Lived Experience Peer Support Worker

Lived Experience Mental Health & Peer Support in Melbourne, Australia.

We connect you with a dedicated lived experience support worker in Melbourne, Australia, combining genuine peer understanding with ongoing professional psychological mentorship.
We also support people with NDIS plans.

Daniel
Michael
Andrea
Joshua
"[they] found a peer support worker just for me"
Experience The Hearts of Gold Difference

We're Interested in Who You Are - and in Matching You with the Perfect Support

Lived experience peer support workers meeting where you're at

We personalise our hiring process to find a mental health support worker based on you. We are serious about taking a person-centred approach.

Taking the time to understand you, what you like and what you don’t like

We sit down with all the participants we work with in a free meet-and-greet, getting to know you and your needs. This session does not obligate you to start working with us. It’s about learning about you, things you like and things that you don’t like, things that you grew up with, the small things that you value.

The research and outcomes back our approach

Support workers with lived experience (peer workers) achieve health and recovery outcomes equivalent to or better than standard supports.
Tailored NDIS Support

Tailored Mental Health and Peer Support

Practical, hands-on daily assistance and community access delivered by lived experience peer support workers who focus on your strengths, independence, and long-term wellbeing. It will feel like somebody working alongside you and mentoring you.

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Lived Experience Peer Support Workers

Work side by side with a lived experience support worker who offers non-judgemental guidance and practical skill development.

NDIS Mental Health Support Workers Melbourne

NDIS mental health support workers across Melbourne's north east and east. Peer-led, trauma-informed support for people living with mental health issues.
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Psychosocial Disability Support

Psychosocial disability support for NDIS participants in Melbourne. Peer-led, recovery-oriented support from workers with lived experience.
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Social and Community Participation

Support to get back into social and community life, at your pace, from peer workers who understand your challenges, and who in the local area can help. Serving Melbourne's north-east and east.
Daniel
Michael
Andrea
Joshua
"We have a true person-centred approach"
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Daniel
Michael
Andrea
Joshua
"A friend is somebody who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are."
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Support for people with hearts of gold

Founded and owned by somebody with lived experience

We build lasting 'like family' relationships

Matching peoples personality and nature first results in long-term relationships between supports. Training can be taught, having a caring nature, and having shared interests and experiences cannot be taught.

All our staff are on the ground as support workers

All our staff, from our founder and director, to admin staff are still active on the ground working as support workers.

To be real people, real support, real human beings

Non-clinical, non-judgemental, safe, fun and engaging support for whatever space you are in on a day-to-day basis. People first, not profit.
We have immediate capacity!

Lived Experience Peer Support Workers

We believe lived experience provides the best foundation for being a brilliant support worker. Complemented with a heart-of-gold nature and guided by tailored professional training, our support workers provide high quality, long term support for you.

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Michael

Michael specialities is in AOD, Skitzoeffective, cPTSD, Major Depression, Autism diagnosed participants. However, he has experience working with ABI's, Intellectual Disabilities, Mobility, BPD, and ADHD, and happy to connect if you resonanate.

Michael

Lived Experience Mental Health Support Worker
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Daniel

Daniel is a down to earth, peaceful, attentive and natural active listener with extensive experience in being a support worker. He believes firmly in letting you drive your own experience and is a constant learner. He has experience with a range of presentations including major depression, schizophrenia, social anxiety, intellectual disabilities, autism, ASD and PTSD. Like all our workers, Daniel has a deep rich lived experience with people close to him, that has given him a caring natural personality.

Daniel

Lived Experience Mental Health Support Worker
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Stephen

Stephen is an older support worker with a deep life experience who motivates and relates to those around him.

Stephen

Lived Experience Mental Health Support Worker
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Andrea

Andrea is a Christian Lived Experience Support Worker, who has over ten years experience caring for a loved one in personal care and mental health support. She is an accomplished Philosopher and Theologian. This combination gives her a unique, sophisticated and grounded approach to support work.

Andrea

Lived Experience Mental Health Support Worker
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Michael

"Hi i'm Michael. I'm a registered psychologist with approximately 8 years working within the mental health sector. I encourage authenticity, to enable people to feel comfortable enough to cut straight through the issue at hand."

Michael

Psychologist & Mentor
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Allison

Allison is a qualified registered psychologist with over 10 years experience and 15 years experience in therapy. She provides strategic mentoring for each of our lived experience peer support workers to help them better understand and develop outcomes with each of their participants.

Allison

Psychologist & Mentor
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Joshua

Joshua's support style is grounded, relaxed and patient. Having been in professional mixed material art fights, he has the mindset to handle stressful situations, and ground those experiencing distress. He enjoys a good chat, along with taking his time and allowing for space for conversation and doesn't take himself too seriously despite his depth of experiences.

Joshua

Lived Experience Mental Health Support Worker
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Maria

Supporting people isn't just a job to me it's something I genuinely care about. My goal is to make a positive impact by building meaningful relationships, encouraging independence, and creating a safe, supportive environment where people feel respected, understood, and empowered.

Maria

Lived Experience Mental Health Support Worker
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Tia

Tia's caring nature is the cornerstone to her support. Her positivity infects those around her distracting people from the worse things in life. Her constant learning approach means that she gets more informed every week that passes by.

Tia

Lived Experience Mental Health Support Worker
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Harry

Harry believes in evidence based therapies and is an exceptionally hard worker, often going above and beyond to ensure that the participants he works with are safe.

Harry

Lived Experience Social Worker
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Daniel
Michael
Andrea
Joshua
"[they] found a peer support worker just for me"
We have immediate capacity all around Melbourne

Hearts of Gold Provides Lived Experience and NDIS Peer Support Across Melbourne & Surrounding Suburbs

Compassionate care in your local community

We bring compassionate, personality-matched care directly to your local community. If you are looking for a lived experience support worker in the eastern suburbs or a dedicated peer support worker in Melbourne, Our lived experience peer support workers are active, available, and ready to support you in your neighbourhood long term.

Location support & area understanding

As an NDIS provider accepting new participants, we offer immediate capacity across Box Hill, Ringwood, Doncaster, Heidelberg, Eltham, and Greensborough, from people who know and understand the local area and the local supports available.

Recovery outcomes in your area

We believe real recovery and skill-building start with a relatable support worker who truly understands your journey from personal experience in your local 'stomping ground', and is committed to supporting you for years to come.

Every support worker is backed by local professional psychological supervision.

Clear Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Daniel
Michael
Andrea
Joshua
No corporate speak or clinical jargo, .just real answers from people who care.

How can I trust you?

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We have supported people quadruple the average support worker tenure length. Quality over quantity, and we hope in time we can build trust, and look forward to the first step.

What if I cancel a lot?

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That is expected and it is not held against you. Consistency from us matters more than consistency from you, particularly early on.

What areas do you cover?

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The north eastern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne. If you are near the edge of that, call and ask rather than assuming.

Do I need a referral?

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No. You can contact us directly. Many participants come to us through a support coordinator, but you do not need one to get in touch.

How do I get started with Hearts of Gold Mental Health Support?

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You can book a consultation through our website, email, or call us directly! We can't wait for the opportunity to speak with you.

Does the NDIS cover mental health support workers?

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Yes, where psychosocial disability is recognised in your plan. Funding usually sits under Core Supports or Capacity Building depending on how your plan is written. Our page on how NDIS funding works explains the difference.

Are your services available online?

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Yes, though we prefer to work in person. However, if you need access to somebody to talk to and it's part of your plan, we can work with you.