What is a Lived Experience Advocate?
A Lived Experience Advocate (LEA) is a volunteer of the Lived Experience Advocate Service (LEAS) who has lived experience of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) services. They may use or have used alcohol or drugs themselves, or they may be a family member, friend or carer of someone who does.
A LEA is someone who volunteers to speak about their own experience, as well as speaking and acting as an authentic representative from the community of people who use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and ATOD services.
A LEA uses their personal experience to speak up for people who engage with or attend various ATOD services.
This means:
- speak up for people with a lived experience of ATOD use, both those who have accessed or are accessing treatment, and those who do not.
- taking this information back to various organisations, including media, government, and ATOD service providers so they can have a meaningful influence on the way these organisations operate and behave towards people who use ATODs.
What is the Lived Experience Advocate Service?
ATDCs LEAS is a volunteer service which gives people who have a living or lived experience of AOD the chance to have a say in how alcohol and other drug services are delivered.
It also gives service providers, the media and other community and government groups the chance to draw on the expertise of people with lived experience.
The LEAS is supported by Tasmanian Government funding.
How does it work?
- LEAS receives request for Advocate representation
- LEAS Coordinator matches Advocate to the request
- Period of engagement begins and ends, with minimal intervention from ATDC but with support as needed
- Both Advocate and requesting organisation provide feedback on the experience
Are you a current Advocate looking for further resources, policies or other information? Do you need to submit a form for a recently completed role or engagement?
Statement of Intent: Lived and Living Experience Engagement
The Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council Tasmania (ATDC) is committed to embedding lived-living experience (LLE) across all levels of our work and championing for meaningful and influential LLE engagement across the Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD) sector
Video: Lived and Living Experience Acknowledgement Statement
Why we developed the Acknowledgement The Lived and Living Experience Acknowledgement Statement has been developed for organisations, leaders, and professionals in the Alcohol and Other Drugs sector. This statement recognises
THE TIME IS NOW – Business Case
Tasmania is the only state and territory in Australia that does not have a legitimate, funded, independent organisation for people with a living/lived experience of alcohol and other drugs. ‘The
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Contact the Lived Experience Advocate Service
You can get in touch with the Lived Experience Advocate Service using the form on this page, phone 03 6231 5002 or email leas@atdc.org.au
Information sent through the contact form on this page will be forwarded to the LEAS Coordinator, and any personal information received will be managed as described in our privacy policy.
