Brett Scholz

The Eurovision vote didn't go the way I expected. Its kind of both incomprehensible but also semi-unsurprising. Honestly just devastating to know 2026 is going to be yet another year we can't enjoy celebrating music together.

Feeling a little worn out (but perhaps not surprised) that the glass ceiling in lived experience leadership we described almost a decade ago (across a range of orgs) is still going strong (as described here in service orgs)...

Doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2017.1280106

Great work...and also very sad that these glass ceilings are still so present. We looked at the glass ceiling in lived experience roles nearly a decade now and found they were present across a range of roles (i.e., not just in service roles like these but in academic, policy, and other orgs too)

I'd seen the reporting around Keira Knightley's awful response but wow the video makes it... even worse??? It's so dismissive and callous and that horrible little laugh??? like what the hell?? And the smarmy, "I'm very sorry" in the least apologetic tone I've ever heard in my life. Jfc.

I just read a paper I wanted to cite in a grant application, only to get to the reference list and see that it cites what must be an AI hallucinated paper "written" by me. 🙃

I haven't managed to catch up with Days 1 and 2 of #PXP25 just yet...but it sounds like I'll need to go through some interesting conversations. This quote from Michelle particularly reminds me of some of our earlier work on pushing back on institutional barriers: doi.org/10.1111/inm....

Making a timid statement And how the NHMRC Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement could become more bold and live up to its values

The NHMRC is seeking feedback on its Draft Statement regarding Consumer and Community Involvement. In this article, I discuss how the Statement falls short in incorporating recent research and addressing current best practice for effective consumer participation: open.substack.com/pub/livedexp...

In the meantime, if you haven't yet, you can read the draft statement here: www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/pub...

But fair warning -- it devalues lived experiential expertise, and I couldn't help but wonder how we're still moving backwards in 2025.

Lived Experience Leadership | Brett Scholz | Substack A monthly reflection on the trends and developments in lived experience leadership across the health sector. Click to read Lived Experience Leadership, by Brett Scholz, a Substack publication. Launche...

I spent my Sunday morning writing about how the NHMRC & CHF draft Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research draws on outdated ideas that limit consumer involvement. I'll be posting it to the Lived Experience Leadership Substack tomorrow.

何よりも照り焼きバーガー味うま~~~い

The exponential growth of patient involvement Much ado and not doing much

Check out the #pechakucha I presented at ISCHP2025 about the exponential increase in patient involvement (and how we're not really as participatory as we'd like to believe) livedexperienceleadership.substack.com/p/the-expone...

Nothing says US centric social media as when everyone assume pride month is in june. When thats just the case in the US. Sweden has pride month july/august and some countries have it in december.

EVERY MONTH is pride month somewhere in the world.

Bridget Brennan asking the important questions of the treasurer about Labor's commitments to Indigenous communities...to a somewhat lacklustre answer. Australians showed they don't buy into the exclusion sold by conservatives. Let's hope Labor lean in to the mandate they have been handed #AusVotes

Hey Albo, how about fixing the universities now, eh? #auspol #ausvotes #binnight

Slices of matcha cheesecake in front of Antony Green and his big screen

In honour of the great work of Antony GREEN @antonygreenelec.bsky.social I made a matcha cheesecake to enjoy while sitting back watching #AusVotes outcomes.

Have a listen to this latest ISCHP podcast! I had great chat with Wendy Stainton-Rogers about where critical health psychology has been and where it might go next...

Jane is in Victoria and Chinese Victorians may consider making a public complaint to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.

Yes - a great Finnish brand. They have some Fazer cafes around the city too.

I love Fazer chocolates and they always make a nice gift if you don't scoff them all yourself first. Your accommodation will likely have a sauna but also check what saunas are close by and go enjoy! Fave helsinki restaurant: Farang! Although not Finnish...still very tasty!

I loved having this chat with Gareth Treharne about all things ISCHP. Have a listen to get into the ISCHP spirit ahead of #ISCHP2025 in Galway in 3 months time!!

Just as Trump cuts billions from U.S. universities and drives leading academics out of the country, Dutton chooses yet another Trump card from the deck.

Cash is spot on; Dutton will aim to deliver “exact same” as Trump

I really enjoyed this study. Perhaps not surprising, but good to get some data about how lived experience disclosures can show clients that their therapist is “human,” but this may come at the cost that they are no longer viewed as a “professional.

Did you end up being piloted by your namesake?

An ad for "Men's Cakes" including a picture of several men at a party looking festive, with a big, slightly bizarre looking tiered cake with large gold flakes arranged haphazardly down one side. The ad emphasises how easy this company makes it to "order birthday and other celebration cakes for men online".

How bizarre that there is someone out there who thought men would need their own cakes...

For those of you -- like me -- enjoying a long weekend, maybe this is a nice way to start off the day with your morning coffee. (Actually this morning I had a malted hojicha latte, but you do you).

Is ‘Lived Experience Leader’ an identity? Or is lived experience leadership better understood as an action oriented practice?

This month, I reflect on the use of "lived experience leader" as an identity, and talk about how it's both positive (making #LivedExperienceLeadership visible) and concerning (in how it relates to central tenets of lived experience leadership)

livedexperienceleadership.substack.com/publish/post...

so great to hear, and to connect. My next lived experience leadership substack post is scheduled to be published today, so watch this space!!

ABOUT ME:

I post mostly about lived experience leadership in health policy, services, research and education. I don't work from a lived experience perspective myself, but write a lot of academic articles and substack posts about lived experience leadership.

I also post about Eurovision and Matcha.

So disappointed in how bland the matcha #MeghanMarkle just made looks. It's barely green!