• Bring your energy & lived experience to support VMIAC’s efforts to build the collective power of consumers to lead systemic change of Victoria Mental Health & Wellbeing services.

CONTEXT

Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) is Victoria’s peak body for people who have a lived experience of mental health or emotional challenges. We are run by consumers, for consumers.

Your lived experience and those of other consumers matters.

VMIAC is going through a period of growth and is wanting to build and extend relationships with consumers who’ve been excluded from and/or marginalised by and within Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing service system.

We have three new roles which are pivotal to ensuring VMIAC and the Department of Health hears from and utilises consumers' expertise it seeks to rebuild the mental health and wellbeing system following recommendations from the Royal Commission to Mental Health.

A LIVED EXPERIENCE ROLE

Applicants must have lived experience of mental health issue, emotional distress and/or of being a consumer of mental health services.

We strongly encourage people with lived experience of mental illness and/or emotional distress from the following background/s to apply:

• First Nations
• Refugee and asylum seeker
• People of color (often referred to as culturally and linguistically diverse)
• Public housing residents
• LGBTQI+ and/or
• A disability

VMIAC recognises the relationship between colonisation, racism, ableism, Islamophobia, classism as forms of discrimination and oppression which harm people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Joining VMIAC at this moment in time will ensure cultural knowledge is used internally and externally to rebuild Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Community Development and Engagement Coordinator position will utilise their cultural knowledge, skills and relationships to engage communities historically under-represented within VMIAC’s membership (including the consumer register) and who’ve been marginalised by and within Victoria’s mental health service system.

The Coordinator will develop and progress a Reconciliation Action Plan and a community engagement strategy to take important steps to address and remedy these historical injustices. The right applicant will use their community engagement and event management skills to increase community members experiencing marginalisation to participate in our membership events, co-design activities and consumer register which is ensuring consumer knowledge is o rebuild Victoria’s mental health system.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Community Development and Engagement position is:

• An ongoing position
• A SCHADS Level 5 position, plus superannuation
• A 0.8 EFT position (4 days per week)
• Salary Packaging options are available

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

• Contributing to the development and then monitoring the implementation VMIAC’s Reconciliation Action Plan, including working with Traditional Owners
• Contributing to then monitoring the implementation of VMIAC engagement strategy
• Utilising cultural knowledge of and relationships with First Nations people, people of colour, people with a disability, and/or LGBTQI+ to ensure VMIAC and the Victorian government hear from communities historically marginalised by and within Victoria’s mental health system. And using this expertise to support consumers from this community participate
• Assertive engagement of individuals and community organisations serving First Nations people, people of colour, people with a disability, public housing residents, LGBTQI+, young people, older people and /or rural and regional Victorians, older consumers
• Using co-design to ensure VMIAC’s community engagement activities delivered as part of VMIAC’s work with members and the consumer register are culturally affirmative and inclusive
• Organising, planning, participating and evaluation of in community events and community building activities for consumers and which ensure lived experience is used in the rebuilding of Victoria’ mental health and wellbeing service system and VMIAC’s work.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• As VMIAC is committed to Child Safety Standards the successful applicant will need to provide a current police check and Working with Children Check
• This role is office-based role at VMIAC when government directions allow
• Vaccination requirements as per government guidelines

To learn more about VMIAC please check out our website here to learn more about our values, history and vision. Please read about the consumer register and membership as this role will be involved in these two initiatives.

Recruitment timeline

• Interviews will between 02/02/2022 and 07/02/2022

A position description is attached.