Lived Experience Worker - AOD Services

Mercy Health; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercy Health is seeking a Consumer Lived Experience Support Worker (AOD) to join our multidisciplinary teams across Mercy sites in Victoria. You will use your lived experience to support people with co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges.

You will collaborate with clinicians, contribute to capacity building, and help deliver integrated care, learning and practical support toward recovery goals.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in mental health and alcohol & other drug challenges and recovery.
• Ability to share consumer lived experience to support recovery using peer principles.
• Willingness to work towards Certificate IV in Mental Health (Peer Work) or equivalent training.
• Good knowledge of issues facing people with mental ill health.
• Trauma-informed understanding of alcohol and other drug use.
• Extensive experience as a lived experience worker and service user.

Responsibilities

• Bring a lived experience perspective to the AOD specialist team.
• Provide consultation and advice to clinicians on co-occurring mental ill health and substance use.
• Contribute to professional development and capacity building for integrated care.

Skills

Lived experience

Peer support principles

Trauma-informed

Patient-centred care

Mental health awareness

Education

Certificate IV in Mental Health (Peer Work)

Certificate / Diploma / Degree in another field

Job description

Employment Type: Permanent
Hours: 38 hours a week, Monday to Friday 8:00-16:30hrs
Location: Across Mercy Sites including Werribee Mercy Hospital/Wyndham Clinic/Williams Landing
Upload with Application: Resume, cover letter, and all relevant qualifications
Contact: Jean-Paul Mills, Divisional Director - Community Mental Health Services
******@mercy.com.au

Where there's life, there's Mercy.
Where there's care, there's You.

Through the battles and the breakthroughs, we're there. Where will you be?

For over a century, our incredible teams have provided care for people when they need it most. Our people feel great pride in this, and they value the security and stability we offer. But it also means so much opportunity - to build on all that's gone before, to grow your impact and gain experience that's hard to find elsewhere.

As a for-purpose organisation with over 10,000 dedicated, compassionate people, we continue to offer more services and deeper care than ever before. With Mercy, you'll have the chance to make an impact and gain experience that's hard to find elsewhere.

At Mercy Health, it's all about taking what we have and making it better.
To do that, we need you.
Join us at Mercy Health, and help our teams deliver even greater outcomes.

About the opportunity:
The Consumer Lived Experience Support Worker (AOD) position has been specifically developed for people who have been directly connected to mental health and/or alcohol and other drug service provision via their own experience as a care recipient. The position provides support for people with co-occurring mental illness and substance use.

The Consumer Lived Experience Support Worker (AOD) works collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, consumers and their families/carers to facilitate support, learning and / or provide practical assistance for action towards identified recovery goals

• Bring a lived experience perspective to the AOD specialist team at MMH&WS.
• Provide consultation and advice to clinicians on how to work with people with co-occurring mental ill health and substance use.
• Contribute to professional development and capacity building across the organization to build a service that delivers integrated treatment, care and support to people living with mental ill health and substance use or addiction.

What you'll bring:
You're resilient, compassionate and have a whole lot of heart. Most importantly, you are committed to delivering exceptional patient-centred care.

To thrive in this role, you will have:

• Extensive experience of mental health and alcohol and other drug challenges and recovery
• The ability to share their consumer lived experience, where appropriate, to support consumers to build understanding, hope and resilience in line with peer support principles
• Attained or willing to work towards the Certificate IV in Mental Health (Peer Work) or Training and experience in the Intentional Peer Support framework.
• Good knowledge of the diverse issues and perspectives that matter to people who experience mental ill health.
• Trauma-informed understanding of alcohol and other drug use.
• Extensive experience as a lived experience worker
• Extensive experience as a consumer of a mental health service and/or alcohol and other drug service
• Cert IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs or relevant certificate, diploma or degree qualifications in another field
• Full unrestricted Victorian Drivers License

You will also be required to provide evidence of, or in the process of obtaining:

• A current Police Record Check and Working with Children Check.
• Current COVID-19 certificate, proof of current influenza vaccination and other vaccination status consistent with public health orders.

Ready to help us shape the future of healthcare?

Join us and make a meaningful difference in people's lives - and your career.

Please contact us if you would like to find out more or communicate any requirements to ensure we provide you with a fair and equitable interview and selection process.

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples, traditional Custodians of the Land in which our Head Office is based, on traditional lands of the Kulin Nation and recognise their deep connections to the land, sea, and culture.

We extend this acknowledgment to the many Traditional Lands that we operate across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

The team at Mercy Health is as wonderfully diverse as the patients, residents, clients and communities we support. We're proud to be recognised as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). Mercy Health strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people of all ages, sexualities, genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds.