At Palmerston, peer support plays a powerful role in the recovery journey.
One of our clients, Scott, recently shared how Kat, a Peer Comorbidity Worker at Kwelena Step Up Step Down in Rockingham, made a lasting impact during his stay.
Through her lived experience and facilitation of S.M.A.R.T. groups, Kat created a space where Scott felt genuinely heard, respected, and understood. Her encouragement and practical support helped him build confidence, develop strategies, and manage moments of distress more effectively. Hear what he had to say about his experience below.
“While at Kwelena Step Up Step Down, I had the privilege of working with Kat, a Peer Comorbidity Worker who provides lived experience support in conjunction with Palmerston WA. Her focus on alcohol and other drug (AOD) recovery and her facilitation of S.M.A.R.T. groups added a unique and incredibly valuable dimension to the support I received during my stay.
From our first interaction, Kat created a space where I felt genuinely heard, respected, and understood. One significant moment that stands out occurred early in my stay when I experienced a high level of distress and a strong urge to discharge and return home to use. I was able to draw on pre-existing skills such as distancing and urge tolerance to move through the moment. Within ten minutes, Kat was at my door to check-in. Her presence, along with her energetic and sincere encouragement as we reviewed the skills I’d used had a profound effect. That validation helped solidify my confidence and made the rest of my time at Kwelena far more manageable.
Kat’s Friday S.M.A.R.T. groups, especially the focus on small, achievable goal-setting, continue to have a lasting impact and are strategies I plan to carry with me well beyond discharge. She also provided practical and relevant resources around recovery and relapse prevention, which I found incredibly useful.
Although not every client may have the words or insight to express it, I want to reassure Kat that her impact on residents is more powerful than she may ever truly know. Her ability to connect through lived experience made a significant difference in my recovery, particularly with my struggles around AOD.
To the service as a whole: while I am deeply grateful to all the staff who supported me throughout my journey, I want to highlight that Kat’s peer support fills a unique and essential role. Her contribution was not only valuable—it was priceless.”
