A peer support worker is someone who has personally experienced mental distress and/or addiction challenges, and supports others to look after their wellbeing.
Peer support is a shortcut to hope, empathy, respect, and togetherness. It allows you to build a connection with tāngata whaiora (clients), and walk alongside someone in their recovery. You can use personal stories to demonstrate that recovery really does happen.
I have been working at MHAIDS, mainly in peer support roles, for 17 years. Currently I am based mainly at Te Whare o Matairangi in Wellington, and I also run groups at Te Whare Ahuru in the Hutt Valley and in the community.
What does a typical day look like?
My days can be quite varied. I run several weekly activities to support tāngata whaiora, both on acute inpatient units and in the community. These range from wellness groups - getting people to think about recovery and how to stay well - to creative writing groups.
I mentor and train volunteers with lived experience and get them to a point where they can support tāngata whaiora on the unit. I also act as a conduit between the service and peer support organisations such as Amigos - helping make connections and build relationships. I am also involved with the Towards Zero Seclusion project.
I’ve been given an incredible amount of scope by the Te Whare o Matairangi Team Leader to use my ingenuity and work out what’s needed.
Tell us more about the groups you run.
One is called Realities, in which we talk about our experiences of psychosis. We talk about differences in the five senses – even in the ‘sixth sense’, difficult memories, and more.
We discuss some really tough topics at times, but there can also be quite a bit of laughter. Talking about unusual things we believed while in an altered state can be quite amusing. When you laugh about something, it makes it more tangible and gives a different perspective on it.
The sessions change depending on the people and the dynamic. Sometimes it will be free-form conversation or writing on a piece of paper.
What’s the best part of your job?
One of the main things I like about my work is watching someone grow. We’ve been able to watch a lot of growth in all the Realities groups.
I like meeting amazing people and hearing amazing stories. And there's always something to learn.
