Operations Manager – Consumer Partnerships & Disability Liaison Services (Acting), Western Health; Australia

Rebecca Barbara is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical experience, previously serving as a Clinical Nurse Educator. She is a passionate advocate for consumer partnerships in healthcare, leading the Lived Experience Advisor Program (LEAP) at Western Health. LEAP is an innovative initiative that professionalises lived experience beyond mental health and drug health services, embedding the consumer voice in service and system improvements. Rebecca is dedicated to addressing consumer-clinician power imbalances, recognising lived experience as a form of expertise, and fostering meaningful partnerships across diverse communities. Under her leadership, LEAP has expanded, employing lived experience advisors across multiple projects to drive more consumer-focused outcomes. Western Health is the first health service to integrate lived experience roles into mainstream healthcare. Beyond work, Rebecca and her husband prioritise creating lasting memories with their three children, embracing a family mission to live life and laugh.