Christian Cosma

About me

This supervisor has been approved to provide supervision under the ACCESS TO SUPERVISION PROJECT.

My name is Christian and I have a lived and living experience of mental ill health and associated challenges. I am interested in humans, the journey that is life, personal development and stepping outside my comfort zone. . I am currently the consumer peer practice lead at Alfred Health, a clinical area mental health service in Melbourne. This leadership role sees me focus on recruiting, orientating, training and developing our consumer peer workforce. I also provide individual consumer perspective supervision, group consumer perspective supervision, as well as work on a number of projects using my consumer perspective.

Complimenting my role at Alfred Health, I recently commenced as a community member on the Victorian mental health tribunal (non lived experience role). This role sees me balance my deeply embedded consumer values and conduct hearings on compulsory mental health treatment. A challenging task! .

Finally, I also own and operate my own small business providing external consumer perspective supervision to peer workers. My business Genuine Connections is NDIS registered, and in the past I have provided mental health peer support to NDIS participants. . My personal mission as a lived experience specialist is to empower and support people in their own journeys of recovery and growth from mental ill health. The starting point for this peer relationship is a “genuine connection”.

Prior to finding myself working in mental health I completed an Advanced Diploma of International Business, Bachelor of Business and a Masters of Project Management. I have worked in construction, retail, hospitality, international trade and a number of other fields. It took me many years to find my true calling!

Finally, I am proudly approaching my seven-year anniversary in the mental health space

This supervisor has been approved to provide supervision under the ACCESS TO SUPERVISION PROJECT. If you are a supervisee who has received an approval email/letter from the CMHL you may contact this supervisor for supervision for this project, then follow the stated processes for supervision payment.

My experience

2023 – Current: Consumer Peer Practice Lead at Alfred Health (clinical service). First peer practice lead in the service, focusing on recruiting, orientating, training and developing our consumer peer workforce.

2023 – Current: Community Member on the Victorian Mental Health Tribunal (non lived experience role). Conducting hearings on compulsory mental health treatment with fellow tribunal members.

2020 – 2023: Senior Consumer Peer Worker at Alfred Health (clinical service). First senior peer worker at this service, actively managing the rapid growth of the lived experience workforce.

2019 - Current: Owner/operator of my own small business, Genuine Connections. Services include consumer perspective supervision and peer support to NDIS participants.

2016 - 2020: Consumer Peer Worker at Alfred Health (clinical service). First peer worker at this service, establishing the role from scratch and raising the profile of peer support.

2016: Mind Australia PALS program volunteer. Program focused on reconnecting individuals to the local community and supporting them to engage in social and recreational activities.

My training

Consumer Perspective Supervision (CPS) Training

Intentional Peer Support (IPS)
Mind Australia’s Peer Support Training
Mental Health First Aid
Emotional eCPR
The Hearing Voices Approach by Voices Vic
Motivational Interviewing
Psychodrama
And many other modalitie

My approach to supervision

The role of Consumer Perspective Supervision is to develop best practice and the lived experience skill set and perspective.
My approach to consumer perspective supervision is to promote self-reflection, open discussion, curiosity, self-development, confidence and the development of one’s own ‘peer compass’ in relation to consumer peer values and principles.
I endeavor to put the supervisee at the steering wheel of all conversation, establish a warm, genuine, trusting and open relationship, focus on strengths and one’s unique talents that they bring to the role, recognise that learning is mutual and reciprocal, and respect the lived experience of both people in the relationship in a harmonious way.
My practice is informed by consumer perspective supervision training, IPS values and principles and a humanistic approach.
I am motivated by a desire to see people grow, and the success and expansion of lived experience workers across the mental health space.