Position Title: Mental Health Peer Worker
Employment Type: Permanent, Part Time
Hours per week: 32 hours
Position Grade: Health Education Officer Non-Graduate (Year 1 - 9) / Health Education Officer Graduate (Year 1 - 11)
Salary: $60,373.00 - $87,304.00/ $69,050.00 - $110,326.00 (pro-rata) base per annum
Enterprise Agreement: The Named NSW (Non-Declared) Affiliated Health Organisations' Professional & Associated Staff Agreement 2022
Department Name: Community Mental Health

About us:
St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing health services to our community. Guided by our values of compassion, excellence, integrity and justice, we promote a culture of diversity and inclusion and empower our people to learn, grow and innovate.

Benefits of working at St Vincent’s include:

• Generous salary packaging and Fitness Passport for eligible staff
• Opportunity to access a wide of range of clinical and non-clinical education programs
• Supported post graduate opportunities within applicable fields
• Career development opportunities across the St Vincent’s Health Australia Network
• Employee Assistance Program
• Work/Life balance

About the role:
We have an exciting opportunity to work in a dynamic team leading our approach to the provision of quality care to clients of the Mental Health Service.

The role of a Mental Health Peer Worker has been developed for people who have lived experience of mental health services and personal recovery.

The aim is to ensure a smooth transition for consumers from inpatient to community based mental health care with a strong focus on assisting consumer’s to access community-based services and supports that will enhance the consumers identified recovery goals in partnership with the identified mental health clinicians/treating team. Responsibility for the consumer’s clinical care and treatment is led by the identified mental health clinician/treating team. Peer Workers provide additional support to routine mental health care to aid recovery.

Mental Health Peer Workers use their personal journey to support consumers by providing individual consultations, education and group interventions aimed at facilitating recovery principles of hope, choice, self-determination and social connectedness.

Further, the peer worker will be working with the GP Shared Care Clinician in the Community Mental Health Team to support consumers in engaging with their GP to facilitate high standards of recovery focused, holistic care provision and support their discharge to community based care.

Diversity and Inclusion at St Vincent's:
St Vincent's is committed to employing a workforce that reflects the community we care for. We strongly encourage applications from people that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally diverse, sexuality or gender diverse and/or living with disability.

Employment with St Vincent's is subject to you having current immunity status that complies with the Occupational Assessment, Screening & Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases - NSW Health Policy Directive (PD2023_022) or subsequent revisions in force. Appointment and ongoing employment will be subject to continued compliance with this policy directive.

About you:
We are seeking a skilled and energetic Mental Health Peer Worker who possess a passion for person centred care. We welcome applications from people who are able to:

• Act as a positive role model for consumers by using personal experience of recovery to share information, skills and strategies that support and promote the individuals recovery journey.

• Assist people with personal crisis and care planning to help gain a sense of control over their lives by building on their strengths and resources in collaboration with the treating team.

• Understand and act on issues of risk highlighted during referral, individual peer meetings or in group peer support work, actively promoting consumer safety and reporting to the appropriate clinician/team.

• In collaboration with clinician/s, plan and implement effective individual and group peer interventions, including supportive counselling, using specific recovery experience to share experiential knowledge, skills and strategies for living with mental illness, provision of information, and acting as a support person in the health system.

Application Instructions:
To have your application considered you are required to upload a current CV/Resume as well as a separate cover letter/document addressing the ‘Selection Criteria’ as below. Internal applicants i.e. current employees of St Vincent’s Hospital or an entity of SVHA are required to apply via their Workday account.

Selection Criteria:
1. Personal integrity and demonstrated commitment to the Philosophy, Mission and Values of Mary Aikenhead Ministries and St Vincent’s Health Australia

2. Solid secondary level education qualifications or able to demonstrate levels of numeracy and literacy skills.

3. Completion of the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work or willingness to complete same

4. Lived experience of secondary mental health services and able to reflect on personal experience of recovery and communicate their personal experience of recovery.

5. Understanding of the issues and concerns of mental health service users and able to maintain, professional boundaries

6. Experience supporting people with a mental illness within a personal recovery context

7. Experience of working in a team environment and understanding the dynamics of same

8. Unrestricted NSW Drivers License

Applications close on: 13 June 2024

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.

If you have any difficulties accessing the Position Description or Job Demands Checklist for this role, please contact the Talent Team at [email protected] who will gladly forward you a copy