Mental Health Peer Worker

**Employment Type**: Permanent Part Time
**Position Classification**: Health Education Officer Graduate, Health Education Officer Non Graduate
**Location**: Katoomba Community Health Centre
**Remuneration**: Dependent on Qualifications
**Hours Per Week**: 32
**Requisition ID**: REQ524080
**Application Close**:31/10/2024

This position is dependent on Qualifications:
Health Education Officer Grad - $34.82 - $55.64 per hour

Health Education Officer Non Grad - $30.44 - $44.03 per hour
- 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 and Blue Mountains and Lithgow Region.

NBMLHD Community Mental Health offer a range of specialised services for children, young people, families and older people, through our community-based services and health centres. Our multidisciplinary health professionals and case managers take a collaborative approach to mental health care by linking with their patients to work together and consult within an environment appropriate to the person's needs.

We are currently recruiting a Mental Health Peer Worker to join our service on a permanent part time assignment. The Suicide Prevention Outreach Team (SPOT) Peer Worker will work jointly with a Mental Health Clinician and in collaboration and with NSW Police to provide a targeted response to support people experiencing acute psychological distress and suicidal crisis within the Blue Mountains community.

The SPOT will be a secondary response service that can be initiated by front line police officers to provide a compassionate, trauma-informed rapid mental health response to consumers in their homes or preferred community locations.

SPOT is comprised of peer workers and clinicians who respond in peer/clinician pairs to support people in acute psychological distress or suicidal crisis. They engage with people in their homes or in preferred community locations. The clinician and peer worker work as equal partners, each bringing their own expertise. Early contact will focus on psychosocial reasons for distress, stabilisation, safety planning and distress recognition. There will also be a focus on linkage with outpatient and community services.

**Benefits available to eligible NBMLHD 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 lived experience of suicidal crisis, mental distress and recovery, and ability to meaningfully and purposefully use lived experience to provide peer support to consumers.
- Attainment of the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer), or successful completion of Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer) within 18 months of commencing position.
- Demonstrated experience using recovery-oriented and trauma-informed principles in providing support to consumers, and a broad understanding of recovery-oriented service provision and consumer involvement in service design, implementation and evaluation.
- Understanding of the suicide prevention sector and ability to utilise appropriate suicide prevention supports such as safety planning, managing risk (including promoting dignity of risk). Knowledge of legislation and standards relevant to mental health services.
- Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to plan, implement and evaluate individual and group peer support.
- Ability to work effectively across community, inpatient, emergency department and related settings. This includes experience in working collaboratively with individuals and groups including consumers, carers, the multidisciplinary team and other stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with mínimal supervision; effective interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to provide quality written documentation through the use of proficient IT skills.
- Current Driver’s Licence and willingness to use for work purpose travel.

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