Peer Practitioner

Mind Australia Limited; City of Greater Shepparton; Hybrid; AUD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging up to $15,899 p.a.

Meal and Entertainment allowance up to

8 weeks paid parental leave

17.5% annual leave loading

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Fitness Passport

CommBank banking benefits

Practice Development and coaching

Job summary

Mind Australia is seeking a Peer Practitioner (DBS) to join a Distress Support Service in the Greater Shepparton area on a full-time fixed-term basis until June 2027. Using your lived experience, you will provide short-term, relational support through telehealth, outreach and on-site visits, within a supportive team of peers and specialists.

The role emphasizes social change, human rights, dignity and choice, with a trauma-responsive, do-no-harm approach and alignment to Mind’s governance

Qualifications

• Lived/living experience of psychological distress and/or substance use challenges.
• Experience in a dedicated Peer role is strongly desirable.
• Willingness to complete Intentional Peer Support training.

Responsibilities

• Connect with people experiencing distress within 1-business day from initial connection to the DSS service.
• Assist the person with system navigation and linkages to community agencies or support systems.
• Be grounded in the discipline of Lived Expertise and promote an inclusive, destigmatising culture.
• Utilise your Lived Expertise to promote an inclusive, affirming culture that involves service users and families.
• Work in alignment with governance, policy and practice structures with relational safety in mind.

Skills

Lived experience

Peer support

Communication skills

Education

Intentional Peer Support Core/Advanced Training

Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work

Job description

Mind strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, people with a lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery, and applicants from all cultures, genders, sexualities, bodies, abilities, spiritualities, ages and backgrounds.

Mind Australia is one of Australia’s largest providers of community-managed psychosocial services, supporting people experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges to find help, hope and purpose in their lives. Operating for almost 50 years and employing more than 1,300 staff around Australia, Mind is a leading employer of people with lived experience of mental health challenges, recognising their unique ability to connect with and motivate clients and guide recovery.

About the service

Distress Support Service (DSS) is a community-based, early intervention program designed to provide immediate, compassionate support to people experiencing psychological distress. It responds to national and state-level mental health reform priorities, including recommendations from the National Suicide Prevention Adviser, the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, and the Productivity Commission’s Mental Health Inquiry.

About the role

We are seeking a passionate and experienced Peer Practitioner for a Full-time, Fixed term opportunity (until June 2027) to join a wellbeing support service in the Greater Shepparton area. Using your lived experience of mental health challenges, you will provide short-term, relational support to service users. This role will work within a team of Peer Practitioners and specialist support workers, offering flexible connections including telehealth, outreach, and on-site support over a 2–3 week period.

Key responsibilities

• Connect with people experiencing distress within 1-business day from initial connection to the DSS service via the Community Engagement Point.
• Assist the person with system navigation and linkages to community agencies or support systems that will assist them to address life impacts and barriers to full social, educational and employment participation, as required.
• Be grounded in the discipline of Lived Expertise, drawing from your own lived experience, informed by a commitment to social change, human rights, dignity and choice to shape the delivery of their work and that of Mind.
• Utilise your Lived Expertise to promote an inclusive, affirming and destigmatising culture that values lived experience and the active inclusion of service users, carers, and families in the work we do.
• Work in alignment with relevant workplace governance, policy and practice structures whilst holding the tension and practice of relational safety as key to your work.

What you’ll bring

• Completion of Intentional Peer Support Core and/ or Advanced Training and/or Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work is desirable but not required.
• A willingness to complete Intentional Peer Support training where this has not been undertaken.
• Have a lived/living experience of psychological distress and/or substance use challenges and recovery, and understanding of, and ability and willingness to, contribute this Lived Expertise in working towards greater organisational impact.
• Experience using lived experience in a dedicated Peer role is strongly desirable.
• Experience or commitment to working directly with people with mental health challenges and their families/carers.
• Understands/working towards understanding the impacts of mutually reinforcing systems of discrimination and marginalisation that oppress people based on their intersectional identities and take a trauma-responsive, do no harm approach.

Benefits

• Salary packaging up to $15,899 p.a. allows you to allocate a portion of your pre-tax income to cover living expenses (e.g. rent, mortgage, childcare, car leasing expenses etc.)
• Option to access Meal and Entertainment allowance up to $2,650 p.a. via Salary Packaging.
• Generous leave entitlements including 8 weeks paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provided by Converge International,for you and your immediate family members.
• Fitness Passport - Access to our corporate health and fitness program, providing you and family with access to a wide choice of fitness facilities.
• Workplace Banking Portal that provides convenient access to a range of banking and lifestyle benefits offered through Mind’s CommBank programs.
• Professional development through regular Practice Development sessions and coaching with your supervisor.

Robert McAdam, Team Leader – Lived Expertise

[e-mail]

Position Description

PD Peer Practitioner (DBS) 20260224.pdf

The successful applicant is required to complete comprehensive reference and background checking prior to employment, including a Working with Children Check, NDIS Workers Screening Check.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please contact us at [e-mail]