Aps 6 Peer Team Leader

Salary Range: $97,735 - $110,982 + Attractive Superannuation

Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling (formerly VVCS) is Australia’s leading provider of high quality mental health assessment and clinician counselling services for Australian veterans and their families. Open Arms are focused on meeting client needs through a combination of proven clinical practices and emerging evidence-based approaches.

The Peer Team Leader reports to the Assistant Director Lived Experience and provides support and mentorship to the Community and Peer Advisors. The Peer Team Leader utilises their lived experience to ensure decisions are made with a lived experience focus in mind whilst providing leadership, mentorship and governance. The Peer Team Leader works collaboratively with Open Arms staff, and may support the Assistant Director in client allocation, client assessment, case reviews, and the provision of operational support to the Lived Experience workforce.

Peer Team Leaders will have the ability, readiness and dedication to intentionally, safely and effectively utilise this experience to mentor and support others, to engage with internal and external stakeholders and to inform service development and improvement.

**Duties**
- Under the direction of the Assistant Director, maintain an active senior peer role within their team, including adopting a leadership role in the day-to-day in-centre community and peer practice, and supporting staff with care planning and case reviews, monitoring the well-being of the community and peer advisors, and ensuring compliance with Open Arms/DVA policies.
- Ensure peer practice aligns with the National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines.
- In consultation with the Assistant Director, maintain and manage a caseload of peer support clients, role-modelling the values and principles of Lived Experience, trauma informed care and recovery-oriented practices.
- Ensure the maintenance of clinical records according to Open Arms Quality and Safety Standards, including collating and analysing data from client records, and preparing reports and audits as required to assist in evaluating and improving service delivery.
- In collaboration with Open Arms senior practitioners provide supportive supervision and consultation within the multi-disciplinary team.
- Provide advice to the Assistant Director and Regional Leadership Team regarding the management of complex client issues through a lived experience lens.
- Contribute to project management activities that implement strategic direction and quality improvement recommendations, and provide feedback for ongoing development of policies and procedures utilising their lived experience.

**Eligibility**
- Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS).
- All applicants external to DVA offered employment will be required to successfully undergo a pre-engagement screening check, even if they have a security clearance. The screening check is conducted in accordance with the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework requirements.

**Mandatory Requirements**
- Currently hold or ability to obtain a Working with Vulnerable People registration **OR**:

- Currently hold or ability to obtain a Working with Children check

In addition to one of the above the following is also required:

- Lived experience of Australian Defence Force (ADF) service, either as an ex-ADF member, or as partner/carer of a current serving or ex-ADF member (spouse, ex-partner or widow/widower).
- Lived experience of mental health issues and recovery, which may include as a carer.
- Willingness to undertake relevant training, professional development and professional supervision, including completion of Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work.

**Notes**

Where a non-ongoing position is offered, the role will be filled for an initial specified term of up to18 months.

A merit pool of suitable applicants may be created which may be used to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies should they become available over the next 18 months.

DVA is committed to improving the data skills and capability of our workforce to underpin our goal of becoming a leading data-driven organisation.