Consumer Peer Worker

Location: Melbourne | Southern Metropolitan

Job type: Full time, Part time

Organisation: Monash Health

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Nursing

Reference: 60679

**Monash Health is excited to announce permanent ongoing Consumer Peer Worker opportunities (part time or full time) within the Casey & Dandenong Engage Team based in the Emergency Departments. Level 2 or 3 positions are available, dependent upon your level of experience.**

**About Monash Health**

**About the Role and You**

The Casey and Dandenong Engage Team is designed to provide timely and effective assessment, treatment and post-discharge assertive support for individuals presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) with high acuity mental health needs. As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, consumer peer workers will provide mutual support and practical assistance to consumers, enabling the consumer to lead their own unique recovery process. You will:

- Purposefully share lived experiences to offer hope and support to consumers
- Work closely with service leaders and clinicians to promote a multidisciplinary team approach to care that is sensitive and responsive to the needs and views of consumers and their families
- Support consumers to access Mental Health & Alcohol and Other Drug Community Services, and other appropriate community services to assist in their ongoing treatment and recovery

**About you**:

- Lived experience of mental illness or experience of mental health illness and substance use challenges
- Understanding of the Victorian public mental health system
- Recognition and understanding of own personal recovery process and ability to use this appropriately to support others
- Knowledge of peer support principles and the ability to support people from a mutual perspective by sharing lived experience
- Ability to use own experience to inspire hope and belief in recovery, and have an understanding of the principles of recovery focused model of care
- Ability to work with people from a strengths perspective
- Ability to listen with empathy and support people to discover their own solutions.
- Willingness to participate in relevant training and supervision programs for peer support workers
- Ability to be able to put own viewpoint forward whilst respecting the views of others
- Effective communication skills and an ability to communicate in everyday, non-clinical language
- Ability to support people to discover meaningful connections in the community
- Ability to organise workload and manage time effectively
- Experience in working within a multidisciplinary team, and an understanding of the dynamics of a positive team culture

**You are also**:

- dedicated to safe best practice & quality care
- committed to delivering patient centred care & a patient advocacy
- enthusiastic, compassionate & able to work collaboratively

**What you need**:

- Completion of Intentional Peer Support (IPS) training and/or Certificate IV in mental health or mental health peer work, or equivalent qualification
- Australian working rights

**What we offer**:

- access to Monash Health in-house learning portals to further expand your acute clinical skills & knowledge base
- regular supervision from senior peer workers
- mentorship & career guidance
- support to attend relevant forums & conferences
- a supportive learning environment, should you wish to undertake postgraduate studies

In addition, you will have access to benefits including salary packaging to increase your take-home pay, access to onsite subsidised staff car parking and gym, uniform and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

**How to Apply**

Monash Health recognises the value of equal employment opportunity and is committed to patient safety and promoting fairness, equity, and diversity in the workplace. At Monash Health we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence and work to our six guiding principles.

Offers of employment can only be made once all required probity checks have been completed. These include:

- reference checks;
- a clear Police Check conducted within the last three months;
- a current Victorian Employee Working with Children’s Check (or proof of payment for same);and
- proof of immunisation.