Organisation : Independent Lived Experience Agency
Time required : Flexible
Duration of project : 2 years (renewable)
Skill area : Board & Committee Members, Finance & Accounting, Grants & Philanthropy, Legal
Sector : Drug, Alcohol & Addiction, Mental Health, Youth & Young People
Application closing date : 30 Nov, 2025
About the role
Board Members will provide governance, strategic advice, and advocacy to strengthen ILEA’s work, ensure financial and legal accountability, and guide the growth of a lived experience–led agency.
Responsibilities
Provide governance oversight in line with the organisation’s constitution and values.
Champion lived experience, recovery, and human rights in all decision-making.
Contribute to strategic planning and evaluation of key projects and pilots.
Ensure compliance with relevant governance and reporting obligations.
Participate in monthly board meetings and subcommittee work as required.
Act as an ambassador for ILEA, building networks and partnerships.
We are recruiting for multiple roles:
Treasurer – financial stewardship, budgeting oversight, and sustainability.
Secretary – governance records, board administration, and compliance.
General Members – contribute lived experience and/or expertise in law, finance, community leadership, or health.
Skills & Experience
We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds. Skills that would be highly valued include:
Lived experience of mental health, AOD, or caring.
Governance and leadership experience in NFPs, government, or community.
Finance, law, or compliance expertise (especially for Treasurer/Secretary roles).
Community leadership or advocacy experience.
Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and recovery principles.
Time Commitment
Approx. 6–8 hours per month, including board meetings, subcommittee work, and preparation.
Initial term: 2 years (renewable).
Location
Victoria (head office Melbourne). Online/remote participation is supported.
Benefits
Play a leadership role in shaping mental health and AOD reform.
Gain governance experience in a pioneering lived experience–led organisation.
Build networks across government, community, and peer sectors.
Make a meaningful impact by ensuring lived experience is at the centre of system reform.
How to Apply
Please submit your expression of interest including a short cover letter and resumé to:
📧 contact@ilea.org.au
About the organisation
The Independent Lived Experience Agency (ILEA) is a pioneering not-for-profit organisation established to place lived experience leadership at the centre of Australia’s mental health and alcohol & other drugs (AOD) systems.
ILEA was founded in direct response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and is committed to building services and governance models that are designed with, by, and for people with lived experience.
Our vision is a system where people with lived and living experience are recognised as equal partners in shaping policy, delivering services, and driving cultural change. We develop innovative pilots and initiatives, including:
A 24/7 peer-led crisis support line offering immediate connection and alternatives to police/ambulance callouts.
Community-based Crisis Assistance & Triage (CCAT) teams that respond to mental health emergencies with compassion and lived expertise.
Adult and youth respite centres that provide safe, recovery-focused alternatives to hospital or crisis escalation.
ILEA operates as an independent, non-government body, free from systemic conflicts of interest, and works to strengthen the lived experience workforce, influence service design, and embed human rights into every layer of the mental health and AOD system.
Joining ILEA means contributing to an emerging national movement that re-centres people with lived experience as leaders, decision-makers, and agents of reform.
How to apply
Please quote in application: Volunteer Board Member – Independent Lived Experience Agency via Pro Bono Australia.
