Peer Worker Suicide Prevention Outreach Team

**Employment Type**: Temporary Part Time
**Position Classification**: Health Education Officer Non Graduate/Health Education Officer Graduate
**Remuneration**: $30.44 - $50.70 per hour
**Hours Per Week**: 32
**Requisition ID**: REQ521170
**Applications Close**:6 October 2024

**This is a temporary Part Time 32 hours per week maternity relief position until 2 February 2025 with the possibility of an extension at same/reduced hours**

**What you'll be doing**

Work in a Suicide Prevention Outreach Team (SPOT), based in Nowra NSW, providing mobile outreach and follow-up support to people who are in or recovering from a suicidal crisis, where they live their lives. The model involves pairs of workers, one clinician and one peer worker who jointly provide a rapid crisis response to people in suicidal distress and facilitate contact with services and people who can provide further support and address the cause of their crisis.

Workers in the team will provide recovery-oriented and trauma-informed care for people who are in suicidal crisis. Support may include crisis response, assertive follow up, psychosocial support, safety planning, recovery/wellness planning, advocacy, and collaborative identification of community supports, risk assessment, care planning, referral to appropriate care settings, liaison with signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding under the NSW Mental Health Act (2007).

The team will deliver support that aligns with the principles of step up/step down care. This includes making referrals to a range of community-based services for ongoing support if required (step down), or escalating concerns over consumer wellbeing to other acute or emergency services (step up).

Within the SPOT service, peer workers are responsible for sharing their personal lived experience of recovery from suicidality to assist restoration in hope for those in a suicidal crisis. The primary objective is to support people in the community wherever possible and safe and to help facilitate the work of the clinicians within the team.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District is committed to equal employment opportunity and embraces diversity and inclusion within its workforce. As such, people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. This includes but is not limited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, People with Disability, Women and People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

**Talent Pool**

Applicants holding temporary visas with working rights may be considered for a temporary appointment up to the expiry date of their visa. However, this option is only available when no suitable applicant for a permanent appointment is identified.

A National Police Check (criminal history record check) is a requirement for all new appointments to NSW Health and will be undertaken on preferred applicants, with the informed consent of the applicant.

This role is a **Category A **role. Preferred applicants will be reviewed for compliance and required to maintain compliance with the screening, assessment and vaccination requirements, relevant to your position, as outlined in NSW Health policy directive on Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases.

For positions designated as child-related employment, or positions that may result in proximity to children, you will be required to obtain a Working with Children clearance number from the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

Please note that a volunteer WWCC (which is free) cannot be used for paid employment.

**Selection Criteria**
- Recognised degree or other qualification deemed appropriate by the employer or, Certificate IV in Mental Health peer work or, willingness to work towards completion of this qualification
- Lived experience of experiencing suicidality combined with current knowledge and skills in relation to the effective peer support for people experiencing suicidality.
- Demonstrated ability to work therapeutically under pressure.
- Ability to work effectively within a partnership with clinicians and within a broader multi-disciplinary team.
- Willingness to engage in suicide prevention co-design, community of practice and education and training.
- Demonstrated effective interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
- Current, unrestricted NSW Drivers Licence (Category C).

Need more information?
1) Click here for the Position Description