Behavioural Health and Neurodevelopmental Conditions Project: Consumer Reference Group recruitment

CAHS is currently recruiting a Consumer Reference Group to work alongside staff. We aim to better support children and young people who have social, emotional and neurodevelopmental differences and along with their families and carers have challenges in coping.

We know ‘kids do well if they can’ and we want to understand what coordinated services for these young people and families might look like – with the aim to prevent a crisis happening, intervene early and ensure timely access to the right support in the right environment.

Working together with young people, parents and carers in this project is invaluable as we develop an integrated model of care that will better address the real needs and challenges of families in the community.

Responsibilities of the Consumer Reference Group

We would like to recruit ten consumers including young people and parents/carers to our consumer reference group for the duration of the project which will run from October 2024 to May 2025 with the potential to continue. The Consumer Reference Group will work alongside the Staff Reference Group, to identify what is available now, identify gaps, and provide ideas and recommendations for improvements from lived experience perspectives.

Two consumer representatives will be nominated to co-chair the Consumer Reference Group and will have additional membership in the Project Control Group, to actively participate in decision making alongside CAHS executive staff and clinical leadership staff.

Meetings will be held monthly for 1.5 hours, with attendance in person at a central location, or online if required. Expect an additional 30 – 60 minutes of commitment to review information before and/or after meetings.

Who should apply?

We are looking for young people, parents and carers who:

• Have lived experience (as young person or carer) of social and emotional differences and challenges in coping, which may lead to impulsivity, anxiety and distress.
• Have lived experience of difficulty accessing advice, assessment, diagnosis, therapy and family support.
• May or may not be neurodivergent (with or without diagnosis) including autism, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Intellectual Disability or Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
• May or may not have co-occurring mental health conditions.

We are looking for people who have:

• A high motivation to make a real difference to health services for children and young people.
• A willingness to work together with health staff to develop solutions.
• An ability to communicate ideas with others.
• Availability for the duration of the project.
• Good networks in the community with lived experience (not essential).
• We encourage people from the following backgrounds to apply including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with disability.

How we will support you

You will be offered $37.50 per hour for your time to cover out of pocket expenses while you are completing your duties with us.

We will run training to help develop your understanding of being a consumer representative and to learn all about our health service to assist you in completing your role.
You will have a staff member allocated who will be your support person.

If you have specific needs or require assistance to support you to work with us, please let us know so we can work with you to accommodate them.

How to apply

The recruitment for the Consumer Reference Group will close on Monday 14 October 2024. Apply by completing the CAHS Consumer Representative form or scanning the QR code.

Please click ‘Complex Behaviours and Neurodevelopmental Conditions Project’ under the question 'What position are you applying for?'

In your responses, please provide a statement of the issues you would be able to advise on. You are not required to disclose any diagnosis nor to self-identify, but we would like to understand the topics you will feel comfortable advising us on, based on your lived experience.

If you are shortlisted, an informal interview may be required, after which you will be advised if your application was successful.

We are looking forward to working together.

For more information or for help with your application please contact the CAHS Consumer Engagement Team via CAHS.Consumers@health.wa.gov.au