Are you an experienced Support Worker who is passionate about supporting people experiencing mental health issues? This could be your opportunity to:

• Be a part of a ground-breaking team who work together to provide an innovative new residential service to people experiencing a crisis in their lives
• Enable guests to take charge of their own mental health journey by working with them to develop and implement a recovery plan

About Us

Independent Community Living Australia is a community organisation established in 1987. Our core activity is to promote people’s independence, active participation and inclusion in the community to live a valued life.

ICLA is a mental health service provider and a registered Community Housing Provider. We manage a number of supported residential services across the greater Sydney region, providing affordable accommodation and mental health support for people who have psychosocial, intellectual and other disabilities. We offer a flexible and family friendly work environment for our staff providing a rewarding service to our local community.

About the SPARC Program

ICLA’s Suicide Prevention and Recovery Centre (SPARC) in Carlton is an early intervention service that works with people to facilitate a positive change in their life with the overarching aim of fostering a sense of connectedness, hope and empowerment. This program isn’t an acute mental health or crisis service, rather is provides support to people who are experiencing stress and feeling a sense of hopelessness.

On offer is a set roster across day, afternoon and active overnight shifts, with a Friday, Saturday or Sunday shift included in each roster pattern. Casual positions also available working across this program, and our PARC program located in Bondi.

About the Role

The Mental Health Support Worker is responsible for supporting guests in their mental health journey. This role will see you assisting with the overall operation and daily running of the site.

Our empathetic and compassionate Mental Health Support Workers support and empower guests to develop and implement a recovery plan, providing them with the tools and resources to accomplish their goals, enabling them to take charge of their own mental health journey.

Responsibilities include:

• Establish an ongoing and trusting relationship with guests
• Listen to guests without judgement and acknowledge the unique experiences of each person
• Support guests to work towards their individual, recovery-oriented needs and goals, while ensuring they are drivers of their own recovery
• Ensure the health and wellbeing of our guests is respected and promoted.
• Assist guests in engaging in our programs by supporting them to identify their individual, recovery-orientated needs and goals.
• Assist in linking guests into support networks external to ours that will promote their connectedness and recovery beyond our program.
• Ensure that regular maintenance needs of the building and grounds are reported.
• Purchase and appropriately store food and goods as necessary to meet guests’ needs and maintain good nutrition
• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of a warm, caring and homelike environment
• Assist the Registered Nurse with medication management for guests.
• Meet with guests’ case managers, rehabilitation workers, or other key service providers to discuss issues relevant to their recovery.

About You: Experience, Personal Attributes and Qualifications

Essential Criteria

• A commitment to providing compassionate, person-centred and recovery-oriented support.
• Ability and capacity to listen and acknowledge discussion of suicide and mental health in a compassionate, non-judgmental way.
• Proficiency and confidence in interpersonal communication skills, with a dedication to build trust and rapport with guests.
• An unwavering commitment to follow and adhere to policies, procedures and frameworks that underpin and inform our service model.
• An understanding of the purpose of our program and its contribution to the broader recovery journey of someone experiencing crisis in their lives.
• Ability to work closely and collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team.
• Police Check, First Aid Certificate

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in providing recovery-orientated psychosocial support to vulnerable populations (e.g., people with a disability; children or young people; the elderly).
• Diploma, degree or equivalent in a related field (e.g., mental health, social work).

Benefits of working at ICLA

• Charity salary packaging to pay benefits and living expenses from pre-income tax for part time & full-time employees
• Proactive approach to infection prevention & control measures to ensure the safety of our team and residents.
• Flexible working practices
• Paid Parental Leave
• Ongoing professional development
• Dynamic and committed culture
• Remuneration $28.41 per hour + Super + Salary Packaging

How to apply

If this sounds like a great opportunity for you, please submit your application by selecting “Apply for this job”. Applications must include a cover letter addressing the role criteria. Enquiries can be directed to [email protected] using the subject line: Mental Health Support Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs.

More information about all our programs and locations is available at: www.icla.org.au

In order to deliver on our purpose, we want to ensure that we represent the diversity of the Australian community, so we welcome applications and expressions of interest from candidates who can help us to achieve this goal.