Caroline Lambert

In Australia, I am at the forefront of embedding lived experience expertise into national social work curriculums and research. I  address state and national forums, and workshops, leading to significant social change and industry partnerships as noted by a mental health community leader: “I don’t have enough words to tell you how much you have inspired and challenged me to do better, while giving me the strength and backing to drive change”. I create sustainable impact though scholarly outputs such as industry reports, peer reviewed publications, media commentary, as well as invited expert panels, roundtables, and conference presentations both nationally and globally. I build connected, inclusive support and experiences for all learning pathways, both through internal engagements such as mentoring researchers and educators in lived experience ways of working, and through external engagements.

From 2018, I held an Industry Fellowship with RMIT and Forensicare, Victoria’s forensic mental health service, until 2021, during which time I aligned my mental health teaching and research portfolios, consolidating my commitment to embedding lived experience of end-user
(consumer and carer) voices into a framework of critical clinical mental health social work. I lead authentic, applied learning and teaching experiences for RMIT students, providing them with a way to think critically, privilege lived experience knowledge, and operate ethically and effectively within the parameters of a biomedical mental health service. I innovate creative and highly regarded experiences for students, by ensuring that the curriculum and assessments that I develop are contemporary, authentic, centre end-user voices, challenge systemic injustices, and are always industry connected.