This World Mental Health Day during Mental Health Month, we reflect on a decade of progress – marking 10 years since Mental Health Coordinating Council led the redevelopment of the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, a qualification that has provided a collective pathway for people with lived experience to practice peer work and deepen their understanding on its guiding philosophy, to better support others on their recovery journey.

Ten years ago, Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) brought together a national advisory committee of peer workers and lived-experience leaders to redevelop the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, so that it genuinely reflected the principles and practice of peer work. It was designed for peer workers, by peer workers, embedding rights-based approaches into a professional qualification that recognises the power of lived experience in supporting others.

The National Consumer & Carer Peer Work Qualification Reference Group at a reference group meeting in Sydney 2014 

Since that time, the CHC43515 Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work has helped strengthen the peer workforce across New South Wales and beyond. More than a thousand students have enrolled in the course, each bringing their own lived experience, insight and compassion into their work.

Mental Health Coordinating Council’s latest Workforce Profile, identified consumer peer workers are now the second-largest workforce in the community-managed mental health sector, representing 12.3 per cent of all workers. While carer peer workers currently make up a smaller proportion, their numbers are also increasing, showing the growing recognition of peer work as a vital part of the mental health system.

The growth of peer work is part of a broader shift in how society understands mental health and human rights. The philosophy behind the Certificate IV qualification is rooted in the consumer and carer movements that emerged in the late twentieth century — movements that challenged institutional models of care and called for the voices of people with lived experience to be heard, respected and included in decision-making.

Mental Health Coordinating Council’s sector-leading approach combines the foundations of lived experience wisdom with best practice and connects learners to the collective history and philosophy of the consumer and peer movement.

We invite the community-managed mental health sector, mental health advocates, and others working in the community, to join us in marking this milestone at a special Meet your Neighbour: Together for 10 years of Mental Health Peer Work on Tuesday 21 October 2025, at Ashfield Town Hall.

Be the first to see the launch of a short film highlighting Max Simensen’s journey into peer work – a former student and now MHCC trainer, whose own lived experience and professional journey reflect the transformative power of peer work. Engage in a panel discussion exploring the growth and future of the peer workforce, featuring lived experience leaders and sector experts.