Volunteer Peer Mentors, Group Leaders & Consumer Advisors – ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia

Turn lived experience into meaningful support and change! Bridges & Pathways Institute Inc. is seeking Peer Mentors, Peer Group Leaders and Consumer Advisors to help improve information, support and pathways to care for people living with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. Our programs are consumer-driven and informed by lived experience. We believe people who understand the realities of living with chronic illness have an important role in supporting others and helping health services better understand and respond to consumer needs. Depending on your interests and experience, you may provide individual or group peer support, help people better understand available information and management approaches, or contribute your lived experience perspective to the development and improvement of health programs and services.

ABOUT BRIDGES & PATHWAYS Bridges & Pathways Institute is a consumer-founded South Australian not-for-profit organisation and registered Australian charity. For more than 25 years, we have worked to improve health information, education, support and pathways to care, with a particular focus on people living with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. We are currently strengthening our national programs and partnerships, including the development of GP-embedded, nurse-led approaches to earlier assessment and coordinated management. Lived experience and consumer participation remain central to this work.

HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE PEER MENTORS As a Peer Mentor, you may provide one-to-one support to help people: • Better understand their condition and available information. • Develop confidence in managing day-to-day challenges. • Understand approaches such as pacing, energy management and self-management. • Prepare for health appointments and participate more effectively in their care. • Identify appropriate information, programs and support services. • Feel less isolated while navigating a complex chronic condition. The role is about support, information and shared experience rather than providing medical advice.

PEER GROUP LEADERS Peer Group Leaders help create supportive and constructive opportunities for people to connect and learn from one another. You may: • Facilitate online or community-based peer groups. • Encourage respectful sharing of experiences and practical strategies. • Help participants access reliable information and resources. • Support education and self-management activities. • Help maintain a safe, inclusive and supportive group environment.

CONSUMER ADVISORS Consumer Advisors bring the lived experience perspective directly into our programs, service development and implementation. You may: • Participate in consumer advisory meetings and working groups. • Review patient information, education materials and resources. • Provide feedback on how programs and services work from a consumer perspective. • Contribute to discussions with health professionals, researchers and project partners. • Help identify barriers to accessing appropriate care. • Contribute to the implementation and evaluation of programs for people with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. Consumer Advisors are valued contributors to collaborative teams and help ensure that lived experience remains central to decision-making and service improvement. Who are we looking for? We welcome people with lived experience of ME/CFS or Fibromyalgia, as well as carers and others with relevant experience who share our commitment to improving care and support. You do not need to be a health professional. We are looking for people who are: • Reliable and able to make a regular volunteer commitment. • Good listeners and respectful communicators. • Supportive of different experiences and perspectives. • Comfortable maintaining appropriate boundaries and confidentiality. • Able to work collaboratively with consumers, volunteers and health professionals. • Interested in helping others access reliable information and support. • Committed to constructive, respectful consumer participation. Because we understand the fluctuating nature of ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia, we also recognise that volunteering needs to be manageable and flexible around individual health and capacity.

WHY VOLUNTEERS WITH US? This is an opportunity to use your lived experience to make a practical difference. You can: • Help people feel more informed, supported and confident in navigating their care. • Contribute to improving services for people with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. • Help ensure the consumer voice is represented in health service development. • Develop skills in peer mentoring, group facilitation and consumer participation. • Connect with a national network of consumers, health professionals and partner organisations. • Contribute from home through online volunteering, with some Adelaide-based opportunities also available.

INTERESTED If you would like to use your lived experience to support others, strengthen the consumer voice and help improve care for people with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia,