Lgbtiqap+ Peer Support Worker

Every year headspace centres help thousands of young Australians to access support and services for their mental and physical health. With a focus on early intervention, headspace services keep young people at the heart of everything they do.

We are looking for a Youth Peer Support Worker to join our headspace team to support young people aged 12 - 25 years, who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. In the context of an LGBTIQAP+ identified role, you will primarily provide support to young people who also identify as part of the LGBTIQAP+ community or are exploring experiences and preferences around identity, gender, and sexuality.

This position is part-time, 3 days per week (22.8 hours) and based at our Southport centre. The role also requires some travel to our Upper Coomera centre. Days of work are flexible between Monday and Thursday. This is not a clinical role and doesn’t require you to hold a qualification, but you must have a lived experience of mental health challenges and seeking support/treatment and identify as being a part of the LGBTIQAP+ community.

The salary for this position is $36 - $38.60 per hour plus super and we offer lots of benefits including five extra days paid leave (pro-rata), an Employee Assistance Program for self-care, and discounted access to gyms, pools, and leisure facilities across the country. Our intranet, Wellspring, offers a huge range of discounted products and services - from supermarkets to electronics to fashion

**What we are looking for**:
Although this is not an entry level role, it would ideally suit someone in the early stages of their career - someone with a passion for utilising their own lived experience of significant mental health challenges, to help others through their own recovery and wellbeing journey.

**Along with the ability to mentor and guide, you will have the following skills and experience**:

- If you have been a Youth Peer Support Worker previously, great If not, you will be excited about learning how to facilitate groups and provide individual support in a safe, inclusive way.
- Collaborative, open approach - this is a newly developed team, and you will have the opportunity to contribute to developing the culture and environment.
- Strong communication and engagement skills - you will be having individual and group discussions with a range of young people. Being an active listener is also important.
- Appropriate sharing of your own lived experience, working within professional boundaries and positive role-modelling.
- Understanding of your own triggers, self-care, and self-reflection, and being open when you require support.
- Experience working with local LGBTIQAP+ communities and ability to maintain strong relationships.
- Experience in facilitating or co-facilitating a support or social group.
- You’re super organised - you know how to plan and manage your time and workload and can juggle several things at once.
- You can easily talk to your peers but also switch gears to talk and advocate within a team of clinical professionals.
- Good computer skills, use of Microsoft Suite and Client Management Systems.

A Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work would be highly regarded, but we can also provide internal training opportunities within the headspace Peer Support Work model. You will need to have an Australian Drivers Licence and a Working With Children Blue Card.

Under s25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, there is a genuine occupational requirement for the incumbent to have a personal lived experience of substance dependence and or Mental ill-health, service use and recovery.

**About our team**

**What to do next: