Peer Worker Consumer Support

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• Permanent, part time position working 30.4 hours per week in Heidelberg 
• Base salary + salary packaging + super + 5 weeks annual leave  
• Rotating 7-day roster, day/afternoon shifts  

Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the North East of Melbourne and state-wide.  We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our purpose, which is to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.  

About the Mental Health Division   

The division provides care and services through a comprehensive range of teams, to meet the needs of mental health consumers and carers throughout Victoria.  All services work within a clinical framework that promotes recovery-oriented practice and supported decision making.  

About HOPE  

The Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement (HOPE) initiative provides tailored, holistic support to people post a suicide attempt, with the aim of supporting the person and their carers and families to identify and build the protective factors that reduce the risk of suicide and/or repeated intentional self-harm.   

About the role  

As a Lived and Living Experience Peer worker (LLEW) in our HOPE team you will work in collaboration with the clinical team to promote our clients’ wellbeing, by providing one to one peer support to consumers using personal lived experience to provide a model of hope and recovery, including direct and over the phone support.   

A regular day will see you:  

• Intervene via an approach that actively engages consumers with recovery and wellness planning to help gain a sense of control and empowerment over their lives by building on strengths and resources.   

• Promote a healthy lifestyle, and through general problem solving, assist the client to take steps towards positive change in their lives and to more effectively manage their distress  

• Assist clients to navigate services, providing transport to appointments at times  

• Ensure linkage with appropriate health practitioners, community services and recreational groups  

About you  

You will be someone with excellent communication, interpersonal and collaboration skills, who takes a highly compassionate approach to their work.   

You will bring with you:  

• Have been / or be a first-hand user of public mental health services 

• A sound understanding of mental health peer support principles and ability to use peer support to provide hope and recovery  

• Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, Intentional Peer Support Training or equivalent. 

• An understanding of the Area Mental Health Service and principles and practices of DHHS Recovery-Oriented Practice in Mental Health  

• A current Victorian Driver’s License and the ability to drive a work vehicle  

Our benefits  

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day.  Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging for living expenses, meals, and holiday accommodation
• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program
• Mentoring and career development opportunities
• Onsite childcare, easy access via public transport, car parking and end of journey facilities for cyclists

Work with us!

We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures.

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date.

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager, Melinda Carlyle at Melinda.Carlyle@austin.org.au.

Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details.

Application closing date: Sunday 6 April 2025