Lizzie Flaherty reveals how grief led her to be part of Salisbury library’s city-first social worker program

Multiple unexpected tragedies led Lizzy to this Adelaide library – which is now opening up its doors in a way the city’s never seen.

Lizzie Flaherty has grieved through multiple unexpected tragedies – and has turned that into a career to help people. Picture: Kelly Barnes

A woman’s love for her family, even in the face of adversities, have driven her to pursue the best life possible for others – and is now embarking on a new community pilot program.

Lizzie Flaherty, 31, has grieved through multiple unexpected tragedies as family members were diagnosed and some later died from cancer throughout her life.

But the loss gave Ms Flaherty a passion, and now it has become her life’s motivation as a social worker

Salisbury social worker Lizzie Flaherty, who works out of Salisbury library under an Australian-first program. Picture: City of Salisbury

“That’s part of where that has kind of led from so helping people in that sort of space of grief and loss and navigating something that is unplannable,” Ms Flaherty said.

“My passions have always kind of been around supporting and empowering people to live their lives the best they can in there context.

“Not so much what we assume a life has to look like, but what a meaningful, purposeful life looks like for an individual.”

Ms Flaherty, a Salisbury resident, has worked in the homelessness support sector and as a social worker for more than 13 years, and has recently been selected to become the first social worker to be located within a community library.

The City of Salisbury has launched a partnership with the Libraries Board of SA and Sonder, a mental health support service, to based a trained social worker inside the Salisbury Community Hub.

The program is geared to help members of the community, who might not engage with or be aware of support services and connect them with suitable programs.

Ms Flaherty’s role will also see her help support and t

rain staff to know how to provide extra assistance for visitors when needed.

“I’m excited about how much we can do and all the positive steps we can do in this space,” Ms Flaherty said.

The Salisbury Community Hub opened in 2019, and had regularly hosted free large-scale community events including author talks and meet and greets and community exhibitions.

The hub also offers a cafe, computers and free wi-fi, comfortable seating and studying areas, quiet rooms, meeting rooms for free hire, and an extensive library with children’s soft play area, to promote an “inviting” space.

Salisbury Mayor Gillian Aldridge said she was an advocate for diversity and the program would support the Salisbury community.

‘Libraries are an inviting and trusted place for people to gather and they don’t have the stigma associated with more specialist health services, so they can be a different way to connect people to the help they need,” Ms Aldridge said.

The program kicked off on November 11, and Ms Flaherty will continue to be stationed at the Community Hub for the next twelve months while the pilot program runs its course.

Originally published as Lizzie Flaherty reveals how grief led her to be part of Salisbury library’s city-first social worker program