EOI: VR Project Youth Advisors
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EOI: VR Project Youth Advisors

become a youth advisor for our virtual reality projects 

Young people participating in an Orygen Digital virtual reality youth advisory session

Are you interested in how virtual reality and digital interventions could be used to support young people recovering from psychosis?

We're looking for young people who’ve received support from early psychosis services and who have challenges with social situations. We want your help to develop and design new virtual reality (VR) environments to be used in Orygen Digital studies.

To apply, review the following role and eligibility requirements and complete the submission form at the bottom of this page.

What's the opportunity?

Orygen Digital needs a team of youth advisors (ages 16 to 35) who have experienced symptoms of psychosis (for example, hallucinations or delusions) as well as challenges in social situations so that we can better support the social recovery of young people after experiencing psychosis.

As a youth advisor, you'll use your lived experience to help us develop VR content and provide your opinion on key design aspects in preparation for our VR studies.

We'd like a broad representation of young people with lived experience of different types of social difficulties, experiences of psychosis, symptoms of psychosis or hallucinations. This can be something you have experienced recently or in the past.

Your help will make the project as inclusive, functional, engaging and user-friendly as possible.  

WHAT's INVOLVED? 

Youth advisors will be invited to participate in our projects based on your preferences and eligibility. 

Ways you can participate include:

  • 6 x online group workshops with other youth advisors and a one-on-one consultation OR
  • 2 x online group workshops with other youth advisors and up to 2 x one-on-one consultations OR
  • 3 x user-testing sessions of a virtual reality intervention at Orygen's Parkville site (for those living in Melbourne).

The workshops and consultations will happen over MS Teams and will take 2 hours. You will be reimbursed $30 per hour of engagement.  

User-testing sessions will happen in-person at Parkville in Melbourne. You will be reimbursed $30 per hour of engagement and for travel to and from the session.

Online workshops will start in mid-September. Once we’ve confirmed your involvement, the group facilitator will work with you to confirm your availability.

As a youth advisor in this project, you might be expected to:  

  • Discuss (broadly) your experiences of social recovery or symptoms of psychosis or hallucinations
  • Voice your opinion about the design, features and functions of the virtual reality tool
  • Collaborate with group members in activities (if participating in workshops). 

In your role, there might be times where you feel it would be useful to share your lived experience of mental health, however this is entirely up to you and there is no pressure for you to do so. Anything shared during workshops, consultations or via email with the project team will not be shared outside of the team without your consent.

AM I ELIGIBLE?  

We're looking for people who: 

  • are aged 16 to 35 years; 
  • are based in Australia; 
  • have received support from an early psychosis service 
  • have experienced psychosis or sub-clinical symptoms of psychosis (such as delusions or hallucinations), as well as difficulties in social situations;
  • are passionate about technologies like virtual reality. 

Making this project accessible to all young Australians is of high priority to the project team. We strongly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, young people from the LGBTQIA+ communities, young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and young people with a disability.  

How can I apply?

If you’re interested in being a youth advisor and contributing to our project, please complete the following form and we'll be in touch.  

Today

Do you meet the criteria listed under "who are we looking for"?:

Check all that apply. If no checkboxes, use CTRL click to select more than one option.

Do you have any experience using virtual reality or other digital health tools?:

By completing this form, you are providing personal information to Orygen Limited (ABN 85 098 918 686) (Orygen).   

For what purposes will we use your information? 

Orygen will use this information for the purpose of recruiting youth advisors who have experienced difficulties with hallucinations in social situations and have been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder to use their lived experience to consult on key virtual reality design aspects and help develop virtual reality content ahead of a new study, or any other purposes related to this purpose.  

Your email address will also be used to add you to Orygen’s mailing list so that we can contact you and send information relating to topics that we consider may be of interest to you.  

Who will we disclose your information to? 

When using your information for the purposes above, it may be necessary for Orygen to disclose your information to our employees or third-party service providers (such as IT service providers) who are located Australia.

Your consent 

By completing this form, you consent to the collection and use of your information in the way described in this privacy collection notice. If you do not wish for your information to be used in this way, please do not complete the form. 

Further information 

Orygen’s privacy policy contains further information on how we manage your personal information, as well as information about how you may access your personal information or seek correction of such information, as well as how to make a complaint in relation to how Orygen has handled your personal information. 

Phone: +61 3 9966 9100 

Email: [email protected] 

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QUESTIONS 

If you have further questions about the role or project, get in touch with the group facilitator, Shona Louis, or project lead, Rose Pot-Kolder:

Shona Louis, Senior Peer Researcher. Pronouns: she/her/hers. Email: [email protected] 

Rose Pot-Kolder, Research Fellow. Pronouns: she/her/hers. Email: [email protected]