Participants in The Learning Collaborative, the landmark Lived and Living Experience Workforce initiative led by SHARC, have reached a significant milestone.
The 11 alcohol and other drug and mental health agencies taking part in the 12-month pilot have successfully completed the first half of the project.
In addition to an ongoing formal learning program, the organisations have undergone individual sessions with technical advisers to determine their specific LLE workforce development needs.
The Learning Collaborative (TLC) is based on a successful model developed by Yale University in the US which has been adapted for the Victorian context.
TLC is part of the Lived and Living Experience at Heart program, or LLEAH, an organisational support initiative which aims to ensure the invaluable contributions of Lived and Living Experience Workers (LLEW) are recognised, valued, and supported.
LLEAH leverages SHARC’s expertise in LLEW in partnership with the Department of Health, Yale, Mental Health Victoria, and LLEW development expert Dr Louise Byrne.
Individual support for agencies
SHARC’s Matthew Corbett, the Program Manager for LLEAH, said TLC’s first six months had uncovered a wealth of insights which would inform the remainder of the pilot and beyond.
“The one-on-one sessions with our technical advisers here in Victoria, plus Yale’s experts, enabled us to take a deep dive into where each agency is at and how we can support them to embed LLE.
“Something that came through strongly in those sessions was the appetite among agencies for individualised support.”
Such support was now possible thanks to funding being confirmed by the Department of Health until mid-2028.
“This investment beyond the pilot phase means we can roll out TLC and make it accessible more broadly for the AOD and mental health sectors.”
Testing nears completion
Meanwhile, the testing phase of the Supporting Organisational Lived Experience (SOLE) project is set to wrap up.
SOLE, also led by the LLEAH program, provides guided assessments and tailored support to determine an agency’s current levels of LLEW development and to support organisational change.
“The testing phase of SOLE has seen the design of the project evolve significantly, which is the outcome we were hoping for,” Corbett said. “As a result, the timing of our initial plans has been updated to reflect these insights and the roll-out of the next stage.”
Expressions of interest in SOLE’s pilot project will open for eligible organisations once the testing phase is complete.
Expressions of interest in next year’s TLC are due to open later in 2025.