our days focusing on the bigger picture, we would burn out, quit, and choose a new career as a baker that works in solitude in the forest. I have many moments where I feel hopeless, but what helps is to remember the small wins, and the small impacts we could have in people’s lives. I think about planting seeds for people – we may not see what grows, but sometimes all it takes is someone listening to make a difference.

I aim to create a warm, safe space to discuss whatever may be happening for you that day or week with an open mind and a lot of curiosity. My worldview is centered on kindness, social justice, and humour. I aim to have at least one laugh (minimum) with anyone I am sharing time with! I believe supervision has the power to prevent burnout, feelings of isolation, and can leave you feeling empowered and motivated. It is important to find joy in the struggle in our roles. When we laugh at the absurd, find common ground or glimmers of hope, and share our wins in supervision, we tap into the joy that can sustain us.