Lived Experience Worker - AOD Services

Mercy Hospitals Victoria Ltd; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercy Health invites applications for a Consumer Lived Experience Support Worker (AOD) to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, providing practical support and recovery guidance to people with co-occurring mental health and substance use needs. Bring lived experience to help peers build hope and resilience.

Based across Mercy sites in Victoria, the role emphasizes trauma-informed practice, consumer involvement, and professional development within an expanding health and aged-care network.

Qualifications

• Resilient, compassionate, with a big heart.
• Committed to delivering exceptional patient-centered care.
• Extensive experience with mental health and alcohol and other drug challenges.
• Ability to share consumer lived experience to support recovery.
• Willing to work towards Certificate IV in Mental Health (Peer Work).
• Trauma-informed understanding of alcohol and other drug use.

Skills

Compassionate

Resilience

Patient-centered care

Mental health experience

Education

Certificate IV in Mental Health (Peer Work)

Full Victorian Drivers Licence

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

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-centered care.
• 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.

Desirable

• 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.

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 acknowledgement 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. Mercy Health Australia is renowned for its unwavering commitment to providing compassionate and patient-centered health services and aged care services. If you're value and display empathy, integrity, and are seeking the opportunity to make a real difference, we invite you to join us! Mercy Health is made up of 10,000 people who provide acute and subacute hospital care, aged care, mental health programs, maternity and specialist women’s health services, early parenting services, home care services and health worker training and development. Mercy Health employs people from many cultures and backgrounds who, irrespective of their beliefs, share a common bond to care for those in need. We look forward to welcoming you to your journey with Mercy Health.