From NSW to nationwide: recognising 10 years of mental health peer work across Australia

Mental Health Coordinating Council

EMBARGOED UNTIL 21 OCTOBER 2025, 10:00am (AEDT)

1 October 2025

MEDIA RELEASE

From NSW to nationwide: recognising 10 years of mental health peer work across Australia

Sydney, NSW - At seventeen, Max Simensen was searching for a way to make sense of his own mental health journey.

He found it in a new kind of role - peer work - where personal lived experience becomes a professional strength.

“I found that peer work had a lot of the answers for the questions that I was asking. Having access to peer work, philosophy and that way of thinking completely transformed how I understood my experiences,” says Max.

Today, Max is a trainer with Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC), helping others follow a similar path.

“Getting to have conversations that hopefully result in people getting to have better quality relationships is kind of my ultimate goal.”

Max’s story is part of a much larger shift.

Mental Health Coordinating Council’s latest Workforce Profile shows Peer Workers are now the second-largest occupational group in NSW’s community-managed mental health sector, representing 12.3% of all workers.

This growth mirrors national momentum. In the 2024-25 Federal Budget, the Australian Government committed $4.5 million in seed funding to establish a National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Peer Workforce Association.

The new association aims to provide professional support, national consistency and promotion of the peer workforce, recognising that peer-led support is central to the future of mental health care.

This October, MHCC marks 10 years of delivering the nationally recognised Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work.

Created for peer workers, by peer workers, 10 years ago MHCC led the redevelopment of this qualification as it stands today, and it has provided a collective pathway for people with lived experience to practice peer work, deepen their understanding, with the aim to better support others on their recovery journey.

The anniversary will be marked at Ashfield Town Hall with the premiere of a new short film on Max’s journey and a panel discussion exploring the growth and future of the peer workforce.

“Peer work changes lives, both for those offering support and those receiving it,” says Dr Evelyne Tadros, CEO of Mental Health Coordinating Council. “This anniversary honours every graduate and the sector’s commitment to ensure lived experience remains at the heart of mental health care.”

Event details

Meet your Neighbour: Together for 10 years of Mental Health Peer Work

Tuesday 21 October 2025, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Ashfield Town Hall, 260 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW

Media are welcome to attend.

-ENDS-

To request interviews or images, please contact:

Dr Evelyne Tadros, CEO, Mental Health Coordinating Council, 0419 223 360 or [email protected]

Julia Ni, Communications and Engagement Manager, Mental Health Coordinating Council, 0403 011 135 or [email protected]

About Mental Health Coordinating Council

Mental Health Coordinating Council is the peak body primarily for community-managed mental health organisations in NSW. MHCC provides policy leadership, promotes legislative reform and systemic change, and develops resources and training as a Registered Training Provider, to assist community mental health organisations to deliver quality and effective services underpinned by best practice principles. Visit mhcc.org.au