Our Peer Support Workers
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Jackie Kenyon
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I was born in the UK, grew up in NZ, lived in both Australia and Wales and my ancestry is English, Irish, French and Romany. I am the proud mother of three fantastic (adult) children, all of who I am extremely proud of. I have experienced mental illness for most of my life, which I have found to be both a blessing and a curse. Through the struggles and times of loneliness I also found strength, self awareness and a deep empathy for others. I returned to school as an adult student and hold a Diploma of Violence and Trauma Studies and a Diploma in Applied Mental Health. In my work as peer support worker I combine both my ‘diploma in life’ and my university diplomas to walk alongside people, being neither the ‘follower’ nor the ‘leader’, while they decide ‘where to go’ and ‘what to do’. It’s about believing in people, having confidence in their ability to figure out solutions themselves and recognising their worth |
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Vanessa Musin |
I am a born and breed “Westie” and my family has lived in West Auckland for a number of generations. As well as working part time, I am a busy solo mum to an active little boy. And this year I plan to start part time studies. My personal experience with Mental Health Services inspired me into this work. I believe in every person’s right to live a life of their choosing. I am excited at the prospect of sharing in people’s journey to wellness, passionate about understanding what wellness truly means to all of us as individuals and committed to helping achieve it! |
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Brian McKillop |
My journey, which has found me working in this rewarding field, has not been so easy but has given me the best experience in collaborative practice I could ever hope for. Studying social practice has helped me in my recovery from my own experience with a mental illness, which gave me some difficult times when it was around. I am now able to share my experience and understanding with my peers and enjoy accompanying them on their road to wellness. |
| Amy Brockbank | It was in playing social netball with other service users that I realised that people in mental health can be really neat and lovely people. In having a good experience with workers at the DHB and a close relative that works in health, I decided to do one year’s study and work in mental health. I’m glad that my lived experience is an essential part of my work in peer support. It puts my experiences and struggles in a new light. I am happy to share the way I live my life with peers and be a part of their lives as they navigate a recovery that is uniquely theirs and inherently valuable. |