Jay Gardener (they/she) works in the space between lived experience, systems reform and social change. Their career has taken many forms but most relevant in this context is their mental health and suicide prevention experience, including in peer work, designated lived experience and leadership roles as well as advisory work across state and national projects. 
 
Jay brings an intersectional perspective shaped by growing up working class in rural NSW, being queer, trans and neurodivergent, and living alongside experiences of mental distress, suicide, complex trauma, addiction and chronic illness. Their own story of survival and also as a carer and bereaved inform their contributions and practice. They share these experiences thoughtfully, recognising both the privileges they hold and their responsibility to the values of broader consumer, human rights and social justice movements. 
  
For Jay, peer work is more than a role they occupy, it is a relational and political practice. We know our collective knowledge can improve systems, structures and mindsets. Jay participated in the podcast in the hope that conversations between peers would support contemporary reflections on peer practice and support shaping local contexts for the better.