Bringing our own Lived Experience to STTARS

LEWP was recently approached by STTARS to provide specialised training for their mental health service, which supports CALD communities and consists of a team of highly skilled lived experience workers.?

LEWP and STTARS worked together to determine the essential topics, with the training focussing on several key areas:? the history of peer work, the core values and principles guiding practice, safe disclosure of lived experience, and effective self-care practices.?

During the training, the LEWP team drew on their own lived experience and work experience, opening up a space that demonstrated purposeful sharing, and was vulnerable, authentic and based on mutuality. LEWP role modelled the values and principles of peer work and unpacked real life scenarios with the group, focussing on how we can utilise this framework within the situation or dilemma.?

Through asking “what would you do” or “how would you respond” to scenarios, the STTARS team were able to look at their own practice and how they can further embed the values and principles of peer work to support continuous improvement.

“Today’s session gave me a lot to reflect on, some points that will actually assist me in becoming a better peer worker” - STTARS team member

The STTARS team have said that they felt particularly empowered by this genuine, example-driven method of training. When we asked an attendee how they found the training, they said “I loved how you gave the training by living example, not just words but what you actually practice, which gave a lot of credibility to your knowledge and authenticity.”