The SA Government has expanded a northern suburbs drop-in mental health service following a strong call from the community for the peer-led support in the north.
Safe Haven has doubled its opening days from two to four – and is now open Tuesday to Friday each week, from 5pm to 9pm, with no booking or referral required.
“Our community is pleased to see this vital service extended and I’m sure many of our residents in the Salisbury area will make good use of its expanded hours,” MP Zoe Bettison says.
The service has also moved to a new location at 9 John Street Salisbury to offer increased accessibility and better facilities for other support services. The new location provides family-friendly access with a children’s space, to better support parents and carers who access the service.
The service is popular in the community for providing an inviting, non-clinical setting for people seeking mental health support.
“Emergency Departments aren’t always the right environment for people experiencing mental health challenges. This is why we are pleased to see the expansion of this unique service,” Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton says.
Those seeking support at Safe Haven are connected with a specifically trained peer practitioner who has had their own lived experience of mental ill-health and can offer practical support to consumers without fear of judgement.
“As a peer-driven service, Safe Haven is staffed by people with their own personal experiences of mental health challenges. Anyone who comes to Safe Haven will be able to talk through their challenges with someone who has an understanding of what they are going through,” Sonder Safe Haven Peer Practitioner, Jadee-Mae Cartledge says.
If needed, community members are connected to additional mental health services ensuring their needs are met and appropriate care pathways are provided, also helping to avoid unnecessary emergency department presentations.
Safe Haven is operated by not-for-profit organisation Sonder and funded by the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and Adelaide Primary Health Network (PHN) through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.
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