A conversation with an occupational therapist years back led Alana Istanto to mental health work.
“It was never about me wanting to fix anything, or fix anyone, or fix myself,” Alana says. “It was always about being there and holding that hope for someone. Sometimes it’s a little freckle in the distance, but I’ll hold that for you until it gets bigger, until it grows.”
Today, Alana is Lived Experience Service Manager at Whittlesea Mental Health and Wellbeing Local. Alana has been with Neami for six years and held several different roles throughout that time, including Peer Support Worker, Senior Practice Lead, and Victorian Peer Lead.
Alana loves being a part of the Whittlesea Mental Health and Wellbeing Local team, and is looking forward to watching the service develop and serve the local community over the coming years. Around 50% of staff at the Whittlesea Mental Health and Wellbeing Local are in designated Lived Experience roles, with six Peer Leads reporting to Alana.
“I think the biggest thing is around having a safe and welcoming space for someone to come in who may be wanting to explore their mental health and wellbeing,” Alana says.
“But also, we are supporting those who may not quite fit between that primary psychologist, GP or area mental health. We’re kind of that missing middle part where we want to prevent somebody going into hospital, but they need a little bit more than psychology, for example. And because there is no emphasis on getting clinical support here, I think the Lived Experience component is what sets all of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Local services apart.”
Alana is passionate about Lived Experience workforce development, and says her own managers helped her get to where she is now.
“I was really nurtured by my leads and my managers at the time to get me to where I am now,” Alana says.
“I (successfully) advocated to have my Lived Experience acknowledged in every position description, so I could formally work from that practice. It was important to me that there are opportunities for progression.
“Leadership with my Lived Experience hat on looks different to when I was a Peer Support Worker. Lived Experience is my lens when thinking about processes, engagement, and participation with the people we are supporting. Now my Lived Experience is used in a sense of supporting leadership to support Peer Workers, what those experiences are, and how my values as a Lived Experience Worker influence the way I support people.
“Drawing on values like mutuality, growing together, shared responsibility and relationships is such a big part of my practice. That positive impact is the way I’m supporting the Peer Leads, who support the Peer Workers, who support the people we work with.
“My aspiration is to see a growing, safe and sustainable workforce. Workforce development is such a passion for me because that’s where it starts. Healing, and having spaces to safely explore Lived Experience practice.”