Operating a NSW Health Safe Haven calls for a form of compassion unique to each location and its challenges; a need not lost on the team at Tweed Heads.
But a peer-to-peer support role at a Safe Haven isn't quite complete without the experiences, values and perspectives of the people fulfilling them.
A former chaplain in the US Army, Hickory Smith moved to Australia from the United States in 2021 and says the opportunity to become a Senior Peer Worker was "literally the answer to prayer".
"Not only did I have (work) experience in mental health and suicide prevention and enjoyed working in the field, but this position really validated my own experiences of having suicidal thoughts in the past.
"Something that some might define as weakness has become a strength of mine and adds to my ability to do the job."
Hickory's fellow Peer Worker Nicole Robins was drawn to the role from interstate:
"There are so many elements of this job that I do outside of work by supporting family and friends, so when I heard the Safe Haven was opening here, I was in. I moved to Tweed because I wanted to be part of this from the ground up."
Nicole credits her passion for building human connections for the success and satisfaction she enjoys as a Peer Worker.
"Even people I worked with who held clinical roles would share their perspectives with me and allowed me to connect with them on my journey to where I am now."
"Peer work seemed like a no-brainer for me to get into."
While Hickory and Nicole hail from different backgrounds (and hemispheres), they share numerous deeply held values - as those in the business of helping others often do. Among those values is the appreciation that their roles impact more people than the ones directly seeking the Safe Haven's services.
"Having worked in multi-disciplinary teams with other clinicians and providers at multiple levels, the Safe Haven expands our continuum of care," Hickory explains. "If you're feeling tapped out or overwhelmed, this is another tool that helps to alleviate that."
The Safe Havens each serve a fundamental purpose as a place to go when crises arise, but Service Manager Denise Jack highlights their crucial role in helping reduce visits to the Emergency Department (ED).
"I think the Safe Havens are lovely because we can jump in before a person needs to visit the ED," she says.
"Come in, have a cup of tea. Let us help with your breathing. Let us de-escalate your situation with a quiet, friendly chat and see if we can spare you a trip to the emergency room."
While there are small rooms designed for one-on-one support, the main area is "literally like we're sitting in our living room" says Nicole.
"Or we can walk to the kitchen for coffee and keep chatting away. It's such a relaxed environment."
"I love that when people visit, they interact with every single one of us, and we all bring something different."
Hickory says there is nothing quite like having a visit from a person the team has helped.
"Meeting people in crisis, then seeing them come back to visit because they love this place and it saved their life. We thrive on hearing that story and seeing their path and progress."
"It's part of our recovery because we're making an impact in someone's life."
Nicole adds, "it's like when a friend or family member has recovered from being unwell and you're just cheering."
"We've seen many of these people at their most vulnerable and having them come back to check-in or even jump into some activities to maintain their progress is so inspiring. It makes us so proud of them and proud of ourselves for what we do."
"Every day you enjoy coming to work to see what kind of difference you can make next."
Safe Haven is a NSW Health Towards Zero Suicides initiative..
