This post provides an exciting opportunity to join and be a key member of  the interdisciplinary team at the National Suicide Research Foundation and to lead out on the integration of lived experience expertise as part of the next suicide and self-harm reduction strategy with the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention and in collaboration with the HSE office of Mental Health Engagement and Recovery. 

The Lived Experience Lead for Suicide and Self-Harm will support the implementation of priorities under the next national suicide and self-harm reduction strategy, ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience of suicide, self-harm, and suicide bereavement are meaningfully integrated into all aspects of policy development; service design and improvement; training and workforce development; research and evaluation; and public communications and stigma-reduction initiatives.

Please note that this is a designated lived-experience role. Applicants must have lived/living experience of suicidality or self-harm, either personally, as a family member or carer supporting someone with these experiences, or through bereavement by suicide.                

The successful candidate will bring their lived/living experience perspective in an objective way to inform all aspects of the role.

The successful candidate will promote safe, ethical, recovery and trauma-informed engagement, ensuring that participation contributes to supporting improved outcomes and service quality.

This is a unique opportunity for the candidate to apply their skills to an important area of suicide prevention and mental health research. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with lived experience expertise, statutory and voluntary sector partners, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers. 

Furthermore, the purpose of this post is to

• Establish and co-ordinate a Lived/living Experience perspective Reference Group for the new suicide and self-harm reduction strategy and other lived experience advisory groups for the HSE NOSP as required.
• Lead, contribute and support the meaningful integration of lived/living experience expertise and perspective of suicide, self-harm, and bereavement into national policy, service design, service implementation, training, communications, and evaluation within the HSE NOSP.
• The post holder will work collaboratively with people with lived experience, statutory and voluntary sector partners, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to ensure that lived experience informs the development and implementation of national suicide-prevention priorities. 
• Support the development, implementation and delivery of national policy objectives, annual operational plans, HSE actions and the HSE National Service Plan as they relate to Lived Experience NOSP-led work.
• Develop and extend the work stream in regard to lived experience expertise involvement in suicide and self-harm reduction.

The successful candidate will report to dedicated senior management within NOSP and the NSRF. The post will be based at the offices of the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (Dublin) for the duration of contract of employment.