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Options to seek face-to-face support can sometimes be limited for people experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts. Some of the reasons include living away from home for study, homelessness, not feeling comfortable to talk to family or friends, or lack of resources and knowledge.
CHN, ACT’s PHN, partnered with ACT Health to jointly fund and commission Stride Mental Health to run Safe Haven Belconnen to provide a safe space for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress to drop in for support. The Safe Haven Belconnen team are all peer workers, people with a lived experience of mental health issues, who are appropriately trained to support guests of Safe Haven.
Safe Haven Belconnen saw an increase of 23% in face-to-face visits and 24% in individual contacts, with over 1,400 guest visits to the service. The number of average weekly visits grew from 23 in the first half of the year, to 32 in the second half of the year. Over the year, Save Haven provided over 2,500 guest support activities, including follow-up calls, face-to-face support and referrals to emergency services.
The Police, Ambulance, and Clinician Early Response (PACER) team now sometimes bring guests to Safe Haven Belconnen instead of to the Emergency Department.
Testimonials
- “You make me feel calm, safe, accepted and heard, thank you.”
- “I am grateful to have had your support during one of the darkest times. Thank you for your patience, understanding and advice. I hope you don’t underestimate the impact you have on the people who walk through your door.”
- “Thank you for being a place where I have been able to feel safe, heard and understood. Thank you for the laughs and showing me there are still people out there who care.”
Safe Haven has provided peer support to many University students coping with the pressures of undertaking study, some feeling isolated as they didn’t grow up in Canberra.
Staff have supported guests with study plans, alongside safety planning, and provided a safe space to talk about the pressure. This has helped people to continue studying and, in some cases, to access On-Campus Support for their mental health.
Client Story
Safe Haven staff supported a young individual who was experiencing symptoms of psychosis for the first time, causing a great deal of fear and anxiety. Staff were able to provide peer support on the subject of recovering from episodes of psychosis and re-assured the young person that they were not alone. The guest continues to access Safe Haven when they are feeling at risk and have consented to staff supporting them to access Emergency Services when they are feeling too unsafe to remain at home.
