Lived Experience Peer Worker – Outcare - Start Court

Lived Experience Peer Worker – Start Court

Full time contract

Who we are?

Start Court is a program that is a therapeutic court for adults who are before the Central Law Courts and have mental health challenges. The program provides participants with holistic support to help address the underlying causes of their offending behaviour. We aim to improve participants’ health, wellbeing and reduce likelihood of future contact with the justice system.

Our team must be resilient and be able to work without judgement with a group of clients with complex needs and experiencing mental health challenges, substance misuse, challenging behaviours, justice involvement, family and domestic violence and risk of homelessness.

The role:

The role of the Peer Support Worker is responsible for the provision of support, education and assistance based on their own experiences and learnings, with a focus on recovery-orientated support. The position is designed to promote and enable the personal and professional growth of the client, enhance their reflection skills, and enhance client outcomes as they progress through their journey.

The Peer Support Worker, will establish a relationship with the client built on mutual respect under a set of agreed expectations and will act as a mentor and guide, using their own lived experiences in guiding, educating, coaching, and supporting their growth. This Peer position brings the voice of lived experience to support clients to engage in pro-social activities, improve their self-agency and support their recovery journey.

The responsibilities:

• Provide support to clients and carers throughout the client’s Mental Health service journey by demonstrating that recovery is possible
• Assist clients to identify their interests, goals, strengths and weaknesses to support recovery/reintegration.
• Facilitate/Co-facilitate support groups for the Start Court Participants, such as Wellness, Money Minded and Smart Group.
• Provide individual, self-help information and empowerment tools to clients and carers of the Mental Health Service.
• Support internal and external services and stakeholders in planning for services for clients, through face-to-face meetings, e-communication and group discussions.
• Support participants in connecting to community-based support resources and other services.
• Work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team to achieve support participants with achieving their goals and reducing their risk of re-offending.
• Attend relevant hospital committees and assist with presenting the consumer or carers’ perspective.
• Provide information about peer support and consumer and carer perspectives to new staff at orientation.
• Participate in internal and external training, skills and professional development to share best practice models and tools across Outcare.
• Develop personal networks and negotiate with services to identify the most pertinent service for a client’s particular issue.

What you’ll need:

• Lived experience of substance use, and/or contact with the justice system and or mental health challenges.
• Experience with public or private mental health services.
• Demonstrate experience in recovery reintegration practices and programs.
• Experience and confidence in delivering mentoring, coaching, and modelling of culturally sensitive practices.
• High-level written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills that can be used to engage a wide range of people, including our participants and their families, internal staff, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Clear understanding of working in a person-centred manner whilst being culturally appropriate.
• Proficient in the use of technology including email and Microsoft Office.

Other Employment Requirements:

• Must hold Australian Citizenship or be a permanent resident of Australia.
• Australian Drivers Licence.
• National Police Clearance.
• NDIS Workers Screening Check.
• Working with Children Check.

What will you get in return?

• Salary packaging of up to $15,899 for general living expenses and an additional $2,650 for entertainment benefits per annum.
• Great culture and supportive work environment
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program.
• Professional development opportunities
• Great culture and supportive working environment.
• Flexible work arrangements.

How to apply:

To apply for this role, please send through your current resume and cover letter with encouragement to share your story of lived experience and experience of supporting individuals with complex needs. This could include, but not limited to, substance use, mental health challenges, or interactions with the justice system. Apply on SEEK today.

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting children, young people and the vulnerable. We invite applications from people from all walks of life, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and those from diverse ages, cultures, faiths, abilities, gender, and sexuality. A criminal record does not automatically preclude applicants from this position.

If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Anastasia on (08) 62638622