The alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector must move beyond symbolic representation to genuine lived experience leadership, SHARC CEO Clare Davies said in a keynote address on Wednesday.
“Five to 10 years from now, lived and living experience leadership should look normal. It should be business as usual.”
“They should be leading teams, holding budgets and shaping policy from the start.”
Davies addressed the evolution and power of lived experience at the AddictionZ Conference in the Gold Coast.
“SHARC has been advocating for our community long before it was fashionable. The discipline was shaped by communities.”
Peer work continued to play a critical role in shaping the AOD sector, she said.
It was a permanent and growing discipline grounded in community knowledge and practice.
“Peer work is not a phase – we are not going anywhere. It’s a discipline built by a community, shaped by a practice, and we are ready to lead.”