Safe Haven Launched Through Northern Partnerships
11 October 2023
Emergency Departments are generally not places we ‘choose’ to go to, yet we know they are always there if needed. In the unfortunate event of a medical emergency, an Emergency Department is the best place to be.
However, people feeling distressed, suicidal, or overwhelmed by life, sometimes end up in our Emergency Departments too, particularly when other after-hours support options are limited. Usually busy and noisy environments, Emergency Departments are generally not ideal places to be when experiencing distress.
Officially launched at its new premises on 10 July 2023, the Safe Haven pilot is Northern Adelaide Local Health Network’s (NALHN’s) next step in providing alternatives to the Emergency Department for people experiencing distress after hours.
Jointly funded by NALHN and the Adelaide Primary Health Network (PHN), and delivered by Sonder as a drop-in service, Safe Haven provides a calm and friendly place where people experiencing distress can access immediate support in a non-clinical environment.
Safe Haven is staffed by a team of dedicated Peer Practitioners with personal lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery. Peer Practitioners are uniquely positioned to create a safe, non-judgmental space where anyone aged 16+ can feel heard, understood, and validated.
The launch event commenced with a Welcome to Country by Ngarrindjeri Elder, Major ‘Moogy’ Sumner AM (pictured on front cover), and showcased the partnerships within the Northern Adelaide Mental Health Alliance, inclusive of NALHN, the Adelaide PHN, and the Lived Experience Leadership and Advocacy Network, whose guidance enabled the Safe Haven service to be co-designed from a lived experience perspective.
Safe Haven’s early indicators are positive, with 14% of participants reporting that they would have attended an Emergency Department if Safe Haven was not available.
Safe Haven is located at 9 John St, Salisbury, and is open from 5pm to 9pm, Tuesday to Friday each week, including public holidays.
For more information, go to: sonder.net.au/safe-haven