Eating Disorders Lived Experience Workers

**Reference Number**:2497

**Category**:Mental Health

**Department**:Child & Youth MHS

**_Are you a current Austin Health employee?_**
- Fantastic Opportunity to Join our Specialist Eating Disorders Team at Austin Health
- Two part time roles available
- Consumer Peer Worker Level 2 or 3
- Flexible working hours
- Purposefully Share Lived Experiences to Offer Hope and Support to Consumers within clinic and out reach settings
- Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Care
- Support Access to Mental Health and Community Support Services

**About Austin Health**
- Austin Health is a leading public health service in Victoria, delivering world-class healthcare to a diverse community across a range of services. Our commitment to providing exceptional care spans across several hospitals, including Austin Hospital, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre. Our vision is to improve the quality of life for our community through innovative, compassionate, and holistic care.
- The position offered sits within the Child and Youth Mental Health Service (ICYMHS) directorate and is located within the Specialist Eating Disorder Service (SEDS).

**About the Role**
- The Specialist Eating Disorder Team within Austin Health plays a crucial role in providing timely and effective assessment, treatment, and support to young people who experience Eating Disorders together with supporting their carers/ families. As a Consumer Peer Worker, you will be an integral and a highly valued member of the multidisciplinary team, offering mutual support and practical assistance to young consumers, empowering them to take control of their recovery journey.
- A regular day will see you:

- Share your lived experiences to offer hope and support to consumers, helping them feel understood and connected.
- Work closely with service leaders and clinicians to ensure that care is person-centred, holistic, and responsive to the unique needs and views of young consumers and their families.
- Support consumers to access mental health services and other relevant community resources to assist in their ongoing treatment and recovery.

**About You**
- You will bring:

- Lived experience of mental illness or mental health challenges.
- A strong understanding of the Victorian public mental health system.
- At least 2 years’ experience working as a Peer Worker/Lived Experience within a mental health setting.
- Recognition and understanding of your own recovery process and the ability to use this experience to support others.
- Knowledge of peer support principles, with a commitment to providing support from a mutual perspective, sharing lived experiences to inspire hope.
- A deep understanding of recovery-focused care and an ability to work from a strengths-based approach.
- The ability to listen with empathy, helping people discover their own solutions and empowering them to take ownership of their recovery journey.
- Willingness to participate in ongoing training and supervision as part of your role.
- Effective communication skills and the ability to engage with consumers in everyday, non-clinical language.
- A commitment to ensuring safe, best-practice care that puts consumers at the heart of the decision-making process.

**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.
- If you're dedicated to delivering compassionate, patient-centred care and want to make a real difference in the lives of young people, we encourage you to apply. Join us at Austin Health and be part of a dynamic team committed to transforming lives through mutual support, understanding, and recovery.

**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 benefits, for living expenses, meals and holiday accommodation
- A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program
- Mentoring and career development opportunities
- Onsite childcare, easy access via public transport and car parking

**Work with us**

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

**Application closing date: 4 February 2024