Peer Support Worker

Work in a multi-disciplinary team on an exciting Pilot Project
- Competitive Salary with Not-for-Profit Salary Packaging
- Part-time (3 days per week) role working across multiple sites NOR

**About the Company**

Our client, Women’s Health and Family Services, is a well-established and highly regarded independent ‘for purpose’ community services organisation, supporting the health and wellbeing of women, their families, and their communities, providing assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged women through their clinic, counselling, and support services.

The services the organisation provides are open to all Western Australian women and their families, with consideration made for the unique needs of Aboriginal, migrant and refugee families.

**About the Role**

The Peer Support Worker - Mental Health/AOD role is part of a Pilot Project ‘Active Response Team - ART’, a recovery-focused collaboration between two organisations providing multidisciplinary coordinated support and treatment for individuals with severe and/or persistent mental health issues who have multiple treatments and support needs and would benefit from recovery-focused intensive psychosocial support to keep them well in the community.

As a member of the ART multi-disciplinary team, Peer Support Workers provide emotional and practical support to consumers on an individual and group basis, assisting with identifying their needs for wellness, options for recovery and support to navigate their way through community services and supports, at the same time promoting hope for recovery, choice and self-determination, and the importance of living well using shared experiential knowledge, skills and strategies to enhance and improve the experience of recovery for consumers.

**Job Requirements**

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To be successful in this role you will possess strong interpersonal skills to engage with consumers, their families and Carers coupled with skills in person-centered, consumer-focused practice, problem-solving, planning, implementation, and evaluation of therapeutic, psychoeducational or support groups.

Essential:

- Have lived experience of mental health and/or alcohol and other drug use (AOD) recovery, an understanding of the challenges of living with a mental illness and have been free from problematic AOD use for a minimum of 12 months
- Ability to self-manage one’s own condition and to demonstrate strategies for maintaining good emotional and physical wellbeing that can be shared
- Ability to communicate by using one’s own experience productively model positive behaviours, emotional maturity, positive coping skills and resilience
- Have a positive, non-judgmental attitude towards people with mental health problems and AOD use, including those from Aboriginal, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and LGBTQIA+backgrounds
- Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to positively manage relationships and establish boundaries
- An understanding of peer support, self-determination, person-centred care and the concept of consumer recovery
- An understanding of consumer confidentiality and appropriate conduct
- Competent in using Office 365 products
- Satisfactory Criminal Record Check
- In line with Western Australian Government Department of Health guidelines, certification of COVID-19 vaccination

Desirable:

- Prior experience in working in a peer support role and/or environment either in the mental health or AOD sector, and knowledge of the mental health system
- The ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to Aboriginal, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, LGBTIQA+
- Willingness to develop peer support skills by undertaking formal courses of study
- Reliable vehicle to travel between centres (mileage allowance provided for work-related travel)

**Applications and Enquiries**:

- Applicants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CaLD communities, disabilities and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds are encouraged to apply._