Rochelle Kosega’s passion for helping others has driven her to excel as a Peer Support worker in the Logan Adult Wellbeing Team while also empowering her to confidently share her insights at a recent forum on heart and metabolic health.
Along with several keynote discussions on the relationship between physical and mental health, the ‘MHCC Positive Cardiometabolic Health Forum’ hosted a panel discussion on Cardiometabolic Health Algorithm in Action – steps being used to improve heart and metabolic health.
As a proud Māori woman, Rochelle said she leaned into her cultural background and own mental health journey to discuss how education and supportive intervention could change someone’s life.
“I was able to make a conscious effort to turn my life around and prioritise my health… and go from consumer of the service to working within the service.”
“I hope that in sharing my lived experience, clinicians will see how transformative these approaches can be,” she said.
Rochelle said Peer Workers had an important role to play in helping individuals address key challenges faced when attempting to improve their cardiometabolic health.
“We can provide easier to understand, non-clinical information relevant to the person, their family and cultural background, dispel myths, support appointment booking and help set realistic goals.
“Peer support workers are resourceful, good at problem solving and making meaningful connections with people. Using our lived experience, networking and linking in with our communities this helps the consumer feel heard, well supported and know that they are not in this alone.”
Rochelle said she hoped forum attendees would walk away with a good understanding of peer workers in healthcare but most of all empowered to go the extra mile with each interaction.
“Every encounter we have in health care is an opportunity to make a difference not only with our consumers but with each other.”