The Bega Mental Health Hub is part of Directions Health Services, an innovative non-profit organisation that has provided specialist alcohol and other drug (AOD) services in the ACT and NSW for more than 40 years. Today we at Directions offer a comprehensive suite of holistic AOD, mental health and primary health services that aim to reduce harms experienced by individuals, families and communities and improve overall health and wellbeing. Directions’ multidisciplinary team currently includes a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Social Workers, Counsellors, Case Managers, Aboriginal Health Workers, Peer Support Workers, GPs, Registered Nurses, Pharmacists and Chemical Analysts. Directions’ capacity to implement innovative services developed in collaboration with our clients, partners, and other stakeholders, enables us to effectively respond to the changing needs of the communities we serve.

At Directions, we pride ourselves on our supportive, inclusive, employee and client-centred culture. Our excellent culture has led to our very high staff retention rates and great reputation within the Mental Health and AOD sectors.

The Hub is a generalist mental health service that operates in partnership with Head to Health to provide support to people from vulnerable and marginalised backgrounds who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and emotional wellbeing. The Hub’s small team includes mental health clinicians and peer workers with lived experience. Bega Mental Health Hub is located in the beautiful Sapphire Coast (Yuin-Monaro Country).

About the position

This is a part-time position – 0.6 to 0.8 full time equivalent, depending on your needs. As a Mental Health Peer Worker at Bega Mental Health Hub, you will draw on your own lived experience of mental health recovery to provide high quality support and information to people needing mental health support and for vulnerable and hard to reach communities. Bega Mental Health Hub will support clients of any age and their families, friends and carers.

Responsibilities

• Take a person centred, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented approach to engaging clients, respecting their right to privacy, independence, and self-determination.
• Work with clients, carers/supports, and other stakeholders to identify client goals and aspirations and create a holistic and strength-based individual support plans.
• Drawing on your lived experience, build connections with clients and provide peer support including skill building, guidance, advocacy, empowerment and coaching to clients to support them in their recovery.
• Support clients and their carers/supports to access and maintain engagement with our multi-disciplinary team, including clinical supports, to achieve their recovery goals.
• Support clients to establish and maintain meaningful personal and community connections.
• Facilitate self-help and support groups and contribute to group program development.
• Provide linkages and referrals to other health services including GPs as needed, building relationships, and working collaboratively with these services to address clients’ issues.
• Ensure timely, complete, and appropriate documentation and data collection including assessments, case notes, treatment outcome measures and reports.
• Maintain professional standards in relation to service delivery and confidentiality.
• Work in accordance with Directions’ Policies and Procedures and health and safety guidelines.
• Participate in staff meetings, supervision, and shared care meetings.

What we offer

• A flexible and supportive work environment
• Community Service Employee Level 2-3 part-time (0.6 – 0.8 FTE) role, commensurate with qualifications, skills, and experience
• Generous salary packaging benefits
• 17½% leave loading
• Generous professional development and training opportunities

What we would like you to have

• Lived experience of mental ill health and wellbeing.
• Lived experience accessing Mental Health and community services.
• Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work (or willingness to commence within first year of employment).
• Good working knowledge of contemporary mental health care, recovery-oriented care and Primary Health Care principles and the social determinants of health.
• An ability to compassionately connect with people from diverse backgrounds with mental health, AOD and other co-occurring issues, and adapt to meet their needs.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
• Capacity to work collaboratively.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, proficiency using Microsoft Windows, and client information management systems (CIMS).
• A well organised, self-motivated, and proactive approach to work.
• Thorough understanding of the importance of personal and professional boundaries, ethical behaviour, policies, and procedures.

All appointments will be conditional upon having a Working with Children Check, current First Aid and CPR certification and a satisfactory National Police Check.

For further information about this position please refer to the attached Position Description and/or contact Kath Musgrove - Team Leader, Bega Mental Health Hub at [email protected] using the subject line: Mental Health Peer Worker - Bega Mental Health Hub enquiry via EthicalJobs. 

Directions is passionate about providing equal employment opportunities and we greatly value diversity in our organisation. We actively encourage applicants from all background and cultures. Research shows that women and other marginalised individuals tend to only apply for jobs when they meet 100% of the requirements. If you think you may be a good fit for this position, but don't necessarily meet every requirement, please get in touch. We would love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit.