Meet our first Peer Support Worker

With the opening of Jan’s Place in February 2025, we were proud to announce the appointment of McAuley’s first Peer Support Worker as part of the onsite, integrated support team.

Peer Support is a professional discipline guided by International Peer Support and National Lived Experience Workforce Guidelines. It is grounded in the worker’s own life-changing experiences of distress, trauma and/or substance use, and their journey of recovery and healing.

Through one-on-one support and facilitated peer-led groups, Peer Support Workers help clients to feel safe, seen, and not judged. By offering empathy and a shared experience they foster connection and hope – key ingredients for recovery and personal growth.

“Peer Support differs significantly from traditional support services, it evens out the power difference between worker and client, enabling women to feel more able to have honest conversations and seek advice from someone they know has travelled a similar path,” said McAuley CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM.

“Having a Peer Support Worker at Jan’s Place strengthens our ability to deliver trauma-informed, person-centred care and complements our holistic approach. It shows women that recovery is not just possible, it’s real.”

McAuley’s first Peer Support Worker brings personal insight as a victim survivor. She has experienced the fear, shame and isolation that comes with escaping violence – and now uses that lived experience to walk alongside women and children at Jan’s Place as they begin their own journey of healing. She said:

“It’s an honour to be able to share my story and listen to others. Peer support work is not about giving advice or telling people what to do – it’s about mutuality, connection and trust. I validate their experiences, share relevant information and support them to make their own informed decisions. If I do share my own story, it’s always done safely and respectfully, for both of us.”

With up to 20 women and children seeking refuge at Jan’s Place at any given time, our Peer Support Worker’s role is both demanding and deeply rewarding.

“There is no typical day in peer work,” she says. “Sessions aren’t timed or structured – the client sets the pace and I respond to what they need in the moment.

“When someone is in crisis, they’re often searching for resolution. My job is to be fully present, to hold the space without interruption and to help return a sense of control – something that is so often taken away in the context of family violence.”

McAuley hopes to expand its Peer Support Program across other crisis, refuge and accommodation services in the coming years, ensuring more women and children can benefit from this powerful, recovery-focused approach.