Elia Barresi

I am a Lived Experience practitioner and leader with a background spanning mental health consumer peer support, consultancy, workforce development, service design and mental health practice. I began my Lived Experience career in direct peer support roles within community and tertiary mental health services, before progressing into senior, strategic and workforce-focused positions.

My approach is grounded in recognising Lived Experience as a distinct knowledge base and discipline. I believe supervision should offer a supportive, collaborative space where people feel comfortable exploring their experiences, reflecting on challenges and developing confidence in their practice.

I am particularly passionate about supporting mental health consumer workers to strengthen their professional identity, explore how they draw upon Lived Experience in their work, and navigate the opportunities and complexities of working within multidisciplinary environments.

Whether you are new to a designated mental health consumer role or have been working in the discipline for many years, I value creating a space where you feel heard, respected and supported to develop your own approach to practice, while remaining connected to the values and purpose of mental health consumer work

I have worked in designated mental health consumer and Lived Experience roles since 2018, across tertiary and community mental health settings.

My career began in direct mental health consumer peer support within Eastern Health, including inpatient mental health services, before progressing into senior peer roles. These experiences provided a strong foundation in mental health consumer perspective practice and an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of working within multidisciplinary services.

Since 2022, I have worked in senior Lived Experience roles at Access Health & Community, with responsibilities spanning workforce development, strategic consultation, policy and project work, and organisational frameworks. This has included contributing to workforce development initiatives supporting more than 30 Lived Experience staff.

Having worked across direct practice, consultancy, workforce development and strategic leadership, I understand that different roles and stages of a Lived Experience career can bring unique opportunities, challenges and expectations.

I bring this breadth of experience to supervision, alongside an appreciation for the importance of having a dedicated space to reflect, explore professional challenges and strengthen confidence in mental health consumer perspective practice.

I currently work in Lived Experience strategic leadership at Access Health & Community, with a focus on strengthening Lived Experience practice, workforce development, organisational systems and the meaningful integration of Lived Experience knowledge across the organisation.

My work includes supporting the Lived Experience workforce, contributing to organisational strategy and policy, developing frameworks and workforce structures, leading projects and creating opportunities for Lived Experience perspectives to influence decision-making.

I also bring experience from mental health intake and care coordination roles, which has given me an understanding of multidisciplinary and clinical environments and some of the tensions and opportunities that can arise for Lived Experience practitioners working alongside other disciplines

I bring a combination of formal education, Lived Experience-specific professional development and practical experience within designated mental health consumer roles.

My professional knowledge has developed through direct practice, senior Lived Experience positions, mentoring and ongoing professional development. These experiences have shaped my understanding of reflective practice, professional boundaries, discipline-specific identity and the importance of maintaining a strong mental health consumer perspective within supervision.

I am familiar with the Consumer Perspective Supervision Framework and its underpinning principles, and my approach to supervision is informed by its emphasis on reflection, collaboration and the distinct value of Lived Experience knowledge.

My broader qualifications and professional development include a Bachelor of Psychological Science, Diploma of Community Services, Intentional Peer Support and additional training across mental health practice and therapeutic approaches.

My approach to Consumer Perspective Supervision is collaborative, reflective and grounded in the values and principles of Lived Experience practice. I see supervision as a space where people can think openly about their work, explore challenges and tensions, recognise their strengths and develop their own practice rather than being told what the “right” way to work is.

I am particularly interested in creating space to explore how we use lived experience intentionally and safely, boundaries and disclosure, power, identity, role clarity, relationships with clinical and multidisciplinary colleagues, organisational challenges, and maintaining connection to consumer values while working within complex systems.

My style is warm, curious and practical. I value honest conversations and critical reflection, while recognising that supervision also needs to feel safe enough for uncertainty, vulnerability and not having all the answers. Depending on what a supervisee needs, our work might involve reflective discussion, exploring a particular situation or dilemma, identifying patterns, considering different perspectives, working through role or system challenges, or thinking strategically about professional development.

Having worked across direct peer support, senior peer practice, consumer consultancy, project and workforce development, and strategic Lived Experience leadership, I am particularly interested in supporting people across different stages of their Lived Experience careers

My approach has been shaped by my own progression from frontline consumer peer work into senior peer roles where I supervised other peers, and later into consumer consultancy, workforce development and strategic Lived Experience leadership. This means I understand supervision not only as reflective practice, but as an important space for strengthening Lived Experience professional identity and supporting people as their roles and careers evolve.