Peer Based Harm Reduction WA

20/07/2025

At PBHR WA, we like to welcome new members of staff and get to know them a little better with a Staff Spotlight post. Meet Daniel, the newest addition to our Perth team. Daniel joined us as an NSEP Volunteer in September before stepping into his new role as an NSEP Support Worker in March. If you walk into our Perth fixed site on Tuesday, Wednesday, or on the weekend, Daniel will most likely be your first point of contact.

Daniel first learned about harm reduction while he was studying at North Metro TAFE.

“I felt that harm reduction, as a principle, resonated with me. When I looked into local harm reduction services I found PBHR WA and was amazed by the work they do, so I jumped at the chance to submit a volunteer application. Now, I’m employed here.

I like that I am able to be a part of a unique organisation providing such important services and support to our consumers and advocating for them. I also love that I get to work alongside such passionate, kind, and hardworking people. It is also such a privilege to meet the many cool, kind, and interesting members of our community on a day-to-day basis.”

13/07/2025

Free training can equip your workers to confidently recognise and respond to overdose.

PBHR WA have been training people to recognise and respond to opioid overdose for more than 20 years, and we have been teaching staff and consumers at other agencies how to use naloxone since 2013. Did you know that this highly sought after peer perspective training is available to other agencies free of charge?

Naloxone is simple to use. Anyone can learn this life-saving skill, regardless of their pre-existing level of knowledge. Sessions for staff at front-line agencies run for an hour to an hour and a half and cover the following topics:

- What is naloxone and how does it work?
- Opioid overdose risk factors.
- Signs and symptoms of opioid overdose.
- How to administer naloxone.
- Putting it all together: Responding to a person who has overdosed with the DR’S AB'N'CD action plan.

Participants will then watch a short video, followed by question time. Free take-home naloxone kits are available to anyone at risk of witnessing or experiencing opioid overdose at the end of the session.

Please note that this training will provide participants with the knowledge and confidence to respond to opioid overdose with naloxone – however it does not authorise participants to supply take-home-naloxone to others.

To enquire about face-to-face or online training for your workforce, or to make a booking for your team, contact our Overdose Prevention and Peer Naloxone Project Officer, Peta, at overdoseprevention@harmreductionwa.org.

11/07/2025

Another job opportunity with PBHR WA!

Peer Based Harm Reduction WA is currently seeking applicants for the role of Aboriginal Community Engagement & Peer Education Worker. The successful applicant will work with our Perth Metro Team as part of the "Deadly Peer Mob" project, funded by the Burnet Institute.

This is an opportunity to join an innovative multidisciplinary team based in Perth City and delivering health and harm reduction services in communities throughout the greater Perth metropolitan area.

Peer Based Harm Reduction WA is a consumer-led peer-based organisation. People with relevant lived or living experience are strongly encouraged to apply. Pursuant to Section 50(d) of the Equal Employment Opportunities Act 1984, the occupant of this position must be of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent.

You can find out more or apply for this exciting opportunity here:

Peer Based Harm Reduction WA is currently seeking applicants for an Aboriginal Community Engagement & Peer Education Worker to join our Perth Metro Team.

08/07/2025

If you’re looking for something to do in Boorloo (Perth), why not celebrate 50 years of NAIDOC Week by checking out the outdoor art trail at Yagan Square?

This free event uncovers ancient stories that honour Boorloo as a cultural place of gathering and leadership, where Whadjuk yorgas (women) shaped decision-making, education and community life. The art trail features artworks from four Whadjuk and Noongar artists: Linda Loo, Gertrina Hayden, Iesha Wyatt & Lea Taylor.

Whadjuk Stories Art Trail runs from the 5th to the 18th of July at Yagan Square in the heart of Boorloo.

05/07/2025

01/07/2025

PBHR WA's Outreach Health teams are out in the community every week, building relationships and welcoming people back to healthcare.

Enjoy the latest photo dump, featuring our South West crew!
🚚💊🩸🩺❤

26/06/2025

PBHR WA is currently seeking applicants for a full-time Aboriginal Community Engagement Worker to join our South West Team. This is an opportunity to join an innovative multidisciplinary team based in Bunbury and delivering health and harm reduction services in communities throughout the beautiful South West Region of Western Australia.

