Zain Cole

Lead Peer Worker, Homeless Healthcare

Lead Peer Worker at Homeless Healthcare with Cert III in Community Services and Cert IV in Mental Health, AOD. I was raised in a household marked by drugs, crime and domestic violence. I spent ten years homeless and battled substance dependence for twenty years, including seven years in prison. I trained as a chef before a severe accident five years ago led to multiple hospitalizations, surgeries, and ultimately amputation. During recovery I retrained in peer work, drawing on lived experience of addiction, trauma and marginalization. I’m one of the few peers in my group to achieve sustained recovery, and I feel a responsibility to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and AOD challenges. I use empathetic advocacy, harm reduction, and practical planning to support others. My work honors peers who didn’t survive or couldn’t stop using, and I’m committed to creating realistic, compassionate pathways to stability and wellbeing.