Family Peer Worker

• Headspace Frankston
• Fixed Term – Part Time (0.4 FTE)

About us

Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) is one of Australia's largest and most comprehensive, youth specific community service organisation that enables young people experiencing serious disadvantage to access the resources and support they require to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

YSAS is a Child Safe organisation. We actively promote the safety and wellbeing of young people, and are committed to protecting young people from harm or abuse who come into contact with and/or access our service.

At YSAS we are committed to people of a diversity of backgrounds and identities being included, represented, and having the opportunity to participate equally in the life of our organisation and the communities in which we provide our services. We strive to create the conditions where people feel safe, enfranchised and valued. We value lived-living experience wisdom, insight, and knowledge.

About the position

This position will work as part of the headspace Frankston Access Team. This multidisciplinary team serves as the first point of contact to the service and demonstrate a high level of customer service and professionalism in their approach.

The Family Peer Worker will draw upon and apply their lived or living experience to:

• Support, deliver and build capability to enhance opportunities for LGBTIQA+ culturally responsive and sensitive service access;
• Provide peer-based support to families and chosen families engaged with headspace Frankston through 1:1 and group-based interventions:
• Contribute to secondary consultation, care coordination within a multidisciplinary team environment with a focus on the presenting needs and issues for LGBTIQA+ young people and their family or chosen family;
• Offer hope, understanding, and validation for families navigating youth mental health challenges and, where relevant, gender affirming care; and
• Contribute to embedding family-inclusive and LGBTIQA+ affirming practice across the service.

Key Selection Criteria:

1. Lived/living experience in the LGBTIQA+ Community or as a family / chosen family member of a LGBTIQA+ identifying young person.
2. The ability to share your lived experience in a safe, purposeful, and professional way.
3. Demonstrated understanding of youth and family work ethics and practice approaches
4. An understanding of the unique challenges faced by LGBTIQA+ young people and their families, including accessing gender affirming care.
5. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team.
6. A commitment to reflective practice, supervision, and ongoing development.

What our young people request from our workers:

Young people across YSAS have spoken out and given feedback about the qualities that best describe a good YSAS worker:

"A good worker takes the time to understand your interests and doesn't treat everyone the same."  "Young people believe that a good YSAS worker is empathetic and good at actively listening in a non-judgmental way, is relatable, down-to-earth and able to build trust and rapport in a consistent manner". "It takes time to trust someone, but it's worth it when you know they've got your back". Young people have also raised that genuine human connection is an important quality, "being authentically human", while having a holistic, flexible, and adaptable approach that considers the entire context of a young person's life and their intersectionalities. "It's about making sure workers don't just tick boxes but genuinely want to see us thrive"

Regardless of where they are based or what position a worker has, everything we do at YSAS is about young people and their families.

For full details of the position and more about YSAS benefits please visit our employment website (external advertisements)

Why work with us?

• YSAS has a true commitment to flexible working, ensuring that individual, team and client needs are met
• YSAS offers additional leave entitlements such as gender affirmation, ceremonial leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, fertility leave, blood donors leave, a generous Parental Leave Scheme and the ability to purchase additional leave.
• Access to learning and development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Please note:

• As part of our Employment screening process you will be required to undertake a National Criminal History check and have a current Working with Children Check.
• You must have Australian work rights to apply for this position.

Further Enquiries

For a confidential discussion about the position, please contact Jody Blyth, Clinical Team Leader, on regarding the Family Peer Worker (LGBTIQA+) position, Recruitment Ref. Number 105_2025.

• YSAS is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome applications from all sectors of the community.
• YSAS has a zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to the provision of a child-safe organisation.