peer mentor profiles
We are an independent, collective voice committed to full inclusion and active citizenship. We are the first peer-led organisation established to prepare people for the national disability insurance scheme and we are forging new directions!

Douglas Holmes
Peer Mentor
My name is Douglas, I’m 70 years old and love Country and Western music. I retired in 2018 and currently volunteer at CDAH of a Thursday and co-facilitate CDAH Members Action Group.
My psychosocial disability is not obvious. I have periods of hearing voices constantly gossiping in the background. Between episodes, I appear well. I choose not to take medications to stop these episodes. These events have left me with significant changes to my memory, concentration, energy, motivation, and capacity to work as a Truck Driver.
As a mentor, I can support you to think about the best questions to ask if you have an idea that you would like to turn into a business or money-making concern that doesn’t impact on your ability to receive benefits from Centrelink.
I can also help you figure out where and how to get help if you are finding life difficult. Again, I am not a counsellor or a psychologist, but I can help you think about what might be the best way that you could get help. No one deserves to live a life where they are anxious, depressed, or in conflict, as, for the most part, help is available.
My lived experience has blessed me with a lot of resilience and I have come to know that lilies only grow in the valleys so when times are rough the special things about life reveal themselves.