Inside a mental health placement at Northern Adelaide Medicare Mental Health Centre

When Vera walked into Northern Adelaide Medicare Mental Health Centre for her first day of placement, she didn’t know what to expect.

“I had no idea what it would be like,” she says. “I was completely new to this area, but they were really warm and welcomed me and made me feel so comfortable.”

That warm welcome would go on to shape her entire experience and reflect something deeper about how Sonder supports both students and staff in the mental health workforce.

A different pathway into mental health

Vera’s journey into the sector wasn’t linear.

“When I was studying marketing at university, I realised I was more interested in psychology,” she says. “And I had my own experience with mental health challenges in high school, where I got a lot of help from professionals. That made me feel this work is important.”

After migrating to Australia from China, she decided to formally pursue that interest through a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work. Still, stepping into a professional mental health setting – particularly in a new country and within the context of a new language – came with uncertainty.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t understand information from guest very clearly, or do active listening very well,” she says. “That made me feel very nervous.”

Learning in a real-world setting

Northern Adelaide Medicare Mental Health Centre is a walk-in mental health service – and as such, no two days are the same. The environment is vastly different to more traditional community mental health settings.

“You never know who’s going to walk through the door,” says Peer Practice Lead, Jess Rolevink. “It could be anyone aged 16+, with any type of experience or challenge, so a placement in an environment like this really gives people the opportunity to learn what it’s like to be a peer practitioner in practice.”

For Sonder, offering placements in this environment is intentional.

“Not many places are offering placements like this,” Jess says. “These opportunities support a growing, resilient, and professional workforce. It’s very different from learning something in the classroom.”

The power of lived experience

A key part of Vera’s placement was being supervised by Peer Practitioners: staff with lived experience of mental health challenges.

“They helped me a lot,” Vera says. “They were very patient, explained everything clearly to me, and gave me lots of encouragement.”

For Jess, this model is fundamental.

“It really adds that authenticity,” she says. “You’re being supervised by people who are like you – who have gone through mental health challenges and now use that to help others.”

“You can have very real conversations. The same values we use with guests, such as empathy and connection, we use in supervision as well.”

During her placement, Vera was struck not just by the work, but by the team itself.

“I’ve never met any team like that,” she says. “They’re so supportive of each other, it’s like a healing group.”

And, of course, placements give staff the opportunity to step into mentoring roles, reflect on their own practice, and contribute to developing the next generation of peer workers, imparting their lived experience to strengthen the workforce from within.

Building confidence, step by step

Vera’s placement followed a gradual, supported approach, starting with shadowing Peer Practitioners during sessions with guests, and building towards independent work.

Soon after, she began working directly with people accessing the service.

“When I sat with my first guest, I felt a little bit nervous, but very excited,” she says.

One of the biggest lessons Vera learned was the simplicity and importance of just being present.

“Sometimes guests just want to talk to someone,” she says. “Having a place where you can go and have someone listen is very important for everyone.”

Jess explains that this growth is carefully supported.

“We never throw a student in,” she says. “It’s a slow build-up: shadowing, debriefing, and letting them take steps at their pace.”

With ample opportunities to learn from Peer Practitioners, Vera found her confidence shifting significantly over the course of her placement. That growth was reinforced by the team around her.

For Jess, this is exactly the purpose of placements.

“Gone are the days where peer practitioners are tokenised. It helps people understand that peers are valued professionals that bring so much value to the mental health space.”

“And of course, we work with clinical staff, so we role model what it’s like to work in a multidisciplinary team, stay in scope, but also have your voice heard. It all works beautifully together to give someone a clear picture of what a functioning multidisciplinary team looks like.”

More than a placement

For Vera, the experience has shaped not just her skills, but her direction.

“This is a life career for me,” she says. “Wherever I work, I’ve already chosen this.”

She’s also clear about the kind of environment that helped her get there.

“Everyone at the Centre was so supportive of me,” she says. “They wanted to help. I saw that in their sessions with guests, too.”

It’s that combination of real-world experience, strong peer support, and a culture of genuine care that positions Sonder not just as a great placement provider, but as a place where people can grow meaningful, sustainable careers in mental health.

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At Sonder, we’re committed to supporting and growing a skilled, compassionate mental health workforce, leveraging the strengths of both lived and learned experience to produce better outcomes for the communities we serve. If you’re passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a supportive, values-driven team, we encourage you to explore current opportunities all over South Australia at sonder.net.au/careers.