Lived Experience Advisory Group Member

Job Description:

Better & Fairer Care. Always.

• Help Shape the Future of Mental Health Care

• Use Your Lived Experience to Make a Lasting Difference

• Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane based - Casual role

At St Vincent's Health Australia, we believe the best services are designed with the people who use them.

We're seeking passionate individuals with lived and/or living experience of mental health challenges to join the inaugural Medicare Mental Health Check In Lived Experience Advisory Group and help shape the future of digital mental health care across Australia.

This is a unique opportunity to ensure the voices of people with lived experience are embedded in service design, innovation and continuous improvement—helping create better outcomes for thousands of Australians

About Medicare Mental Health Check In Program

Medicare Mental Health Check In is a free national digital mental health service providing accessible, evidence-based support for Australians aged 16 years and over experiencing mild anxiety, stress, low mood, worry, sleep difficulties and short-term distress.

Using Low Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (LiCBT), the service provides practical tools and support to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing - either independently or alongside qualified mental health practitioners.

As the service continues to grow nationally, we're committed to ensuring lived experience remains central to everything we do.

As part of St Vincent's Virtual and Home, Medicare Mental Health Check In is transforming how Australians access early mental health support through innovative, evidence-based digital care.

The Opportunity

As a member of the Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG), you will play an important role in influencing how Medicare Mental Health Check In is designed, delivered and continuously improved.
 

Working alongside clinicians, digital health experts and service leaders, you'll provide valuable lived experience perspectives that help ensure the service remains safe, inclusive, accessible and person-centred.
 

Your contribution will directly influence:

• Digital service design and user experience

• New programs and service improvements

• Policies, resources and educational content

• Accessibility and inclusion initiatives

• Consumer engagement and community consultation

• Future innovation across Australia's national digital mental health landscape.

About You

• Personal lived and/or living experience of mild to moderate mental health distress and help seeking.

• The ability to reflect on and share their experiences in ways that support service improvement.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• A collaborative approach and respect for diverse perspectives.

• A commitment to confidentiality, inclusion and ethical participation.

• A genuine passion for improving mental health services for future help seekers.
   

We particularly encourage applications from:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• LGBTIQA+ communities

• Culturally and linguistically diverse communities

• People living in regional, rural and remote Australia

We recognise that lived experience is unique and shaped by many personal, cultural and social factors. We are committed to building an Advisory Group that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

What You'll Be Doing

As a member of the Advisory Group you will have opportunities to:

• Attend quarterly online Advisory Group meetings.

• Participate in onboarding and orientation.

• Contribute to co-design workshops and consultation activities.

• Review policies, digital content and service improvements.

• Participate in usability testing and user feedback sessions.

• Help identify opportunities to improve accessibility and inclusion.

• Share lived experience perspectives to support staff education and service development.

• Represent Medicare Mental Health Check In at presentations, conferences and community events where appropriate.

• Work collaboratively with other Advisory Group members, staff and stakeholders to shape better mental health care.

Time Commitment

This is a flexible casual opportunity designed to fit around your existing commitments.
 

The role requires a minimum commitment of approximately 18 hours per year, with additional opportunities to participate in optional activities on an opt-in basis.
 

Your expected annual involvement includes:

• Onboarding and orientation (one-off upon commencement) – approximately 4 hours

• Biannual LEAG meetings – 2.5 hours per meeting (approximately 5 hours per year)

• Meeting preparation – approximately 1 hour per meeting (approximately 2 hours per year)

• Annual planning and review workshop – approximately 3 hours

These core activities total approximately 13 hours per year, allowing flexibility for members to contribute an additional 5 hours annually through optional activities, bringing the minimum annual commitment to approximately 18 hours.

Optional (opt-in) activities may include:

• Design sprints

• Written reviews of resources, policies or digital content – approximately 1–2 hours per request

• Community consultation

• User testing

• Staff education

• Service innovation and co-design activities

Participation in optional activities is entirely voluntary and provides members with additional opportunities to shape and improve our services.
 

Why Join Us?

Joining the Lived Experience Advisory Group is an opportunity to:

• Help shape a national Medicare-funded mental health service.

• Ensure lived experience is embedded in service design and decision-making.

• Influence meaningful improvements for future help seekers.

• Collaborate with leaders in digital mental health, clinicians and people with lived experience.

• Develop skills in co-design, consultation and service improvement.

• Access peer reflection groups and wellbeing supports.

• Be part of an organisation committed to inclusion, innovation and better mental health outcomes for all Australians.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during participation on the Advisory Group.

Together, we're creating a better and fairer health system - one that puts people at the centre of everything we do.

Interested?

If you're passionate about improving Australia's mental health system and want to use your lived experience to help shape better services, we'd love to hear from you. Apply to join the inaugural Medicare Mental Health Check-In Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) and help create a more connected, compassionate, and accessible mental health system for communities across Australia.

As apart of application, please submit a current resume and a cover letter addressing the following:

• Why you would like to join the LEAG.

• A brief summary of your lived and/or living experience, including any experiences seeking mental health support.

• Any experience using your lived experience professionally (if applicable; not essential).

• Any relevant skills, interests, or experience that you would like us to consider.

Closing Date:

Reconciliation Action Plan:

At St Vincent's we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

For further information, visit https://www.svha.org.au/about-us/reconciliation or get in contact at indigenouscareers@svha.org.au

View Reconciliation Action Plan

Code of Conduct:

View Code of Conduct