• Love Trust Honesty Respect Concern
• Part-time (0.6 FTE), 12-month maximum term contract.
• Based at Cranbourne.
• $65,119.65 - $71,043.30 (neg) per annum, plus super
• 17.5% annual leave loading and generous salary packaging options
• Progressive Workplace Flexibility options that enables genuine work life balance
• Provided with OHV Laptop and Mobile phone.

About Odyssey House Victoria:

Odyssey House Victoria (OHV) is a place of hope and positive change for individuals working towards breaking their pattern of addiction. At Odyssey House we believe that every person should have the opportunity to change and grow. Our diverse teams work with individuals, families, and communities to reduce alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, improve mental health, and reconnect people to their family and the community. OHV is a dynamic and fast-growing organisation committed to excellence in service provision and innovation in responding to alcohol and other drugs use problems.

Role Purpose:

The role of the Peer Worker is to provide lived experience support to assist clients to reduce harm and achieve their substance goals. The purpose of this position is to support the ‘high intensity’ and ‘low intensity’ groups, facilitated by program staff and peer workers by mentoring, offering support and lived experience perspective. The Peer Worker will work closely with clinicians by providing practical assistance and support to help clients with their longer-term recovery goals.

Key areas of focus:

• Assist Clinicians with the delivery of services from a peer perspective.
• Provide practical assistance, such as transport to key appointments and facilitating access to relevant services.
• Help translate materials into real-life situations.
• Act as a role model for people in early recovery.
• Assist to maintain a therapeutic and safe group environment.
• Communicate high risk clients and situations with the Program Coordinator
• Actively engage with service users with the aim of establishing strong and effective relationships with clients and their families as well as other key social supports to decrease harms and risks of overdose via a range of interventions.
• Promote the program to stakeholders and the community.

A week in the role:

If you were here last week, you would have:

• Engaged with people who would be attending an individual/group counselling sessions.
• Assisted people to attend their counselling sessions and/or provide transport to attend appointments to relevant services.
• Establish a strong connection relationship with clients, the clients family and supports to ensure decrease in risk of harm and overdose prevention.

Key Selection Criteria:

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Peer Worker to keep people engaged in treatment and reduce harms associated with AOD related overdose.

To be successful in this role, you must have…

• A Cert IV in Mental Health or AOD and/or Lived Experience (must have ceased accessing AOD services 12 months prior to employment).
• Completed the required AOD competencies* (or able to complete within the first 12 months of employment).
• A comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to alcohol and other drug use.
• Demonstrated ability to separate and contain personal experience as a consumer from that of clients.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse range of clients (such as Aboriginal, CALD, LGBTIQ and Forensic clients) and their families experiencing problematic alcohol and other drugs use in a respectful and compassionate manner.
• Strong organisational and highly developed interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written) with a consultative approach to addressing issues.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with service providers and stakeholders.
• Lived experience with either own or a loved one’s substance use (desirable)

*Appendix A (AOD Competencies)

OHV requires staff in clinical positions to have the following competencies (or their equivalent). Where people do not already have these competencies, OHV will invest in the staff’s professional development by providing them through our registered training organisation (RTO).
The competencies required in the first 12 months of employment are:

• CHCAOD001 – Work in an alcohol and other drugs context
• CHCAOD004 – Assess needs of clients with alcohol and other drugs issues
• CHCAOD006 – Provide interventions for people with alcohol and other drugs issues
• CHCAOD009 – Develop and review individual alcohol and other drugs treatment plans

What we can give YOU!

In return we are committed to offering you an inclusive and transparent workplace culture where our people can develop to be their very best by:

• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Providing work that is meaningful and challenging, with career development opportunities through project and secondment opportunities and succession planning
• Providing career pathways across diverse OHV programs.
• Access to 24/7 counselling through our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP)
• Generous leave options such as 48/52 Purchase Leave, Study Leave and Sabbaticals

In addition to the above, staff will also be provided monthly Clinical Supervision sessions for professional development and personal wellbeing.

Application information

Please apply directly via our careers website (applications via external recruitment websites or via email will not be considered)

Applications should be addressed to Louise Walker and include your CV and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria.

If you have any questions relating to the position, please contact Louise Walker – Manager Consortia Programs on, [email protected] using the subject line: Peer Worker - High Low Program - SECADA enquiry via EthicalJobs or 0422 505 542.

We will be assessing applications on a rolling basis and suitable candidates will be shortlisted immediately. This role will close once a suitable candidate has been selected, so please don’t wait to apply!

Our commitment to diversity

At OHV we value diversity and believe that a range of backgrounds brings a variety of ideas, perspectives and experiences that will enhance our effectiveness. We promote a workplace that actively seeks to include, welcome and value unique contributions by encouraging people with disability, Aboriginal Australians, LGBTQIA, young people and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply for this position.

Safety screening

OHV is committed to child safety and is a child safe organisation. All OHV employees must undergo Police Records and Working with Children Checks. Any person issued with a negative notice on their Working with Children Check will not be eligible for employment with us.

Mandatory COVID vaccinations

In line with recent Victorian Government mandatory vaccination requirements for the health industry, and OHV's Mandatory Vaccination Policy, all Odyssey House Victoria staff are required to hold full vaccination status, and effective as of 1 March 2022 also have received the Booster Vaccination. Evidence of such vaccination status will be requested during the onboarding process and offers will be rescinded where such evidence cannot be provided.

All Odyssey House Victoria sites are smoke free for all employees.