Pursuant to Section 50(d) of the Equal Employment Opportunities Act 1984, the occupant of this position must be of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent. Full details can be found here:

Seeking an Aboriginal Community Engagement Worker for an outreach and community engagement role.

26/06/2025

Do you like stickers? We’ve got stickers!

Our comrades at Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League - AIVL have brought community members from every state and territory together for Support. Don’t Punish Day with their latest art project...

All around Australia, our community was asked how their lives would change if people who use drugs weren’t punished. Next, Peer Artist and good human being, Emily Ebdon, brought our responses to life by transforming them into tattoo designs.

Drop in to PBHR WA to claim a solidarity sticker or two for yourself while they last.

Thank you to everyone who took part and thank you to AIVL for always reminding us that we stand together, in power and respect, as a community – wherever we are. Check out the original post by AIVL below to view all of the designs and show your support.

25/06/2025

It’s “Support. Don’t Punish.” Day, and PBHR WA is amplifying the call for a shift in drug policy. Punishment creates stigma and increases harm. Support – through accessible healthcare, harm reduction services, and evidence-based treatment – saves lives and builds stronger communities.

The drug control system is broken and in need of reform. Both the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and the UN Human Rights Office state that drug policy should never contravene individuals’ fundamental human rights.

People who use drugs should not be criminalised.

People involved in the drug trade should not face harsh or disproportionate punishments.

The death penalty should never be imposed for drug offences.

Drug policy should focus on health, well-being, and harm reduction.

Drug policy budgets need rebalancing to ensure health and harm reduction-based responses are adequately financed.

We know firsthand that support, not punishment, ultimately leads to better outcomes for everyone. Let’s build a system that uplifts people. Join us in advocating for change!

19/06/2025

Did you know that PBHR WA’s Health Clinics are a no-cost, friendly place to go for wound care and treatment for infections?

Sometimes, people need healthcare for injection-related injuries and complications, and it can be daunting to ask a health professional for assistance. During those times, it’s good to know there’s someone you can turn to who can provide safe, accessible, non-judgmental care. Prioritising your health early when these problems arise can help to stop smaller problems from turning into bigger problems.

No one should feel like they don’t deserve healthcare.

You don’t need an appointment to access a PBHR WA Health Clinic, but we recommend calling before you come in to make sure a Nurse is available.

Our Perth Health Clinic is located at suite 22, 7 Aberdeen Street. If you are in Perth, call us beforehand on 9325 8387.

Our Bunbury Health Clinic is located at 97 Spencer Street (entrance on Rose Street). If you are in the South West Region, call us beforehand on 9791 6699.

If you are in the Perth Metro area or the South West Region and you can’t come to us, we may be able to come to you. Call us to find out if one of our Outreach Health Teams is coming to a location near you.

12/06/2025

According to a 2021-22 study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, men are almost 50% less likely to talk to a medical professional about their mental health than women. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that Australian men are approximately three times more likely to die by su***de than Australian women.

Men’s Health Week (9th – 15th of June) is a good time to check out what kind of support is available. A great place to start is the Mental Health Commission of WA’s Think Mental Health WA website. This website provides information and resources on mental health and well-being in Western Australia. You can find information about:

- Mental health and wellbeing.
- Supporting your own mental health.
- Supporting others’ mental health.
- Support services.

For many helpline and support services, you do not need a referral from a GP. You can directly contact them for assistance. These services operate with a strong emphasis on confidentiality, so you can feel confident to reach out to them if you or someone you know needs support.

Check out the Think Mental Health WA website’s list of mental health support services here:

https://www.thinkmentalhealthwa.com.au/mental-health-support-services/mental-health-support-services/

07/06/2025

June is Pride Month; a celebration of all identities. This month, PBHR WA recognises the diversity of experience within the LGBTQIA+ community, including those who navigate the intersections of sexuality, gender identity, drug use, and more. June is a time to listen, learn, and uplift voices of experience.

Although PrideFEST in Western Australia begins on November 21st, by observing Pride Month in June we join the global community in a collective celebration and demonstration of LGBTQIA+ pride and resilience. It’s about affirming our shared purpose.

This Pride Month, PBHR WA stands in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ people who use drugs, advocating for harm reduction approaches that affirm their identities and rights.