Senior Peer Worker

Pathway Talent; Inner West; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supervision and professional developm​

Candidate support

Job summary

Pathway Talent is partnering with New Horizons to recruit a Senior Peer Worker for headspace Ashfield. This role focuses on using lived experience to support young people experiencing emotional or mental distress and to strengthen peer practice across the team.

You will work with the Clinical Lead and Lived Experience Lead in a multidisciplinary setting, providing tailored psychosocial support and mentoring other team members and students under supervision.

Qualifications

• Personal lived experience of ongoing recovery from suicidality or mental distress is essential.
• Experience providing peer-based psychosocial support to children or young people in a mental health setting.
• Ability to use lived experience meaningfully while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based and recovery-oriented practice.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting relationships with young people, families and carers.
• Provide peer support grounded in lived experience and recovery-oriented practice.
• Collaborate with young people to develop, implement and review support plans.
• Contribute to risk assessments, safety plans and youth reviews.
• Support and mentor team members and students under supervision.
• Work with community services to help young people access coordinated support.
• Participate in Youth Reference Groups and service improvement activities.
• Maintain accurate records and engage in supervision and development.

Skills

Lived experience

Peer support

Trauma-informed

Youth mental health

Education

Certificate IV in Mental Health

Job description

Pathway Talent is working alongside New Horizons to recruit a Senior Peer Worker for headspace Ashfield. This is an opportunity to use your lived experience to support young people experiencing emotional or mental distress and help strengthen peer practice across the team.

About the opportunity

This opportunity is a Term Defined contract until June 2027

You will work alongside the Clinical Lead, Lived Experience Lead and a multidisciplinary team to provide psychosocial support tailored to each young person’s needs, strengths and goals.

You will use your lived experience purposefully in your work with young people, contribute to support and safety planning, and mentor other team members and students under the direction of the Clinical Lead or Lived Experience Lead.

Your key responsibilities

• Build trusting relationships with young people, families and carers.
• Provide peer support grounded in lived experience, recovery oriented, strength-based and trauma informed practice.
• Collaborate with young people and the team to develop, implement and review support plans.
• Contribute to risk assessments, safety plans, intake discussions and young person reviews.
• Support and mentor team members and students under the direction of the Clinical Lead or Lived Experience Lead
• Work with community services and other providers to help young people access coordinated support.
• Participate in Youth Reference Groups, co-design and service improvement activities.
• Maintain accurate records and participate in supervision and professional development.

Pathway Talent is working alongside New Horizons to recruit a Senior Peer Worker for headspace Ashfield. This is an opportunity to use your lived experience to support young people experiencing emotional or mental distress and help strengthen peer practice across the team.

About the opportunity

This opportunity is a Term Defined contract until June 2027

You will work alongside the Clinical Lead, Lived Experience Lead and a multidisciplinary team to provide psychosocial support tailored to each young person’s needs, strengths and goals.

You will use your lived experience purposefully in your work with young people, contribute to support and safety planning, and mentor other team members and students under the direction of the Clinical Lead or Lived Experience Lead.

Your key responsibilities

• Build trusting relationships with young people, families and carers.
• Provide peer support grounded in lived experience, recovery oriented, strength-based and trauma informed practice.
• Collaborate with young people and the team to develop, implement and review support plans.
• Contribute to risk assessments, safety plans, intake discussions and young person reviews.
• Support and mentor team members and students under the direction of the Clinical Lead or Lived Experience Lead
• Work with community services and other providers to help young people access coordinated support.
• Participate in Youth Reference Groups, co-design and service improvement activities.
• Maintain accurate records and participate in supervision and professional development.

About you

• Personal lived experience of ongoing recovery from suicidality, emotional or mental distress is essential.
• Experience providing peer based psychosocial support to children or young people in a mental health or similar setting.
• An ability to use your lived experience meaningfully while maintaining professional boundaries.
• A strong understanding of trauma informed, strengths based and recovery oriented practice.
• The ability to contribute to risk assessments, safety plans and support planning.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with young people, families, colleagues and external services.
• Sound documentation, adherenre to stringent reporting standardsand organisational skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge of relevant legislation, including child protection and mandatory reporting obligations
• Formal peer support training, such as a Certificate IV in Mental Health or Mental Health Peer Work, or a willingness to undertake relevant training.

Mandatory requirements

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Have personal lived experience of ongoing recovery from suicidality, emotional or mental distress is essential.
• Hold a current Working with Children Check
• Obtain a satisfactory National Police Check
• Hold or obtain an NDIS Worker Screening Check, if required for this position
• Have working rights in Australia
• Complete satisfactory reference checks

A current NSW Class C driver’s licence will be required if travel is an inherent part of the role.

What is on offer

Purpose-driven work

Use your lived experience to support young people to work towards their own recovery and wellbeing goals.

Collaborative team

Work alongside peer workers, clinical staff and community partners at headspace Ashfield.

Support and development

Participate in supervision, professional development, co-design and continuous improvement.

Candidate support

Receive clear communication and support from Pathway Talent throughout the recruitment process.

Safety and wellbeing

New Horizons is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. The successful candidate must follow child protection, mandatory reporting and safeguarding requirements and complete the required pre-employment checks.

Equal opportunity and acknowledgement

Pathway Talent is an equal opportunity employer, and our people represent the communities we serve. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from diverse cultural and social backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people and people with disability. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process.

Pathway Talent acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and pays respect to Elders past and present.