We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands across which we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ continuing connection – both physical and spiritual – to land, sea and sky.

Leading the way in peer workforce development 

South Eastern NSW continues to set the national benchmark in supporting the growth and development of the mental health peer workforce – people with lived experience who bring empathy, connection, and hope to the heart of our mental health system.

Since 2021, the peer workforce in our region has grown from just over 70 to more than 200 peer workers in 2025 – that’s one peer worker for every 3,200 people. This represents more than a threefold increase in people using their lived experience to walk alongside others through life’s most challenging moments.

But the growth isn’t just in numbers – it’s in impact.

In 2021, peer work represented 8% of all mental health and suicide prevention services delivered within services funded by the PHN.

By 2025, that figure has more than doubled to 18%, and First Nations people receiving peer work services has increased from 3.5% to 20%. This reflects the increasing value and trust placed in peer-led support.

Investing in training and transformation

This year, COORDINARE funded 20 peer workers and 14 managers from 11 commissioned mental health services across South Eastern NSW to complete a 10-week Intentional Peer Support (IPS) training program.

This initiative was designed to strengthen peer practice and leadership across the region. Participants also took part in follow-up co-reflection sessions, ensuring the training translated into meaningful, real-world impact.

All 20 peer workers who completed the training reported transformative outcomes. Following the program, 100% felt confident to:

Articulate the principles of peer work that make it distinct.

Use their lived experience purposefully to build trust.

Recognise and repair relational ruptures.

Name and navigate power dynamics. 

Challenge clinical or limiting language.

Work in partnership with non-peer colleagues.

By supporting both emerging and experienced peer workers, we hope to build career pathways that keep peers in peer work, strengthen skills and confidence to lead transformational systems change and create a workforce that is sustainable, confident and equipped to make a lasting impact.

Courtney Cross

Regional Peer Workforce Project Coordinator, COORDINARE - South Eastern NSW PHN

The training was deeply meaningful and left a lasting impression. It challenged me to think differently-not just about peer support, but about relationships, connection, and power. The space was held with such care, which made it easier to engage fully, even when the content brought up strong emotions.

IPS training participant

This training was powerful, affirming, and transformative. I’m truly grateful for the experience and for the care, presence, and wisdom that went into making it what it was. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned and staying connected as this work continues to grow.

IPS training participant

This training powerfully reframed my understanding of peer work, not just as lived experience, but as a skilled, intentional discipline that brings depth and humanity to service delivery. It gave me practical tools and a renewed commitment to embedding peer values into our organisation...

IPS training participant

I’ve come to understand that peer work is not about offering solutions, but about creating space for shared understanding, mutual respect, and hope. This relational approach complements clinical work by humanising service delivery and helping individuals feel seen, heard, and less alone in their journey...

IPS training participant

Shaping the future of peer work

In partnership with Southern NSW and Illawarra Shoalhaven LHDs, COORDINARE has supported the development of Australia’s first regional Lived Experience (Peer) Work Framework – ensuring people with lived experience are central to shaping mental health services.

Looking ahead to late 2025, the South Eastern NSW lived experience workforce will launch a new initiative to strengthen understanding of peer work across the broader mental health system: a co-produced podcast ‘Peers at the table’ created by people with lived and living experience, for the workforce they work within. Stay tuned – this is just the beginning!

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