1. Shared governance and management
2. Trauma-informed ‘no wrong door’ approach
3. Non-clinical support that meets the holistic needs of guests
4. Compassionate and capable peer-led workforce
5. Safe and accessible location
6. Warm and welcoming environment
7. Warm connections to appropriate and reliable supports
Perfectly Imperfect NT, are facilitating a ‘drop-in’ style space that provides a warm, welcoming environment as a non-clinical alternative to acute clinical services such as an emergency department for people experiencing emotional distress or suicidal crisis. People attending the Community-led Safe Spaces are referred to as ‘guests. Rather than clients, consumers, or patients.
This safe space model represents a genuine Tier 4 within the National Safe Spaces Network (5 tiers), for which standards are soon to be developed. The Community-led Safe Space has been co-developed with Roses in the Ocean to provide a community-owned model that will empower and unite communities to be responsive to specific demographics, priority population groups, and geographic challenges.
The model also encourages communities to develop strong connections with other services in the community that may be useful sources of support for guests looking to address a range of underlying factors contributing to their distress. Community-led Safe Spaces are,
> non-clinical, including not containing clinical staff or using clinical practices such as the use of assessment tools
> led and staffed by trained peer volunteers with a lived experience of suicide.
> aware of the risks associated with suicide, and volunteers take practical steps to minimize these risks for guests of the service
> adopt a ‘no wrong door’ approach.
Aunties Place, will be primarily facilitated by GAP staff members to support the Grassroots Youth Engagement Program activities, and Perfectly Imperfect NT to run wellbeing workshops around mental health and suicide awareness with a special focus on youth.
We will also welcome other networks, service providers and stakeholders into the space to hold collaborative yarning circles to learn how better assist our young people in the community in a holistic way, so they can better equip themselves with the knowledge to service those disadvantaged and disengaged in our community.
This will be implemented with the care, respect, and privacy of the people we work with as our number one priority. Adhering to safe guarding policies and practices, trauma informed care and privacy and consent with information being deidentified as much as possible.
