In 2024, Odyssey Victoria became one of the first Victorian agencies invited to join the Lived and Living Experience Workforce Learning Collaborative (LLEWC). This program – the first of its kind in Australia – is designed to formalise and strengthen the role of “Lived Experience” within Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) and mental health organisations.
What is LLE?
Lived and Living Experience (LLE) refers to first-hand experience of mental health challenges or AOD use. LLE Workforce refers to staff who bring this experience into their professional roles. LLEWC helps organisations like ours build the culture and infrastructure needed to recruit, support, and sustain these valuable team members, guided by Victoria’s new LLE workforce frameworks. Since November 2024, Yale University and SHARC (Self Help Addiction Resource Centre) have led monthly workshops, helping us strengthen how we support and value our LLE staff.
Key Learnings from the Collaborative Include:
- Whole-of-organisation buy-in is essential for LLE expertise to be valued alongside clinical expertise.
- LLE perspectives should be embedded in decision-making at all levels, ensuring our services are grounded in the reality of those we serve.
- LLE brings unique tools, such as storytelling, appreciative inquiry, and lived insight, that enrich the therapeutic environment and support recovery.
- LLE staff benefit from having supervision from supervisors who share a lived experience background and understand the specific nuances of their roles and the clients.
- Clear distinction is needed between designated LLE roles (where lived experience is a core requirement embedded in job descriptions and support structures) and non-designated roles.
Our commitment:
- Identifying and introducing LLE roles to areas where they can have the greatest impact.
- Enhancing processes to support LLE staff wellbeing and recovery, including access to LLE-specific supervision.
- Planning LLE workforce training for all staff.
- Strengthening support for staff who may experience relapse, recognising this as a health issue.
The first LLEWC cohort completed the workshops in December 2025. Odyssey Victoria participated alongside ten other organisations: Anglicare Victoria, Ballarat Community Health, Bayside Health Alfred, Bayside Health Network, Latrobe Regional Health, Mind Australia, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Wellways, and Youth Support + Advocacy Service.
We’re grateful to our staff members who dedicated their time to this work alongside their main roles within Odyssey. We will continue to seek guidance from, and work together with, the collaborative to grow Odyssey Victoria and the greater AOD sector’s LLE workforce.