At Hepatitis ACT, our peer workers are at the heart of what we do. They are more than just staff members, they are people often with lived experience who walk alongside our service users in a way that is grounded in understanding, empathy, and trust. Their role isn’t just about providing information or handing over sterile injecting equipment; it’s about offering a safe space where people feel seen, heard, and respected.
Peer worker definition: known for providing social, emotional, and practical support to others, often drawing from their own lived experiences
Many of the people who engage with our services face barriers that go far beyond health like challenges with homelessness, stigma, struggle with drugs or the impacts of a hard situation/ start in life. For them, connecting with someone who understands their world on a personal level can be life changing. Peer workers bring their own journeys, experiences, and resilience to every interaction, creating a sense of connection that can’t be taught in a classroom or learnt from a degree. “Peers walk alongside peers” – Crystal, Peer Worker, Hepatitis ACT, they know the value of a conversation that is free from judgment and the power of being met where you are.
Building Connection in Every Interaction
Each day at Hepatitis ACT, our peer workers provide a presence for service users both in our office and out in the community. In-office, they welcome people into a non-judgmental environment, providing sterile injecting equipment as part of our harm reduction work, connecting people to hepatitis testing and ongoing clinical care, and ensuring that basic needs like food, hot drinks, and access to facilities are met. Whether that’s a chat over a cup of tea, a listening ear in a moment of crisis, or a familiar face offering support during testing. This kind of everyday support creates stability and trust, and it’s often in these simple moments that the deepest connections are formed.
Our peer workers also play a vital role in community outreach, working alongside nurse practitioners and other Hepatitis ACT staff, they travel to places where people might not otherwise access health services. We offer hepatitis B and C testing in these settings and share harm reduction information, having a peer workers presence here allows people accessing our services to have the opportunity to speak with a peer worker or if preferred to provide the test. We advocate that everyone deserves the right to choice, outreach is about more than bringing services to the community; it’s about showing up for people in their own spaces, breaking down barriers to care, and making health support accessible without stigma.
“Peers are the bridge that our organisation crosses to reach our community”
–Bryce Jarvis, Peer Worker | Hepatitis ACT
The work our peer workers do reaches far beyond service delivery, it is rooted in emotional support and human connection. For many service users, a peer worker might be the first person they’ve spoken to that day who truly listens. That moment of connection can be the start of building hope and trust, which can ripple into other parts of someone’s life. It is this emotional impact that makes peer workers so vital. To take that next step whether that’s seeking healthcare, reconnecting with community, or simply returning tomorrow for another chat and a coffee. Through every conversation, shared laugh, and moment of understanding, our peer workers help service users feel that they are not alone. Their presence reminds people that their stories and health matter and more importantly that they matter, we see every day how these small moments add up to big changes.
If you have been thinking about whether to access our services, know you are not alone and we are here for you at every step. Read up on the services we offer here: Our Programs – Hepatitis ACT