Peer Support Worker

**Peer Support Worker - Job Description**

Intensive Support Peer Support Workers use their personal lived experience of mental health recovery to support people who are on their journey of recovery (people). Peer Support Workers communicate their stories skilfully and work with other mental health and community professionals to support people's recovery.

Peer Support Workers offer guidance and coaching to people who might be struggling with their mental health. Peer Support Workers have personal experience managing mental health conditions and use their recovery as an inspiration for others. Peer Support Workers usually interact with people one-on-one or in group sessions to discuss challenges or any issues that might have.

The Intensive Support Peer Support Workers can help people with a range of mental health conditions that affect mood and behaviour. Usually, they have experience with one particular condition, so they can offer tailored information. A Peer Support Worker may work with people with whom they have things in common. These could be particular symptoms, demographics or interests. For example, a Peer Support Worker who enjoys cooking could work with a people who also enjoys cooking. Here, the peer worker could encourage the people to cook more as part of their mental health recovery.

Intensive support Peer Support Workers have several hard and soft skills including knowledge of mental health, compassion, honesty and attention to detail.

**The duties of a Peer Support Worker?**

The duties of a Peer Support Worker can include:

- speaking to people one-on-one
- discussing any concerns, people have and offering support and advice
- sharing their stories about when they struggled with mental health conditions, to give their people information
- working with groups of people with similar mental health conditions and offering them more general advice
- having casual conversations about topics like hobbies and interests
- liaising with therapists, doctors, nurses and other mental health professionals
- speaking to peoples' family and friends about their progress

**Supervision**

Intensive Support Peer Support Workers are provided with ongoing supervision to help them engage in self-reflection, seek and respond to feedback, and develop their professional knowledge and skills.

**Benefits**

Intensive Support Peer Support Workers,
- are greatly valued for their contributions
- are acknowledged for making a difference to people and the world
- use their own experience to do something positive for others
- work flexibly as they choose

Peer Support Workers are engaged under the SCHADS award 2.2

**Entry requirements**

The key elements to being an Intensive Support Peer Support Workers are:

- Having relevant lived experience
- Wanting to support others going through similar experiences
- Being willing and able to receive training on how to work with people to do this

**Peer Support Worker skills**
- An understanding of the personal recovery journey and being able to use lived experience in a positive and appropriate way to help people
- A keen awareness of people and their behaviour
- The ability to empathise with people and build positive relationships
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to relate to a wide range of people
- The ability to work independently as well as in consultation with others
- A responsible, professional approach, respecting the confidentiality of people
- Emotional resilience and maturity
- Self-awareness
- An openness to addressing issues of prejudice and oppression
- Australian citizenship, Working with Children Check and National Police Check
- Driver’s license and access to a motor vehicle (essential)

**Job Type**: Casual

Pay: $43.08 per hour

Expected hours: 6 - 18 per week

**Benefits**:

- Employee mentoring program
- Professional development assistance
- Travel reimbursement

Schedule:

- Afternoon shift
- Monday to Friday
- Morning shift
- Shift work

Supplementary Pay:

- Penalty rates

Application Question(s):

- Do you have access to a motor vehicle? Access to a motor vehicle is pre requisite to the Support Worker position

Licence/Certification:

- First Aid Certification (required)
- Working with Children Check (required)
- National Police Certificate (required)
- Driver Licence (required)

Work Authorisation:

- Australia (required)

Work Location: In person

Expected Start Date: 01/11/2024