3324 - EMBEDDING LIVED EXPERIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY EDUCATION: RETHINKING CURRICULUM FOR INTEGRATED MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Session: 3304 - INNOVATIVE MODELS OF TRAINING IN INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE
AUTHORS:
Guilifer Judith (Monash University ~ Clayton ~ Australia) , Johnston Kim (Monash University ~ Clayton ~ Australia)
Abstract text:
Integrated care recognises the importance of addressing the full spectrum of an individual's health and wellbeing needs in collaboration with the person, their carers, and family. Central to emerging policy directions and community practice is the involvement of 'experts through lived and living experience' working alongside interprofessional teams. These partnerships highlight the value of experiential knowledge in shaping responsive and person-centred care. Despite this, psychology education has been slow to meaningfully include lived experience voices in teaching and curriculum design. Integrating lived experience into psychology training can promote a more comprehensive understanding of mental health, challenge stigma, and equip future professionals to work collaboratively and respectfully with those who bring expertise through experience. This presentation explores a series of initiatives designed to embed lived and living experience across undergraduate psychology curricula, guided by the FlipCurric Framework. These include co-designed learning outcomes and assessments, inclusion of peer workers and lived experience narratives in teaching content, collaboration with lived experience agencies for unit review, and curriculum tasks grounded in real-world insights. We also highlight a School-wide initiative that partners with culturally diverse organisations to support student development in cultural safety and to challenge dominant Eurocentric perspectives in psychology. Together, these efforts model authentic partnership, support inclusive practice, and prepare students for integrated care environments that value both professional and lived expertise.