Senior Lived Experience Peer Worker / Coordinator Level 3

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• Fixed term to end of June 2026
• Full time
• Heidelberg location, with multiple public transport options

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 statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives. 

About the Department

The Mental Health Division provides care and services through a comprehensive range of teams to meet the needs of mental health consumers and carers throughout Victoria. Services are across Adult and Older Adult, Infant, Child and Youth as well as Speciality Services and can be bed based or located in the community.  

All mental health services and programs work within a clinical framework that promotes recovery-oriented practice and supported decision making. This approach to consumer wellbeing builds on the strengths of the individual working in partnership with their treating team. It encompasses the principles of self-determination and individualized treatment and care.  

The Child and Youth Mental Health Service (ICYMHS) sits within the Mental Health Division and provides tertiary mental health services to the north-eastern catchment of Melbourne (currently the local government areas of Banyule, Boroondara, Darebin, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, and Yarra). Young people eligible for the service are predominantly aged 0-18 years and currently expanding to work with those aged up to 25 years.  

About the role 

The Senior Consumer Peer Worker/ Coordinator is both a senior peer worker and leadership position within ICYMHS, supporting both bed-based and community teams. Alongside peer work this role plays a central part in coordinating and developing the consumer lived experience workforce across ICYMHS. Working closely with embedded peer workers and collaborating with clinicians and service leaders, the Senior Consumer Peer Worker will help embed lived experience perspectives into everyday practice, contributing to more responsive, inclusive, and recovery-oriented care for children, young people, and their families

A regular day will see you:

• Provide direct consumer peer work to young people within ICYMHS.  
• Be involved in the existing consumer support groups and work in conjunction with other consumer lived experience staff and portfolio holders. 
• Facilitate connection and communication between consumers, MDT and lived experience workforce. 

About you 

• Completion of core IPS, Single Session Peer Work and Cert. 4 in Mental Health or Peer work or equivalent experience and skills. 
• Well-developed understanding of different experiences and issues faced by young consumers their families and carers who have accessed public mental health services and the ability to provide a broad carer perspective in a variety of service settings.  
• Ability to work with and advocate for the needs of consumers from all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, cultures, and abilities.  

To be successful in this role, you'll bring with you:

• Demonstrated skills and experience   in consumer peer work and supporting young people with mental health issues and associated complex needs
• Work together with the carer peer workers to support peer work across ICYMHS   
• Capacity to provide supervision and/or mentoring to other consumer peer workers. 

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 discounted fitness memberships and special offers on health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program. 
• Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options. 
• Mentoring and career development opportunities. 

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. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your passion, your drive and your willingness to learn and contribute. 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: Sue Wells at sue.wells@austin.org.au

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

Application closing date: Sunday 20 June 2025