- Lived experience has always been at the core of what Wellways does. We were formed by people with lived experience, and we nurture and build lived experience.

- Hi, my name's Monique and I am a peer worker at Wellways. I use my lived experience to help other people so that they're able to relate and feel that I've been there too. I feel that because I'm able to help with my lived experience, they're able to open up a lot more, they're able to feel understood. And due to this, being a peer worker is something that's such an empowering position, and I really enjoy doing it. And I feel like my participants really benefit from my support.

- There seems to be a stigma in the small country towns. They have a lack of understanding of mental health and I'm finding my myself having to explain myself a lot to the people in the community.

- If someone said the thing that I find the most difficult is telling my story again, and again, and again, of course, I've done that. I've had the experience in doing that and, you know, we discuss that and talk about ways to cope.

- Lev, can I invite you to bring yourself off mute, introduce yourself to your colleagues here, and share a little bit about what it's meant to you to to join Wellways and some of the things that you want your colleagues to hear about?

- Hi, folks, my name's Lev, I use him pronouns. Yep, this is my fourth week with Wellways. I'm a senior recovery worker with the PSS program, which is psychosocial support service, in Northeastern Region. And I am a trans man, and I'm also pansexual and pan romantic. For LGBTIQ+ folks out there, you are not alone and your experiences are valid, whether or not you have a label for it or the language to put how you feel, like just because someone may not have the language for the experiences, it doesn't make that experience any less valid or real.

- Well, a peer worker is someone who has their own lived experience of mental distress, and who speaks about their experience with residents as a way of of connecting for what's meaningful for other people. So I guess it's connecting in regards to our commonality and through some of the experiences that we've been through.

- In the coming year, we want to amplify the voices of lived experience, amplify their leadership and their influence over the organization at every level.