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

Mental Health Coordinating Council

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

/Public Release.