Peer Support Worker - Mental Health

Description:

• Assist consumers through their mental health or AOD journey through a lived experience lens
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to coordinate comprehensive assessments and care plans
• Full Time contract until 31/10/2026. SCHADS Level 4 ($44.58-47.97/hr)

About the Service
The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System has challenged us to think beyond incremental improvement to deliver a mental health system that helps all Victorians live their best lives. In a region characterised by fragmentation, complexity, and access barriers, implementing the Geelong - Queenscliff Mental Health and Wellbeing Local (GGQ Local) is a key step in realising this goal.
The GGQ Local is delivered by a consortium of equal partners: Barwon Health, Watharoung Aboriginal Cooperative Ltd, Wellways Australia and ermha365.
The GGQ Local is underpinned by positivity, hope and inclusion. No matter whether a consumer, carer or provider enters or seeks assistance via digital platforms, contact centre, or physical locations, the first engagement will always start with a simple question: “Welcome, how can we help?” Drawing on established services, networks, and pathways, the GGQ Local provides seamless integration between local, area and wellbeing services for the benefit of consumers, carers, and providers. This is supported through standardised assessment tools, treatment and support processes, care plans and care coordination, colocation of services and regional navigational pathways.
The three core elements of our service are people, purpose, and place and we are seeking mental health professionals ready to be part of a central and accessible service that understands the needs of their community.

About You
Passionate about mental health, AOD and seeing people reach their potential. You will have relevant skills, lived experience and qualifications and be looking for an opportunity to improve the way the sector operates. In detail, you will possess:

• Proven customer service in developing & delivering solutions to consumers, carers and families
• Knowledgeable in accessing a range of relevant community resources, particularly in the areas of mental health, drugs and alcohol, legal, income support, employment and recreation
• An understanding of approaches to crisis management and risk management within the context of supporting individuals with complex needs
• An aptitude for team work that is matched with excellent people skills, with effective interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to contribute positively within a team, influence and negotiate with others
• Completed or willing to undertake Intentional Peer Support training with substantial experience or less formal qualifications with specialized skills sufficient to perform at this level

It is a requirement of this position to meet all compliance requirements concerning NDIS Work Screening, Working With Children's Check, work rights and possess a current & valid driver’s licence. In addition it is a requirement to have had a minimum of 3 COVID-19 vaccinations and obtain an influenza vaccination on an annual basis.

About the Role
The vision of the GGQ Local is a unified, mental health and wellbeing system that is underpinned by the approach of “How can we help?’
Using your own lived experience of mental health and/or addiction, you will support consumers through their journey. The role of the Peer Support Worker will entail the following:

• Engage with participants and their families in an appropriate manner and maintain an ongoing supportive relationship, leveraging your lived experience where relevant through 1:1 and group support, consistent with the Intentional Peer Support model
• Design and develop case plans using a psychosocial framework to identify and assess needs, and support the development and review of support plans
• Ensure the delivery of recovery focused support matched to participant need, including the facilitation and co-facilitation of groups
• Support participants and their families through the discrete program areas including referral, assessments, recovery planning, participation and exit, ensuring the process is streamlined and responsive to their needs
• Create links and relationships with local service providers, clinical mental health and/or other allied health professionals and services in order to assist with referral pathways and meeting the needs of participants

Successful applicants must be willing to work to a rotating roster of AM and PM shifts, including weekends (typically 1 day per fortnight) and public holidays.
Current shifts include, but not limited to: 9am-5pm or 2pm-10pm Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

We take appropriate actions to ensure that our staff and the people we support are as safe as possible. You will be expected to adhere to all OHS standards, requirements and processes, including (but not limited to) wearing appropriate PPE and regular hygiene and cleanliness practices.

What we can offer you
ermha365 is an agile and innovative non-profit with a growth agenda across Australia. As an employee you will be offered:

• Support as needed utilising our 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and unlimited access to our online Wellbeing Centre
• Industry-leading induction and on the job training provide with access to free continuous online learning modules at your own pace
• Flexibility in working hours to suit work life balance
• A supportive team environment that is engaging and inspiring
• A competitive total package – SCHADS level 4 with the ability to reduce your taxable income through salary packaging

About ermha365
This job isn’t for everyone. At ermha365 we work with clients with some of the most complex mental health and disability support needs in Victoria. We’re a lifeline for people who often feel like a “square peg in a round hole” - those who experience stigma and discrimination, and are ostracised or excluded from the simple things that most of us take for granted. In many cases we have become the provider of last resort, although we see ourselves as the provider of first choice. We believe in the potential of everyone. We never give up, and we never give in.
ermha365 is committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children. Further information at https://www.ermha.org/child-safe-statement/

Diversity and Inclusion
We strongly encourage and warmly welcome people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people with a lived experience of mental health and disability and people who identify as LGBTIQA+ to apply. Even if you only meet some of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you. If we can assist you with any reasonable adjustments in order to submit your application for this role, please contact the Talent Acquisition team via email at careers@ermha.org noting your preferred method of communication and contact details and a member of the team will be in touch.