Description:
Work in an environment that offers:
- A supportive environment for career progression and development
- An opportunity to further your career
- An opportunity to support the growth in demand for services
The Position
Position Title: Peer Support Worker - (Lived Experience)
Classification: MP32-MP35
Salary per hour (exc. super): $34.17 - $36.25
Hours per fortnight: 64+ Hours
Employment Status: On Going - Part Time
Other requirements: COVID-19 Vaccination (3 doses)
Are you someone who has personally experienced mental illness or psychological distress and been a client of public mental health and wellbeing services? Do you have a personal experience of working towards your own recovery, a passion for mental health, and an interest in supporting other people through their own journey? This is an exciting entry-level opportunity for aspiring Peer Support Workers to begin their careers and develop their skills in a supportive and inclusive environment. Multiple roles available!
The Role
This is a designated lived and living experience role and requires applicants to have a personal experience of mental illness or psychological distress. For more information about lived experience work and understanding if this is the right role for you, visit these websites:
https://www.health.vic.gov.au/mental-health-reform/lived-experience
https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/lived-experience/lived-experience-workforces
Or contact Steph Bradshaw, Consumer Advisor with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Transformation Team on 03 5454 6968.
Positions are available across multiple locations, including Kyneton, Castlemaine, and Maryborough. Travel between these locations and to and from Bendigo is an expected part of this role.
What you’ll be doing
The Consumer Peer Support Worker is an exciting new role sitting within our Southern teams. We currently have a number of lived and living experience staff across the Greater Bendigo and Rural North sectors, and we are excited to be expanding the workforce into the Rural South sector. The expertise, skills, and knowledge you’ve developed from your own lived experiences will make you an invaluable part of the Lived and Living Experience Workforce at Bendigo Health.
Peer Support Work is part of the Lived Experience discipline and focuses on building reciprocal relationships which are mutually beneficial and based on a shared understanding. Through this relationship, you will be able to support consumers through the social, spiritual, and even physical aspects of their recovery journey. In order to do this, you will draw on your own experiences of mental illness or psychological distress to provide insight, empathise, validate, and normalise the experiences of your clients.
As a member of our Peer Support workforce, your will work in collaboration with the other members of the multidisciplinary team to provide a high standard of support to consumers, both in the community and in inpatient and residential facilities. You will use your own lived experience of mental illness and psychological distress to model hope and recovery for the people you work with, sharing your story where appropriate and supporting your clients to develop strong connections in the community, normalise and validate their experiences, and work towards their personal version of recovery.
If you’d been here last week you could have:
- Attended a co-reflection with other members of the consumer lived experience workforce to engage in reflective practice and mutual supervision
- Engaged in on-on-one peer support with consumers in familiar and comfortable environments, sharing your experiences of recovery and learning from each other
- Visited clients on the inpatients wards in Bendigo and supported them through their admission
- Participated in a clinical team meeting and provided informal education to clinical staff on the benefits of lived experience work
What you’ll bring
A passion for mental health and wellbeing and excitement for supporting consumers, as well as:
- A lived or living experience of mental illness or psychological distress and/or alcohol and other drug concerns and engaging with the public mental health system
- A willingness and capacity to intentionally share your lived or living experience to model hope and recovery
- A compassionate approach to your work and the ability to engage with a diverse range of people from a place of non-judgement
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage your own schedule, as well as the ability to work creatively and collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- A demonstrated ability to engage in reflective practice, as well as a good understanding of your own support and self-care needs
- Willingness to undertake relevant Peer Work training such as Intentional Peer Support (IPS) or the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (CHC43515)
- An understanding of the Victorian public mental health and wellbeing system and of recovery-oriented and person-led care
Working for Bendigo Health
Our team love working with us, and it’s easy to understand why. We’ve got a fantastic range of benefits for our employees, including:
- Retention bonus of up to 2k annually for workers in Mental Health
- Generous salary packaging opportunities, to increase your take-home pay each fortnight
- Flexible working arrangements, with opportunities to work full-time or part-time
- Visa sponsorship for you and your family, if you need it
- Experienced and supportive leaders, who genuinely care about their team
- Staff health and wellbeing programs
- Genuine opportunities to broaden your skillset, and progress in your career
- An independent and confidential Employee Assistance Program
- A terrific staff discount program, across health insurance, banking and local businesses
On top of all this, our Mental Health and Wellbeing team are supported by our Mental Health Professional Development Unit. They provide our team with education, professional development, career-planning and supervision opportunities. If you have aspirations to grow in your career, or gain different experiences in your clinical practice, we’ll help you find the way.
Living in Bendigo
Situated in the beautiful Victorian region, Bendigo offers excellent schools, shopping and cultural precincts, sporting and recreational facilities. We can offer generous flexible working arrangements - giving you more time to enjoy the fantastic restaurants, beautiful parks, walking trails and recreational activities within our region.
If you’re relocating to our region, we’re here to help you. We will provide you with generous financial support, to help cover the cost of your move. We’ll also provide you and your family with practical, on-the-ground assistance to get settled, by connecting you with important services such as real estate, childcare, education, sport and community groups. We want your move to be stress-free, so you can focus on settling into your new role, and enjoying the amazing lifestyle on offer here.
Diversity and Inclusion
Bendigo Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We embrace diversity and social inclusion and encourage people from a diverse cultural background, people with disabilities and or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people to apply.