Name: Rebecca Goldsmith
Job: Mobile Mental Health Community Support Worker


“I believe everyone has a right to a satisfying life, so I love my role as mobile mental health community support worker because I’m supporting people to achieve that".

I work for WALSH Trust, a community-based mental health support service provider in Waitakere (west Auckland). Our clients typically have experience of axis 1 diagnosis such as schizophrenia, bi-polar or major depressive episodes.

I provide practical support to clients’ in their homes or somewhere of their choice in the community by supporting them in achieving goals they’ve identified to regain independence. This could involve anything from finding accommodation to overcoming anxiety about leaving the house or reconnecting with family.

We follow a recovery and strength model based on the belief that people can recover from mental ill health and have a life worth living. We build on past achievements and learning, emphasising positives rather than deficits. This role also has a strong advocacy aspect to it.

Our caseload depends on our clients' needs. Some clients only need to be seen once a week for an hour; others will require more intensive support involving several planned visits throughout the week.

Strong listening skills are key. If you come in with the attitude that you know best, then you’re not listening to your client and your support does more harm than good.

The relationship is essential – without trust you have nothing. We also have to set professional boundaries to avoid confusion about nature of the relationship. We are not there as a friend.

WALSH Trust has great coaching and supervision processes in place. Working in the community can be isolating so it is really important to have people back at the Trust to brainstorm and debrief.

I’ve been in this job nearly two years. We have two teams of six staff, each with a team leader.
If you’re thinking about working in mental health, this job will give you very good grounding because you are involved with people experiencing mental ill health. Nothing in books will prepare you as well.