Peer Support Worker

Are you passionate about supporting people experiencing trauma and mental health issues? Do you want to use your own lived experience of mental illness to offer hope, connectedness and empowerment to others? We believe that staff with lived experience in mental health issues bring valuable experience and understanding to these programs, enriching the support provided.

Our Peer Support Workers:

- Assist participants to develop the confidence and capacity to manage their own wellbeing.
- Learn how to use their lived experience to support others in helpful and effective ways.
- Deliver innovative and dynamic programs across our collaborative multidisciplinary Community Services teams.

**ABOUT US**

Independent Community Living Australia (ICLA) is a not-for-profit community organisation delivering mental health recovery services and personalised support to individuals with psychosocial, intellectual and other disabilities as well as those seeking support at difficult times in their life. ICLA offers a wide range of services across the greater Sydney region, from supported residential services to supported mental health services, empowering individuals with independence and inclusion in the community.

ICLA’s mission to deliver personalised support, enabling individual choice to improve people’s lives is achieved by living our values:
**_ Respect _**_for all; _**_Integrity _**_in what we do; _**_Accountable _**_for all we do; and _**_Results _**_for those we serve._

**ABOUT THE ROLE**

Our empathetic & compassionate Peer Support Workers use their lived experience and personal recovery to engage and empower program participants in their own recovery journey. Working in our Prevention and Recovery Centre (PARC) program as part of a multidisciplinary team delivering person-centered recovery-based service, Peer Support Workers act as a mentor and role model for participants, supporting them to build their capacity and accomplish recovery goals. PARC offers a short stay, mental health residential program in a home-like environment in partnership with the South & Eastern Sydney LHD Mental Health Services. This service provides 24/7 empathetic care and support, offering a step-up/step-down model to assist guests with their mental health recovery.

The current opportunities are casual roles averaging between 16 and 24 hours per week at ICLA’s Prevention and Recovery Centre (PARC) in Bondi. The shifts are across a range of weekday and weekend morning, evening and sleepover shifts, and remuneration is from $38.08 per hour (casual Level 2, SCHADS Award 2010).
- Responsibilities:_
- Establishing rapport and building trusting, professional collaborative relationships with participants help find and maintain hope; establish (or re-establish) a positive personal identity; build (or re-build) a connected life; and take control over their journey.
- Modelling positive recovery behaviours for participants.
- Support guests to identify and work towards their individual, recovery-oriented needs and goals, while ensuring they are drivers of their own recovery.
- Encourage guest participation in programs and activities, and facilitate program activities.
- Assist in linking guests to external support networks that will promote their connectedness and recovery.
- Promote the social inclusion of guests within the community while maintaining good public relations.
- Assisting with day to day operations at PARC and performing all operational, record keeping and reporting requirements.

**ABOUT YOU**
- Essential Criteria:_
- Ability to utilise personal lived experience of mental health recovery to provide peer support
- Ability to relate to and engage with people who are seeking support for a range of mental health issues and their support networks
- Understanding and commitment to a trauma informed, recovery-oriented, and person-centred approach
- Caring nature balanced with a robust understanding of, and commitment to, professional boundaries
- Advanced listening skills, excellent interpersonal communication skills, and experience building trust and rapport
- Ability to work closely and collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team
- Current NDIS worker check, NSW driver’s license and first aid certificate (or willingness to obtain)
- Unrestricted right to work in Australia
- Desirable Criteria:_
- Experience in providing recovery-orientated psychosocial support to vulnerable populations.
- An understanding of the biopsychosocial model of mental health, and how social inclusion principles are applied to service delivery and mental health recovery
- Diploma, degree or equivalent in a related field (e.g., mental health, social work, community services).
- Mental Health First Aid, Trauma Informed Care and/or Applied Suicide Intervention Skills training

**BENEFITS**
- ICLA offers:_
- Charity salary packaging to pay benefits and living expenses from pre-tax salary
- Inclusive and committed culture where everyone’s contribution