Mickey’s lived experience becomes a career changing lives

After completing the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (CHC43515) at TAFE Queensland, Mickey is ready to use their lived experience, compassion and practical skills to provide practical support to help others on their recovery journeys.

Students studying the course build practical skills in peer work, recovery-oriented practice, trauma-informed care, self-advocacy and wellbeing, supported by hands-on experience through vocational placement.

Graduates can pursue opportunities in mental health peer support, outreach and other community-based settings.

“I wanted to become the person for someone else that I once needed myself. When I discovered the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, it felt like I had found my calling,” Mickey said.

Starting something new can be daunting at any stage of life, and for Mickey and his classmates, the year brought nerves, excitement and uncertainty in equal measure.

But as Mickey reflected at graduation, the experience proved just how capable they were.

“When we let go of the fear of failing, we open the door to everything we are capable of,” Mickey said.

Throughout the course, Mickey learned how lived experience can become more than a personal story - it can become a powerful tool for supporting others.

Rather than something to hide, Mickey came to see their own mental health journey as a source of strength, insight and connection.

The Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work is designed for people with lived experience of mental illness - as consumers or carers - who want to use that experience to support others.

Students learn to apply their lived experience with purpose, building the skills and confidence to walk alongside people in recovery.

The course combines lived experience with practical training and professional knowledge, covering areas such as trauma-informed care, self-advocacy, wellbeing, working with diverse people and recovery-oriented practice.

They also learn how to work within the mental health peer workforce and contribute to improving services for consumers and carers.

For Mickey, the guidance of TAFE Queensland's teachers was an important part of that journey.

“Their knowledge, encouragement and unwavering support throughout the year will stay with us forever and have helped shape me and my fellow graduates into the best possible peer workers we can be,” Mickey said.

That blend of professional training and personal understanding sits at the heart of peer work - supporting people in ways that honour their experiences, strengths and goals.

Mickey’s time at TAFE Queensland was also shaped by the inclusive and welcoming environment he found on campus.

As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Mickey acknowledged the staff who supported them through their name-change process and ensured their preferred pronouns were reflected in their student information.

“Thank you, TAFE Queensland, for providing a safe space for people to be themselves,” Mickey said.

For Mickey, that sense of belonging strengthened their student experience and reinforced the kind of supportive environment they now want to help create for others.

The Certificate IV includes learning about working respectfully with people from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, recognising that diversity is an important part of effective community and mental health support.

The journey was also shaped by the people Mickey met along the way. His classmates became close friends, sharing study sessions, afternoons in the library and the inevitable distractions that come with studying together.

Mickey thanked their classmates for allowing them to be part of their journeys and for the friendships they built throughout the course.

Those connections will stay with Mickey long after graduation, alongside the skills, confidence and knowledge gained through the qualification.

Behind Mickey’s achievement was a strong network of family support - from providing space for online classes to stepping in as practice clients while they built their skills.

Mickey also paid special tribute to their grandfather, Poppy, who was a TAFE Queensland educator.

Describing him as their “rock”, Mickey valued the opportunity to draw on his invaluable guidance, experience and knowledge throughout their studies.

With his qualification complete, Mickey is looking ahead with excitement and hope. More than a career step, it marks the beginning of a new opportunity to make a difference.

“I don’t know what the future has in store for us, but I welcome it with excitement and hope. This is not the end; this is just the beginning,” Mickey concluded.