Despite significant policy drivers for the planned and coordinated development of the peer workforce since the beginning of the National Mental Health Strategy in 1992 and the establishment of the National Mental Health Commission in 2012, most policy concerning the peer workforce, other than the development of the Certificate IV in Peer Work, has simply not be implemented. As mentioned previously, the work begun by Health Workforce Australia to develop a national framework for the Peer Workforce produced an excellent literature review and a peer work study, but its demise in 2014, following a change of government, left this work unfinished. PHNs, established by the Commonwealth Government in 2015 provide the logical structure for peer work leaders to complete the implementation of this policy and to provide the structure for the support and development of the peer workforce at a national level.

### A National Professional Association

The peer worker movement, aware of the lack of structure, planning and protection for the workforce is a currently moving towards the establishment of a professional association whose objectives would be to:

- • the profession of peer work • the profession of peer work
- • monitor and improve practice and ethical standards • monitor and improve practice and ethical standards
- • to the development of peer work knowledge and research • to the development of peer work knowledge and research
- • review and accredit the education standards for peer work • review and accredit the education standards for peer work
- • for personal choice, social inclusion, opportunity and the development of stigma • for personal choice, social inclusion, opportunity and the development of stigma free communities, workplaces and services.
- • the transformation of mental health and human services to be truly recovery-oriented • the transformation of mental health and human services to be truly recovery-oriented and trauma informed
- • and facilitate members' professional development and life -long learning • and facilitate members' professional development and life -long learning
- • and advocate for the interests of members as a group • and advocate for the interests of members as a group

These objectives from, The Peer Work Leadership Statement of Intent , which emerged from a peer work match during the 2017 International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership calls for a national association that is owned and led by the peer workforce.

Peer workers must lead the development of models of peer practice, so that our work retains its authenticity, mutuality and reciprocity in a diverse and expanding range of services and 12 employment'

The National Mental Health Commission has funded the current national consultation process to support the development of a national professional association. The consultations are being undertaken by a consortium of the Commission, the Private Mental Health Consumer and Carer 13 Network and the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum. The national PHN structure could synthesise and unify work being done by the States on the development of peer worker Frameworks, such as:

- • Draft Framework for the NSW Public Mental Health Consumer Workforce 2014 • Draft Framework for the NSW Public Mental Health Consumer Workforce 2014
- • Peer Work Strategic Framework, Western Australia, October 2014 • Peer Work Strategic Framework, Western Australia, October 2014
- • Far North Queensland Peer Workforce Framework, 2016 • Far North Queensland Peer Workforce Framework, 2016

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