Peer Worker

**Employment Type**: Permanent Full Time
**Position Classification**: Health Education Officer Non-Graduate, Health Education Officer Graduate

**Location**: Nepean Mental Health Centre
**Remuneration**: Dependent on Qualifications
**Hours Per Week**: 38
**Requisition ID**: REQ517974

**Application Close**:17/10/2024

This position is dependent on Qualifications:
Health Education Officer Non-Graduate - $60,373.00 - $87,304.00 per annum

Health Education Officer Graduate - $69,050.00 - $110,326.00 per annum
- With _**_CORE_**_ Values of _**_C_**_ollaboration, _**_O_**_penness, _**_R_**_espect and _**_E_**_mpowerment,_
- working with us will ensure your professional life is provided every opportunity to succeed_
- and develop in your chosen career role._

**About Us**
Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (NBMLHD) is a wonderful place to expand your career and grow your skills and knowledge. As a recognised leader in the healthcare industry, we provide a range of public health services to the Nepean, Blue Mountains, and Lithgow Region.

The Nepean Mental Health Centre provides inpatient care for people experiencing acute mental health issues through the short-stay Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre (PECC), the Acute Mental Health Unit, Mental Health High Dependency Unit, and Older Persons Mental Health Unit. We support our Patients by linking them to case managers for ongoing treatment and support within an environment appropriate to the person's needs.

Our Mental Health Service is looking for a Peer Worker to join their team to bring own lived experience of mental health challenges and personal recovery journey to help support the personal recovery for mental health consumers across NBMLHD. Through your lived experience you will help our consumers and other key stakeholders have access to; and mechanisms for, receiving and sharing information and participating in the evaluation of our service.

The Peer Supported Transfer of Care (Peer-STOC) initiative will provide assertive support and post discharge follow-up for consumers who are transitioning between acute mental health care and the community. This initiative works to actively reduce the 28-day readmission rate for consumers leaving acute mental health care by providing peer support for up to 6 weeks following discharge.

This role will assist to offer hope to consumers who are leaving acute mental health care, facilitate contact with people who have a personal lived experience of recovery and firsthand experience in wellbeing management. The successful incumbent will ensure provision of assertive in-reach for consumers in acute mental health units in the 7 days prior to their discharge. These meetings are to establish relationships, build rapport, discuss wellbeing strategies and collaboratively identify supports needed to transition into the community.

**Benefits available to eligible NBMLHD employees**
- Accrued Day Off (ADO) for full time employees
- Opportunity for extra tax savings through Salary Packaging
- Novated Leasing
- Great education opportunities through Education Training Service which offers over 110 courses each year
- Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for staff and family members
- Fitness Passport

**What you will bring to the role**:

- Personal experience as a consumer of mental health services and ability to utilise the lived experience to support others in their own mental health recovery journey.
- Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, or qualifications in health or other relevant qualification, e.g. degree, diploma or certificate, or readiness to work towards.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a peer support worker role, with the ability to plan, implement and evaluate group and individual peer led activities.
- Demonstrated knowledge of current local, state and national legislation and standards relevant to mental health.
- Demonstrated commitment to consumer led recovery principles including the physical health care of mental health consumers.
- Demonstrated effective interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to provide written documentation through the use of proficient IT skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with mínimal supervision, as well as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Current Driver’s Licence and willingness to drive for work purposes.

Employment of a temporary visa holder may only occur if no suitable permanent resident or citizen of Australia has been identified and must not exceed the duration or conditions associated with the current visa.

**Need more information?**
1) Click here for the Position Description