The power of lived experience – a quick guide for alcohol and drug services

People with lived and living experience (LLE) of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and dependence play a vital role in shaping services that work better for everyone. 

Their knowledge comes from their own experiences —navigating and building trust with service systems, facing stigma, and understanding what actually helps people.

Across Australia, there’s growing recognition that involving LLE isn’t optional. It’s central to quality care and services that respect people’s dignity, rights and choices.

This article looks at what LLE means, how it’s included in AOD services, and what helps make it meaningful and sustainable.

What do we mean by lived and living experience?

Lived and living experience (LLE) means a person draws on their current or previous experiences, expertise, skills and insight to benefit others, improve systems and advocate for human rights. 

LLE can be an individual’s first-hand experience and/or the experience of supporting someone close to them as a family member, carer or supporter.¹

Lived experience:

People with previous personal experiences of alcohol and other drug use and/or dependence (addiction) that has radically changed how they see the world.²

Living experience:

People with current experiences of alcohol and other drug use.³

Families, friends, and carers with experience of supporting someone with alcohol and other drug use and dependence are also included in both these terms.

What matters most isn’t the experience itself, but the expertise that comes from it. This includes understanding how services feel to use, where barriers exist, and what makes care safer and more helpful.

This expertise directly benefits the community, improving people’s access to equal and fair treatment, quality healthcare and support, and protecting their right to dignity and respect.¹

How can lived and living experience be involved in alcohol and other drug services?

LLE is commonly involved in AOD services in two interconnected ways:

1. The LLE workforce
2. LLE participation (via consultation, partnership or control).

Both are important — and strongest when they exist together.

LLE workforce

The LLE workforce includes people employed in roles where personal experience shapes how the work is done. These roles may include peer workers, family or carer peer workers, educators, consultants and leaders.

LLE workers often support stronger engagement and trust between services and the people who use them. Their work is linked to reduced stigma, better relationships, and more flexible, person‑centred care.²

These roles aren’t limited to frontline support. Many lived experience workers contribute to training, service design, research and policy.^{4, 5}

Designated lived experience roles

Some roles are designated lived experience roles, meaning LLE is required for the job.⁶ Other roles may be held by people with personal experience, but don’t formally recognise it.²

This distinction matters because designated roles value LLE as a professional skill. It’s not treated as an optional extra or something to share only when asked for.⁷

While many AOD workers have lived experience, only a small number of roles across Australia are formally designated.⁶

LLE participation - via consultation, partnership and control

Involving people with LLE in decision making and problem solving is another valuable way to include LLE in the AOD sector.⁵

It recognises that people who access the services should play a central role in designing and delivering the system and its services.

Participation often sits along a spectrum. It might involve:

Consultation: people with LLE are invited to provide feedback. But, the service or organisation has the final say. This can include focus groups, suggestion boxes, surveys, interviews, and workshops.⁵

Partnership: everyone is an equal partner in decision making. This helps to make sure the voices of people with LLE matter as much as the voices of the other people in the room.⁵ Partnership examples include staff selection panels, steering committees and advisory groups.

Control: People with LLE make all the decisions and have control of the resources.⁵ This can include LLE-led programs, projects or organisations. 

All levels can be useful, but deeper, properly resourced involvement usually leads to stronger impact.

Participation helps services understand what’s working, where harm may be happening, and how power operates within systems. 

It works best alongside a strong LLE workforce, not instead of it.

Why lived and living experience matters

People with LLE hold vital knowledge about what is needed, both for individual care and at broader levels. 

LLE employment and participation supports more effective and efficient services. It delivers benefits for clinicians, policy makers and funders, as well as for the people who use AOD services and their families and supporters.^{8, 9}

This includes improvements to how programs are developed and implemented, how the services are run in day-to-day operations and the knowledge that is used to inform these decisions.^{5, 7}

It’s important to note that these benefits rely on LLE involvement in your organisation being established, embedded, supported, and sustainable.

Reflecting on your service

Services may want to reflect on questions like these:

• How is LLE involved here now?
• Are lived experience roles clear, supported and valued?
• Where do people with LLE have real influence?
• What barriers might be limiting meaningful involvement?
• How could leadership better support this work?

Where to learn more

• Check out the ADF’s resource, Lived and living experience: Strengthening services in the alcohol and other drugs sector for more detailed information.
• Reach out to the LLE organisations in your state or territory for access to resources, training and programs to help incorporate LLE into your practice.
• Visit the Victorian Government’s Lived and living experience workforces (LLEWs) initiatives webpage
• Contact your local state or territory health department to learn more about the work they’re doing in this space.

This article is based on our LLE Guide, which was developed in collaboration with Self Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC) and Harm Reduction Victoria (HRVic).