Safe Havens: A Vision of a Healthy North Coast
Tracks
Grand Ballroom 2 - In-Person Only
Thursday, November 6, 2025 |
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM |
Overview
Frances Pidcock and Anna Mavay, The Buttery
Presenter
Ms Anna Mavay
Regional Manager North Coast
The Buttery
Safe Havens: A Vision of a Healthy North Coast
Presentation Overview
In February and March of 2022, the Northern Rivers region of NSW saw 2 catastrophic floods. Water levels exceeding previous records by 2 metres, enough water to fill ½ of Sydney Harbour. Sadly, 5 people lost their lives. These disasters generated a damage cost estimated at $9.6 billion dollars comprising of residential, business and infrastructure loss. The insurance Council of Australia placed it as the costliest flood in Australian history and the greatest environmental disaster in terms of economic impact since Hurricane Tracey in 1974. The additional costs to the community are measured by reductions in mental health and wellbeing, activities, confidence and outlook.
In response to the disasters The Buttery, in partnership with Healthy North Coast, using money from the NSW Flood Recovery Fund established four Safe Havens. These peer-led mental health and wellbeing drop-in centres embedded locally informed and responsive co-design that is aligned with NSW Governments Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention and Towards Zero Suicides.
Operating from July 2022 Safe Havens have provided 29,937 occasions of service including 18,664 hours of counselling to 18,950 participants. Outcomes include improvements in mental health and wellbeing, social connectedness, satisfaction and a reduction in crisis presentations to emergency departments. Participants have voiced, “The Safe Haven has saved my life”.
Workforce capability and disaster readiness were harnessed in The Buttery’s response to the recent event; cyclone Alfred. The Buttery mobilised its highly trained mental health team to ensure continuity of care and expansion of service offerings at the time local communities need support.
In response to the disasters The Buttery, in partnership with Healthy North Coast, using money from the NSW Flood Recovery Fund established four Safe Havens. These peer-led mental health and wellbeing drop-in centres embedded locally informed and responsive co-design that is aligned with NSW Governments Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention and Towards Zero Suicides.
Operating from July 2022 Safe Havens have provided 29,937 occasions of service including 18,664 hours of counselling to 18,950 participants. Outcomes include improvements in mental health and wellbeing, social connectedness, satisfaction and a reduction in crisis presentations to emergency departments. Participants have voiced, “The Safe Haven has saved my life”.
Workforce capability and disaster readiness were harnessed in The Buttery’s response to the recent event; cyclone Alfred. The Buttery mobilised its highly trained mental health team to ensure continuity of care and expansion of service offerings at the time local communities need support.
Biography
Anna Mavay is a Regional Manager at The Buttery in Byron Bay, with over 16 years’ experience in mental health, addiction, and therapeutic community models. She oversees programs across regional NSW, including the Northern Rivers Safe Haven Program which provides trauma-informed, peer-led, and culturally safe drop-in services for people in distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts. Anna’s work contributes to a broader movement improving mental health outcomes in rural and regional communities. She is passionate about recovery-oriented practice, peer support, and reducing barriers to care in areas where timely, compassionate support can make a critical difference.
Mrs Frances Pidcock
Executive Director Programs
The Buttery
Safe Havens: A Vision of a Healthy North Coast
Presentation Overview
In February and March of 2022, the Northern Rivers region of NSW saw 2 catastrophic floods. Water levels exceeding previous records by 2 metres, enough water to fill ½ of Sydney Harbour. Sadly, 5 people lost their lives. These disasters generated a damage cost estimated at $9.6 billion dollars comprising of residential, business and infrastructure loss. The insurance Council of Australia placed it as the costliest flood in Australian history and the greatest environmental disaster in terms of economic impact since Hurricane Tracey in 1974. The additional costs to the community are measured by reductions in mental health and wellbeing, activities, confidence and outlook.
In response to the disasters The Buttery, in partnership with Healthy North Coast, using money from the NSW Flood Recovery Fund established four Safe Havens. These peer-led mental health and wellbeing drop-in centres embedded locally informed and responsive co-design that is aligned with NSW Governments Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention and Towards Zero Suicides.
Operating from July 2022 Safe Havens have provided 29,937 occasions of service including 18,664 hours of counselling to 18,950 participants. Outcomes include improvements in mental health and wellbeing, social connectedness, satisfaction and a reduction in crisis presentations to emergency departments. Participants have voiced, “The Safe Haven has saved my life”.
Workforce capability and disaster readiness were harnessed in The Buttery’s response to the recent event; cyclone Alfred. The Buttery mobilised its highly trained mental health team to ensure continuity of care and expansion of service offerings at the time local communities need support.
In response to the disasters The Buttery, in partnership with Healthy North Coast, using money from the NSW Flood Recovery Fund established four Safe Havens. These peer-led mental health and wellbeing drop-in centres embedded locally informed and responsive co-design that is aligned with NSW Governments Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention and Towards Zero Suicides.
Operating from July 2022 Safe Havens have provided 29,937 occasions of service including 18,664 hours of counselling to 18,950 participants. Outcomes include improvements in mental health and wellbeing, social connectedness, satisfaction and a reduction in crisis presentations to emergency departments. Participants have voiced, “The Safe Haven has saved my life”.
Workforce capability and disaster readiness were harnessed in The Buttery’s response to the recent event; cyclone Alfred. The Buttery mobilised its highly trained mental health team to ensure continuity of care and expansion of service offerings at the time local communities need support.
Biography
Frances Pidcock is the Executive Director of Programs at The Buttery, an independent, community-based not-for-profit organisation offering a range of mental health and alcohol and other drugs residential and community outreach programs in Northern NSW. Frances holds a BSC Psychology, BA Nursing, a Masters in Mental Health Nursing and over 20 years’ experience in the MH and AOD sector.
