Nelson peer support worker Izzy from Real stars in a new podcast from Te Pou

It’s been almost two weeks since Te Pou launched its new podcast, The Difference - by support workers, for support workers.

The first episode, which launched on May 15, introduces us to Izzy Young (they/them), a peer support specialist working with rangatahi in Whakatū Nelson for Real, the youth arm of Pathways. Izzy appears as a guest on the podcast alongside James Huata from Moana House in Ōtepoti Dunedin, talking about using your lived experience in your mahi with host Alexia Black from Te Pou.

Izzy and James are two of the thousands of support workers across Aotearoa who form the backbone of the mental health and addiction sector - more than 5,000 full-time equivalent support workers, making up a third of the entire workforce.

For Izzy, support work is a role they really love. It is also the culmination of a personal journey through trauma, experience with gangs and addiction, and recovery.

“I was trying to fix myself, that’s where it started,” says Izzy, who uses their lived experience in their mahi. “But I realised all the parts of me I thought were broken could actually help others heal.”

Escaping a violent relationship, Izzy returned to Aotearoa from Australia determined to build a better future, not just for themselves, but for their whānau. “I wanted to give my daughter a better life.”

Now a parent of three and clean from past addiction, Izzy enjoys working with young people aged 15 to 19, supporting them through their own journeys with mental health, addiction and identity.

“It’s a role with a lot of variety. Some days I will be teaching cooking, or I might be talking with them, helping them understand their whakapapa and helping them to connect with their values and where they want to go - it’s real work. It’s life-changing work.”

Izzy believes that peer support workers play a vital role in the mental health and addiction sector in Aotearoa, and that having lived experience brings something extra to the role.

“There’s a lot of hurt in the world, and peer support works. It’s vulnerable. It’s authentic. People don’t have to overexplain themselves when they know the person listening gets it, because they’ve been there too.”

The Difference podcast creates a space for stories like Izzy’s. Over four episodes, support workers across the motu share raw and real conversations about lived experience, worker wellbeing, vicarious trauma, the importance of reflective practice, career pathways, leadership, and more.

The podcast is a place for support workers to connect, to learn, to develop their skills and knowledge, and a sense of community. Resources and further information are also available on the Te Pou website for support workers.

Izzy hopes that their involvement in The Difference will inspire others to consider a career in support work, to change their lives or see hope for a different life.

“I remember thinking – when I was struggling with addiction and surrounded by gangs – that no one would ever rent me a house, give me a job, or trust me with anything. Now I own a home that I’m renovating. I’m raising my kids. I’m helping rangatahi in a job that I love, and I’m grateful every single day.”

• To hear more, listen to episode one of The Difference on Spotify, or watch it on YouTube.
• Episode two, featuring Pathways team lead Jonathan Miller from Tāmaki Makaurau talking about vicarious trauma and worker wellbeing, drops this Thursday 29 May.
• Episode three, which focuses on reflective practice, comes out on Thursday June 12. In that episode, Alexia talks to Tashie Hoffman from Springhill treatment centre in Ahuriri Napier.
• Tremain Tauhinu from Mahitahi Trust in Tāmaki Makaurau is our guest on episode four, which focuses on leadership and career pathways for support workers, dropping Thursday June 26.