Clarissa Chandrahasen
Clarissa (she/her) has been an educator with World of Difference since 2018 as well as working as a lived experience adviser in the mental health sector.
She is also an actor, writer, comedian and theatre-maker. She debuted her award-winning solo show Committed at the NZ Fringe Festival in 2018, where she shared her story of her experience in the New Zealand mental health system. She also regularly performs in the Wellington stand-up comedy scene.
Serra Clark
Serra (she/her) has been with World of Difference since 2018 and has worked within the lived experience and consumer workforce since gaining her Bachelor of Social Work in 2011.
She is a member of lived experience advisory groups, and shares her experiences with students, clinicians, and services in educational settings and at conferences. Her experiences of distress and recovery, perinatal distress, and baby loss are major parts of her journey but not her whole story. She has a wonderful daughter at home and spends much of my time in nature, hiking, and travelling, and she is a photographer and jeweller.
Andrea Heffernan
Andrea (she/her) is particularly passionate about how we can craft our Lived Experience stories for personal empowerment and social impact.
Andrea's background is in communications, but until recently has led and facilitated Rākau Roroa, a Lived Experience mental health training programme for Changing Minds. Living in Redcliffs, Ōtautahi Christchurch, Andrea can be regularly spotted with Roxy the Spoodle, striding the coastal pathway or along Sumner Beach.
Andrea is also a trustee on the board of Philipstown based, Otautahi Creative Spaces.
Toni Huls
Toni (she/her) is passionate about using her lived experience to destigmatise mental distress and embrace a holistic view of mental health.
Toni has a long history of involvement in the peer support community, including Rakau Rāroa, Changing Minds. She works as a Peer Worker, using art and creativity to foster connection, hope, and a sense of purpose.
Toni is on the Te Wai Pounamu regional council, advocating for her community. Additionally, Toni was involved in the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, where she was involved in lived experience-based research focused on diagnostic overshadowing.
Meg Lyster
Meg (she/her) has been working and volunteering in the lived experience sector for both mental health and disability for the last few years. She is particularly passionate about youth voices and ensuring they are heard and valued at all levels of decision-making. She is excited to contribute to the World of Difference Kaupapa and expand making a difference in the mental health lived experience sector.
Alex Walker
Alex Walker (he/him) is a passionate advocate for lived experience within Aotearoa’s mental health system.
He spent four years working as a peer supporter for rangatahi within the Wellington region and has recently published his doctoral thesis on progressing epistemic justice for the lived experience workforce. Alex has worked as a teacher in higher education since 2019 and aims to create inclusive, enjoyable and engaging learning environments for students. He also loves reading (especially cozy fantasy), dinosaurs, walks, and getting obsessed with musicals.