The background
TACSI walked alongside each of the 10 services and the Office of Responsible Gambling to develop custom learning plans and support their implementation journey, from preparation and recruitment to service delivery and integration.
We continue to provide supervision to each peer support worker for the first 2.5 years of the initiative, while also building networks of support across GambleAware providers through Communities of Practice across all 10 organisations.
The opportunity
Seeking help for gambling harm often carries a sense of stigma and shame. Reaching out for support from either a gambling or financial counsellor can be a hard first step.
Peer Support Workers can fill both the step-up and step-down gaps that exist in service delivery to better meet the needs of those seeking support, complementing the existing intake pathways by brokering people into service and providing support post clinical engagement.
Our approach
Recognising the diverse organisational and geographic contexts, we took a flexible, responsive approach to implementing peer support work. Our bespoke learning and capability building included on demand phone and email support, regular check-ins and highly interactive Communities of Practice for both Peer Support Workers and managers.
We also developed an online, on-demand learning platform – with implementation tools, podcasts and learning opportunities – to bring all 10 providers on a best-practice learning journey.
Our long-term, walk-alongside approach helped stakeholders navigate the ups and downs of introducing a new service and maintain a learning and innovation mindset. The approach has also:
- Maximised return on investment in a new initiative
- Supported the safety of Peer Support Workers as they step into the role
- Maintained energy for learning and innovation in busy services
- Created a detailed picture of the implementation journey and documented learnings to create efficiencies and improvements in future
The impact
As we near the end of the project, the results speak for themselves — 11 Peer Support Workers have been integrated into the NSW GambleAware service options. The Peer Support offer has become a welcome and celebrated addition, allowing some clients to seek help for the first time. Clients have sometimes opted into peer support in preference to more clinical offers, sometimes in parallel with clinical and group support, and also as a stepping stone to clinical counselling.
In addition to 1:1 support to clients, Peer Support Workers are playing a strong role in:
- Community engagement
- Community education
- The running of SMART recovery groups
- Service navigation
- Brokering clients to the right support
- Supporting engagement with gambling counsellors and financial counsellors
- Developing working relationships with clubs and other venues
- Connecting with other peer work teams to bridge support across intersectional challenges such as mental health, alcohol and other drugs, homelessness and justice.
Next steps
TACSI is documenting and celebrating the impact of peer support work in the gambling context. We hope to further elevate peer work as a valuable addition to complement clinical approaches by opening new doors for those experiencing stigma, shame and other barriers to support.
