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Walking the Journey Together a Lived Experience-Led Developmental Evaluation of the Connect Peer Service in Adelaide's North

Overview

This report evaluates Adelaide's Connect Peer Service, a six-month pilot providing 12 weeks of peer support to people in mental health crisis. The lived experience-led service supported 84 consumers and 12 carers, demonstrating effectiveness through improved outcomes, reduced hospital presentations, and strong satisfaction rates while proving peer-led models work.

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Key insights

Key Insights

  1. Lived experience leadership at all levels drives authentic peer service delivery

  2. Connection prioritized over goals creates deeper therapeutic relationships and better outcomes

  3. 94% of referrals contacted within 24 hours demonstrates responsive crisis support

  4. Parallel consumer-carer support strengthens family relationships and shared understanding effectively

  5. Non-pathologizing approach reduces stigma and empowers people to take charge

  6. Flexible service design adapting to needs works better than fixed models

  7. Strong clinical partnerships enable successful peer-clinical service collaboration and trust

  8. Investment in peer workforce development essential for sustainable quality service

Did this resource draw on transformative evidence?

<p>Yes, this document is fundamentally based on experiential expertise. It was developed by LELAN (a lived experience-led organization) using developmental evaluation methodology that centered lived experience perspectives throughout. The service itself was designed, governed (50% lived experience), staffed, and evaluated by people with mental health lived experience. All findings, insights, and recommendations emerged from direct experiences of consumers, carers, and peer practitioners rather than theoretical frameworks.</p>
<p>Yes, this resource is extensively based on practice wisdom. It emerged from six months of real-world service delivery, capturing insights from frontline peer practitioners, service managers, consumers, and carers through reflective practices, interviews, and ongoing evaluation. The findings synthesize practical learnings about what worked and didn&#39;t work in peer service delivery, team dynamics, and service design - all derived from direct practice experience rather than theoretical knowledge.</p>
<p>Yes, this document is thoroughly based on research and evaluation insights. It employed a formal developmental evaluation methodology with systematic data collection including: quantitative analysis of My Better Life Plan outcomes (pre/post measures), consumer/carer surveys, structured interviews, weekly reflective practices, service reviews, and thematic analysis. The evaluation used multiple data sources, established evaluation activities, and rigorous analysis to generate evidence-based findings and recommendations about peer service effectiveness.</p>

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Categories

Resource type

Evidence Summary