Peers in reflection

Mahinga Ngaatahi is the name given to the Waikato’s Peer Specialists in the Emergency Department (ED). It was gifted to us by kaumatua John Marsden, and refers to connection and unity. The 9th of May marks the anniversary of Minister Matt Doocey opening our service, and so it is a fitting time to reflect on how far we have come and the impact this service has made.

Peer specialists save lives

It is no understatement to suggest that our peer specialists save lives or, at a minimum, improve the outcomes for our people who enter ED. As someone with his own experiences of Waikato ED, this was definitely a passion project. One I was proud to be a part of as a Project Lead.

They complement the amazing work our emergency staff already do, providing emotional support from a position of lived experience.

They provide

• a friendly ear
• a smiling face
• a cup of coffee and a sandwich
• ideas of services in the community that might help,

All with the knowledge of what someone might be experiencing.

Working their way up from a place of noone being exactly sure of what they do, to now having clinicians introducing them to tāngata whaiora, and community services ringing them to let them know tāngata whaiora are on their way to ED for help. 

Currently we at Waikato are completing our own reflective piece on how this has been a success, and how we might learn and improve from our experiences of implementing this service.

While this is unfinished, I wanted to share some of the things discussed already. I am sure this is similar to other sites, but I wanted to share some of our learnings and I am thankful to Horizon for the opportunity.

First – we found the right partner in Ember. Procurement processes can be long but finding the right organisation is important. Through working together in a way that honours the name Mahinga Ngaatahi, we have been able to develop an amazing working relationship together. Our lived experience team and our clinicians have opened the space up and Ember have stepped into it. We have trusted them to do what they do best. Ember have the experience, they know what they are doing, and so I see my role as a Lived Experience Advisor as supportive and not directive. Otherwise we leave them to it. I visit them weekly more as a friendly visit and to say hello, rather than any form of oversight. 

Second – we have developed as we go. ED staff were a key part of our development of this role, and from the very start they trusted that this was a pilot and we would learn and adapt as we went. We created an initial scope of practice, but we have always been aware that a changing and dynamic environment like ED, needs a changing and dynamic approach. Our peers ability to build relationships includes not only tāngata whaiora, but also multiple teams of clinicians and non-clinicians across a range of systems. This allows them to adapt and develop the roles as we continue on into the future.

Thirdly – the most unexpected outcome is that this role improves the wellbeing of peer specialists. Often we focus on how to stop peers from becoming unwell and how to safeguard them. These are important, but too often we try to wrap our lived experience staff in cotton wool which hinders their work. In our reflections it appears that working in ED for our peers has strengthened their own recovery and their own wellbeing. Connections with tāngata whaiora benefit not only them, but our peers too.

I am so grateful to everyone who has made this service possible

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini