How can we support you?
Navigating life with a disability can be overwhelming. Our Peer and Family Support Team offer practical, non-clinical support, advice and mentoring from a team of people with lived-experience of disability.
Whether you have recently acquired your spinal cord injury, have been living with your disability for years or if you are a family member or carer of someone who has a spinal cord injury, our Peer and Family Support team can assist you.
How can we help?
Our team are made up of people with lived-experience of a spinal cord injury who can support you when you need it the most.
1:1 Conversations: Sharing Core Knowledge and Skills
Our team attend the spinal injury units weekly, or at prearranged times, to share lived experience and discuss issues that are important to you.
Before you leave the acute spinal unit we can talk to you about core spinal knowledge utilising the Health Maintenance Toolkit and help answer any questions you or your family may have about navigating life with a spinal cord injury and what to expect on your journey.
How can we help?
While you are in the spinal unit, our team like to keep things as flexible as possible because we know that your schedules are often very busy with medical appointments.
1:1 Conversations: Sharing Core Knowledge and Skills
Our team attend the spinal injury units weekly, or at prearranged times, to share lived experience and discuss issues that are important to you.
Before you leave the spinal unit, we can talk to you about core spinal knowledge utilising the Health Maintenance Tool and help answer any questions you or your family may have about navigating life with a spinal cord injury and what to expect on your journey.
Education Sessions
Our Peer and Family Support Team co-facilitate group education sessions with the spinal injury unit, covering a range of topics to build your knowledge of your injury and prepare you for life at home.
Recreational Outings
When possible, we join the recreational outings organised by the spinal injury units to help demonstrate the practical application of skills.
Social Confidence Sessions
Socialising after your spinal cord injury can be overwhelming, but it’s an important step when adjusting to life after a life-changing injury. The Peer and Family Support team hold activities throughout the month to break up the monotony and do something fun.
How can we help?
Our Peer and Family Support team understand the importance of connecting with people in the community.
Community Recreational Outings
Our Peer and Family Support and Community Peer Support teams hold regular social catch ups and events in New South Wales and Western Australia. Check our events page to register for an event near you!
How can we help?
If you are a family member or carer looking for information about a loved one who has acquired a spinal cord injury. We can help you.
1:1 Conversations: Sharing Core Knowledge and Skills
Our team, including a team member who was a full-time carer for their late partner who lived with spinal cord injury, attend Royal North Shore spinal injury unit weekly, or at prearranged times, to share lived experience and discuss issues that are important to you. We can talk to you about core spinal knowledge utilising the Health Maintenance Tool and help answer any questions you or your family may have about navigating life with a spinal cord injury and what to expect on your journey.
Resources
Finding the right information about spinal cord injury at the acute stages can be overwhelming and confusing. We’re here to help with our Acute Family Resource SCIA Rookie Book – Spinal cord injury basics for rookie supporters.
Developed by Jenni Haydon, our Acute Family Resource Coordinator, she uses her own lived-experience to guide you through the basics so you don’t get information overload!
Read our SCIA Rookie Book here:
Peer and Family Support – Telehealth
If you aren’t close enough to come to one of our Peer and Family Support Team events, we will be happy to connect with you online. Just fill in the contact form and a member of our team will get in touch.
Health Maintenance Toolkit – How to stay healthy and well with a spinal cord injury
The Health Maintenance Tool is a guide to help you understand and troubleshoot problems you may experience throughout your spinal cord injury journey. Packed with tools, interactive content and resources to help you find the information you need quickly. Visit the website to read more and download the app.
Meet the Peer Support team
Heidz Haydon
Ben Leaudais
Robert Wynn
Jason Wright
Sarah-Jane Staszak
Anne Currie
Daniel Kortekaas
Chris Brayley
Daniel Holt
Team Leader
Contact Us.
If you would like to know more information about our Peer and Family Support services in the spinal units or out in the community, please fill in our contact form an a member of the team will get in touch with you shortly.
Send Us a Message:
Our Values
The role of our Peer and Family Support team is to support and offer lived experience to people with spinal cord injury and their families, by providing non-clinical information, promoting independence, building knowledge in adjusting to life.
Our Peer and Family Support team is underpinned by our values that include:
- Respect – We know that everyone’s post-injury experience is different. We assist you with what is important to you without judgement. Honesty – We know through personal experience how challenging adjusting to life with an injury can be. We also know that you need honest, direct and practical information.
- Professionalism – Our team has undergone active listening and effective communication training, and while our communication is conversational, we always maintain professional standards.
- Continuity – We can support you throughout your journey. Talk to us about our ongoing support.
- Culturally responsive, person-centred practice – We treat everyone as an individual, recognising that a person is the sum of their life circumstances. We use interpreters when required.
Watch content from our Peer & Family Support Team
View MoreCan You Ask That? “You can drive?” and Other Misconceptions
Can You Ask That? Wheelchair-Bound and Handicapped
Our Peer and Family Support Team operate from:
St Leonards
Royal North Shore Hospital, Reserve Rd, St Leonards, NSW, 2065
Advocacy Community Network
Social Community BBQ
Advocacy Community Network
Coffee Club
Illawarra Peer & Family Support Partnership Day
Community Social Lunch
Advocacy Community Network
Community Social Lunch
Representative Advocacy Online Network Forum
Community Social Lunch
Contact Us.
If you want to know more about our Peer and Family Support team, the support services they offer or if you would like to know about any of our Peer and Family Support events, please fill in the contact us form.