Our Certificate IV Mental Health Peer Work(opens in a new tab) students are making an outstanding contribution to the Western Australian Association for Mental Health’s (WAAMH) Prevent Support Heal campaign.
- Prevent Support Heal is an initiative of WAAMH, the peak body for community mental health.
- Our students are facilitating online sessions that enable the sharing of positive self-care strategies. This has been particularly relevant amidst COVID-19 and the impact that the pandemic is having on mental health across the community.
- Students are providing strategies that WAAMH members can use, to help raise awareness of the need for increased funding for community mental health services in Western Australia.
Prevent Support Heal Campaign manager Sarah Quinton has valued the student’s contribution to the campaign.
“It was wonderful to see how the students took ownership of the campaign and were speaking on message to increase funding into community mental health support and prevention.”
“Working with NMTAFE peer support workers has been extraordinary, as they opened up about themselves and drove the campaign through the stories of people with lived experience,” she said.
“The campaign doesn’t work without everyone being involved and the students became champions of Prevent Support Heal.”
NMTAFE Community Services coordinator Tracey Hennessy believes the skills and experiences gained from this project will contribute to the further development of the peer work force in WA.
“It has been an incredible experience to witness the starring role our students have had with the Prevent Support Heal campaign.”
“For the students to be able to meaningfully contribute to a worthwhile and very important campaign, it has been a win-win for all involved!”
Our mental health peer work course provides training for a new and emerging work force in the mental health sector. Peer workers identify as having mental health challenges, who have used support and treatment services to embark on a journey of recovery. As part of their role, peer workers implement human service skills as well as their experiences of having mental health challenges, with others who are currently experiencing emotional distress.
In collaboration with Consumers of Mental Health WA (CoMHWA), supported by the Mental Health Commission, the course provides the mental health sector in WA with qualified peer workers who are making an outstanding contribution to the way mental health services are being delivered.
Learn more about the Prevent Support Heal campaign. Find out more about our Community Services courses.