National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Census

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The first-ever National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Census

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The Census takes around 15 minutes to complete and is open from mid-March to 18 April 2026.

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The Lived Experience (Peer) workforce plays a vital role in mental health and suicide prevention across Australia. People in these roles bring knowledge and expertise shaped by personal experience, helping to improve services, support recovery, undertake research, provide advocacy, lead reform and strengthen policy.

Until now, there has never been a national picture of this workforce. The Census has been created to understand who makes up the workforce, what roles they hold, and the different ways they contribute to the mental health and suicide prevention system(s).

We invite Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Lived Experience (Peer) workers and volunteers to take part in the first-ever national Census for this workforce. Participation in the Census will help to build the evidence base needed to strengthen recognition of the Lived Experience (Peer) workforce, improve support and guide planning at both state and national levels.

This is a chance to make sure your experiences and contributions are recognised.

What is the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Census?

The Census aims to build the first clear national understanding of the workforce. This includes people’s roles, experience, needs and challenges. The Census will help inform future workforce planning, improve support, and strengthen recognition.

The Census has been developed with guidance from:

individuals in Lived Experience (Peer) roles
specialist organisations and service providers
community-led and First Nations organisations
national groups and peak bodies and,
state and territory government departments and agencies.

The Census is designed to be relevant, accessible and appropriate for this diverse workforce. We would be so appreciative of the support from the Lived Experience (Peer) workforce in completing the Census and sharing it with their networks and colleagues to ensure representation of as many voices from the sector as possible. We appreciate the continued commitment this workforce has to improving lives and our systems.

Who the Census is for

This Census is for people who are working in roles where their lived experience of mental health challenges and/or suicide – and the related knowledge, skills, or training – is an essential requirement of their role. Using lived experience means drawing on your personal experiences or experiences supporting someone (as a family, carer or kin) through mental health challenges and/or suicide, including distress, crisis, attempts, ideation, self-harm, or bereavement.

The Lived Experience (Peer) workforce exists in a range of roles across various settings. These include: peer support; representation and advisory; education, training, management and/or supervision; research, consultancy, policy development, and systemic advocacy; and executive governance, board or committee representation.

If you are unsure whether your role qualifies, please consider whether your lived experience is a formal requirement or an essential requirement of your work. If this applies to your role, you are encouraged to participate.

By sharing your insights, you will contribute to a stronger, more sustainable and more informed Lived Experience (Peer) workforce across Australia.

Taking part in the Census

While taking part in this Census is voluntary, responses are strongly encouraged as they will help to better understand the needs of the Lived Experience (Peer) workforce across Australia. If you start the Census and no longer wish to participate, you can stop at any time. If you do decide to complete the Census, it is recommended that you complete it in one sitting. If you need to step away, please keep your browser open and this will allow you to return to your responses. Responses will only save when they are submitted.

Privacy and confidentiality

All information you provide in the Census will be kept confidential and used only for research purposes. No identifiable information will be shared with your employer or the department, and all reporting will be aggregated so that no individual or organisation can be identified.

Deidentified data may be used to produce reports on the Census findings, for future related research publications, for further analysis by the department or by approved researchers engaged by the department.

The Social Research Centre will store your data securely in accordance with state and federal privacy legislation, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Archives Act 1983 (Cth). Your information will not be used for any other purpose without your consent, and personal information will be deleted in line with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Further detail can be found in our Collection statement. For more information about privacy, read the Social Research Centre’s Privacy Policy.

What this research will produce

The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing intends to use the findings to develop policy and strategy to further support and empower the peer workforce, including consideration of how the report and results will be shared with the broader workforce and sector. decide how to share the report and results to the broader workforce and facilitate the public release of the report.

Who is doing the research

The survey is managed by the Social Research Centre in partnership with The Australian Centre for Social Innovation on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

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Tanya Jawab Umum

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Acknowledgement of lived experience and support services

We recognise the lived experience of people affected by mental health challenges and/or suicide, and we acknowledge that members of this workforce draw on these experiences in meaningful and skilled ways. We extend our sincere appreciation for your contribution to improving services, systems and outcomes across Australia.