Peer CARE Companion in Community

Objectives:

Peer CARE Companion in Community will:

1. provide an agile, responsive face-to-face support network of Peer CARE Companions in communities across Australia who will enhance a range of existing services and fill needs gaps.
2. be committed to an assets-based approach to developing community capacity, supporting local communities to Identify what is already working well, provide resources to further strengthen its existing assets, and build capacity for local community members to develop complementary supports.
3. address issues of loneliness and social isolation exacerbated for many through the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other marginalised groups in our communities.
4. develop the capability of local community members to be a readily available resource that can be flexibly deployed for a range of applications, including:
   • Aftercare
     • supplementary volunteer peer workforce for aftercare services
     • ongoing connection and ‘light touch’ support for aftercare clients beyond the 3-month limitation of the service
     • Peer CARE Companion Warmline
   • Postvention
     • supplementary volunteer peer workforce for postvention services – co-ordination of or contribution to practical support to community members after suicide loss – making meals, walking pets, coffee catch ups
     • Peer CARE Companion warmline
   • Safe Spaces
     • additional resourcing for safe spaces
     • service navigation for people in distress
     • accompany guests of safe space to other services they are connected to
   • Covid-19
     • related isolation companionship
     • encouragement to engage in social activities in community
   • Older persons
     • accompanying older persons to access social groups or services
     • ‘light touch’ peer community in-reach
     • companionship in aged care residencies
   • Family, partners, friends supporting loved ones
     • support and service navigation for carers of people in suicidal crisis
     • service navigation
   • General Community
     • community event support, awareness raising and stigma reduction initiatives
     • service navigation
     • in-reach service for people who struggle to connect with services
   • Addressing loneliness & need for connection
     • companionship to increase connection and combat loneliness in community
     • connection for people impacted by isolation of COVID-19 and natural disasters

View Peer CARE Companion Service Model

Our “000” position

Contact of emergency services by Roses in the Ocean’s Non-clinical Peer-led Services.

To ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of all people involved in Roses in the Ocean’s Non-clinical Peer-led Services, emergency services will only be contacted in situations where:

1. a person who is actively engaged in the service requests we do, or
2. a person is disengaging from the service AND has communicated that they have the immediate intention of acting on their plan of suicide; or
3. an incident occurs requiring immediate medical or other assistance.

As would be standard practice in any home, workplace or community space, emergency services will also be contacted if:

• there is an immediate and imminent threat to the life and safety of any person, including a volunteer or 3rd party (eg: medical attention is required for an injury; a person within the service is being physically threatened by another; or an intention is disclosed to harm a 3rd party outside of the service), or
• the physical environment where Non-clinical Peer-led Services are taking place is in danger (eg: fire).

More info