Lived Experience Voice and Policy

What is Lived Experience?

Lived Experience (LEx) is the knowledge a person gains from their own life, background, and personal story. It comes from firsthand experiences—such as being part of systems like child welfare, mental health care, or education—rather than from formal training or professional roles.

Why Lived Experience Matters in Decision-Making

People who are directly affected by government programs often have the least opportunity to help shape them. In Virginia, many state boards, councils, and committees help create policies and guide services. But only a small number of these groups include people with lived experience — meaning people who have personally dealt with the issues being discussed. Even fewer of these groups pay people for their time.

Because of this, important voices and real-world experience may be missing from decisions that affect communities. Below is research on lived experience that reviews the current state of lived experience representation in Virginia state agencies.

Promoting Best Practices for Engaging People with Lived Experience

The Office of Trauma and Resilience Policy convenes and facilitates a Lived Experience Advisory Network (LEAN). This group, made up of coordinators and/or facilitators of state-level advisory groups that are made up of or include people with lived experience, meets quarterly to share ideas, resources, and best practices, with a goal of ensuring that lived experience voices meaningfully shape decisions, programs, and policies. For questions or more information about the LEAN, please e-mail otrp@dss.virginia.gov. 

The video below shares simple, practical ways to meaningfully include people with lived experience in planning, decision-making, and evaluation and highlights best practices for ensuring every voice is heard and valued.