Award of Merit:
Deepend Group for ReachOut - PeerChat
Deepend Group is a Strategic Design Consultancy helping organisations navigate complex problems by listening, designing, and transforming how they do business. We believe in a strategic enterprise design approach to solving the most complex business problems. We run multidisciplinary teams threading cross-siloed projects within the business to create the most impact. This project was delivered by the Group’s digital transformation and innovation teams, working hand-in-hand with ReachOut's diverse internal strategic design capability.
About the Project
ReachOut PeerChat is a safe, anonymous space for young people to be heard. Through online text chat, young people can talk for free for up to 45 minutes with a trained peer worker with lived experience. PeerChat helps young Australians overcome systemic mental health support barriers and:
• reduces distress
• increases mental health knowledge
• enhances wellbeing through connection, understanding, and hope
• improves accessibility for vulnerable communities
• is inclusive and non-biased
PeerChat exemplifies the power of design to impact complex social issues through social learning and participatory methods. It demonstrates the value of co-design and peer leadership.
Category: Interact
Designers and Project Team:
Anthony Cortis
Christy McCarthy
Eli Brassé
Farzad Yazdanparast
Jackie Hallan
Jackie-Lee Hughes
Josef Niedermier
Louise O’Donnell
Paulus Van der Kolk
Steven Sullivan
Tessie Teoh
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