This symposium will showcase the NSW Safe Haven model, one of the key suicide prevention services funded by the NSW Government under the Towards Zero Suicides (TZS) initiative. Safe Havens provide an alternative to emergency departments by offering immediate, non-clinical support to people experiencing suicidal distress or crisis. There are currently 23 Safe Havens across NSW, located in metropolitan, regional and rural/remote areas, with some tailored to priority groups such as Aboriginal communities and young people.
The NSW Safe Haven model is peer-led and co-designed with people who have lived experience of suicide and recovery. Safe Havens offer a safe, quiet and welcoming environment where visitors can choose calming activities such as music or sensory equipment, or engage in conversations with suicide prevention peer workers. Peer workers, drawing on their lived experience, are uniquely placed to understand, connect and provide hope.
In alignment with the conference theme United Voices, Brighter Future, the symposium will highlight the collective voices shaping Safe Havens across the state. The session will open with the Priority Programs team, Mental Health Branch, NSW Ministry of Health introducing the Safe Haven model and sharing key recommendations from the recent independent evaluation on NSW suicide prevention initiatives. This introduction will be grounded by a recorded story from a Safe Haven peer worker or consumer, capturing the impact of the service.
Presentations will then be given by Aboriginal-led Safe Haven staff (from Wyong, Tamworth and/or Kempsey), highlighting the importance of culturally safe spaces and Aboriginal leadership in service design, and by youth-focused Safe Haven staff (from the Sydney Children’s Hospital or North Sydney sites), addressing the unique needs and perspectives of young people in crisis.
The symposium will conclude with an interactive panel discussion featuring Aboriginal and youth representatives, consumers, peer workers, mental health clinicians and suicide prevention health district managers. The panel will invite audience participation through questions, polling and reflections, ensuring delegates’ voices also contribute to the dialogue.
Through this mix of presentations and interactive discussion, the symposium will demonstrate how Safe Havens unite diverse perspectives – Aboriginal communities, young people, peer workers, clinicians, consumers, community managed organisations, health partners and government – to create compassionate, accessible models of crisis care. By centring lived experience and priority group voices, the session will illustrate how Safe Havens are building brighter futures and advancing towards a more inclusive and responsive suicide prevention system in NSW.