Management Committee Members
The Management Committee are individuals who have significant experience and influence in the sector. All have experience in recruiting and managing a lived experience workforce and have considerable insight into the issues impacting the workforce.
Chairperson: Amanda Habermann [she]
Amanda is an experienced independent Lived Experience Educator and consultant who has worked for the last twenty years from a consumer perspective in the mental health sector. She is highly skilled in Non-profit Organisations, Lived Experience Supervision, Peer Mentoring, Lived Experience Education, Training and Group Facilitation. Amanda provides realistic and real-world experience in the International Hearing Voices Network to groups and individuals who want to understand the Hearing Voices Approach, and is the Chairperson of ISPS (International Society of Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis) Australia. Amanda has been an active leader in the development of the Lived Experience Workforce both in Queensland, Western Australia and nationally. Amanda enjoys music and currently resides with her husband, cat, three goldfish and seven chooks on Gidhabal people's land in the Southern Downes.
Vice Chairperson: Cherie McGregor
Cherie has worked across regional Queensland in identified mental health Lived Experience roles in peer operated services, mainstream community services, mental health treatment services and academia. She is currently undertaking a PhD with the Australian National University examining how values drive and distinguish mental health peer support practice approaches in Queensland. Cherie currently lives and works on Wakka Wakka country (near Kingaroy).
Secretary: Michael Mawson
Michael has held several roles within mental health Peer work. After completing his Cert IV, he began working with Queensland Health at the Caboolture Hospital before joining Mind Australia in their Youth Step Up Step Down service where he continues to work on a casual basis. He was a student mentor at TAFE East Coast as employed in the Peer Work Student Mentoring Project. In 2023, after completing further study, Michael began delivering the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank and Caboolture campuses. Michael is passionate about training and upskilling the mental health Peer workorce and is a strong advocate for Lived Experience student workforce participation.
Member: Sarah Reed
Sarah moved to Regional Queensland 25 years ago and has been both a service user and Lived/Living Experience worker in Alcohol and Other Drugs; Mental Healthl and Suicide Prevention organisations in a variety of designated positions for over 20 years. She is involved with QuIVAA, and is on the national working party to develop the Alcohol and Other Drugs Lived/Living Workforce Framework.
Member: Brooke Starr
Brooke has worked in paid roles as mental health Life Experience worker for over 10 years. She is currently employed in a senior management roles as a Lived Experience Practice and Development Manager and oversees the ongoing development of Lived Experience (Peer) work at Communify. Brooke has worked in both front line roles and on a more strategic level on projects. She is invested in ensuring that Lived Experience (Peer) work is recognised as a credible discipline and is interested in the ongoing development and support of the workforce in Queensland to achieve this. Brooke is also interested in ensuring that the integrity of Lived Experience work is maintained in the sector.
