Peer Support Specialist

Ember Korowai Takitini; Auckland; On-site; NZD 34,440 - 41,328; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Offers additional leave – Recreation &

Health & Wellbeing programme

Professional development opportunities

Supportive work environment

Competitive salary

Comprehensive service induction

Monthly Peer Coaching

Job summary

Ember Korowai Takitini in Auckland seeks a Family Whānau Peer Support Specialist to connect with families of tāngata whaiora in treatment, bridging clinical and whānau voices to improve outcomes.

The role requires lived whānau experience with eating disorders; you’ll work part-time (24 hours/week) at Greenlane Hospital, with a competitive NZD 25–30 per hour pay, and opportunities for professional development and wellbeing support.

Qualifications

• Lived experience with eating disorders and support roles.
• Strong interpersonal and communication abilities.
• Experience collaborating with families and clinical teams.
• Licensed driver and access to transport preferred.

Responsibilities

• Use your lived experience to support families and whānau on their recovery journey.
• Encourage and inspire families to participate in care plans and decisions.
• Respect confidentiality and provide accurate documentation.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support holistic care.
• Promote recovery-oriented practices and empathy in sessions.

Skills

Lived experience

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

NZ Drivers Licence

Education

NZ Certificate in Health & Wellbeing L4

Higher qualification

Job description

Family-whānau have an important role to play in the treatment and recovery of people who have an eating disorder. This is an exciting opportunity to explore and develop ways to enhance the relationships between family-whānau and the treating team, with a view to improving and maximising outcomes for tāngata whaiora (people seeking wellness).

As a Family Whānau Peer Support Specialist you will connect with families and whānau of tāngata whaiora who are in treatment with the Tupu Ora Child Team. Communication, clinical outcomes, access, and care experiences will all be improved from your contribution as a bridge between clinicians and family-whānau.

We are looking for staff with lived whānau experience of eating disorders to join our child team based in Greenlane hospital.

• Permanent, Part-time (24 hours per week)
• Working Hours will be between the hours of 8am - 5pm Monday to Friday. (We have some flexibility around exact days and hours, and this can be discussed on appointment).
• Ember Support Worker Pay Rates: $25.00 - $30.00ph (depending on qualification held and its equivalence to the NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing L4, with stepped increases based on tenure).

Ember Korowai Takitini | Nga Matapono

Ember Korowai Takitini are leaders in The Peer & Lived Experience mental health and addiction sector, dedicated to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Our Peer & Lived Experience services blends professional expertise and lived experience to offer a range of services and supports for anyone with mental health, addiction, or intellectual disability needs.

• Offers additional leave – Recreation days & study leave
• Provides a comprehensive Health & Wellbeing programme, including health checks, flu vaccinations and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and more.
• Professional development opportunities, including training and workshops.
• Supportive and inclusive work environment, fostering personal growth and work-life balance.
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Comprehensive service induction
• Monthly Peer Coaching and Supervision

The Service | Ko Te Whare O Kahurangi

As a Peer Support Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in our clinical services team, providing invaluable support to individuals with mental health conditions. You will work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals, ensuring a holistic and person-centred approach to care.

Tupu Ora means to grow your wellness

The Tupu Ora service is a community-based specialist service providing assessment and evidence based treatment for children, young people and adults with acute and complex eating disorders in the Metro Auckland region. The service provides consultation and liaison services and specialist support to Northland.

The Tupu Ora Residential Eating Disorders Unit is a nine-bedded unit. The unit provides an eating disorder intensive treatment programme for clients 15+ who have a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Individualised treatment plans are constructed to meet the unique needs of the client including initial assessment, weight restoration, and stabilisation and harm reduction pathways.

Role | Nga mahi

Peer Support Specialists bring more than their own personal lived experience to the role. Their approach is shaped by a knowledge base and practices derived from individual and collective understandings of what is needed for recovery and sustained wellbeing.

Responsibilities

• Use your own lived experience of supporting someone with an eating disorder and their journey towards wellbeing.
• Use your own experiences of supporting someone with an eating disorder to encourage and inspire the families and whānau you will work with.
• Honour the contributions of family-whānau and support them to identify and use their strengths.
• Encourage family-whānau to make their own decisions, try new things, and work together.
• Have an understanding of how discrimination, trauma, and injustice affect family-whānau.
• Model resilience and positive ways of providing support to a loved one with an eating disorder.
• Serve as a resource to clinical staff, providing insights and perspectives from the lived whānau experience of eating disorder challenges.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of all interactions, ensuring compliance with confidentiality and regulatory requirements.

You will have | Nga Pukenga

• Personal lived experience of supporting a close whānau member (e.g. child or sibling) with eating disorder challenges. Experience of recovery - your whānau member has had sustained recovery of 5 years or more.
• Previous experience within eating disorders or Mental Health sector.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and trust with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Preferably level 4 National Certificate of Health & Wellbeing or higher qualification.
• Understanding of recovery-oriented principles and practices, and the ability to apply them in a clinical setting.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to balance multiple responsibilities and prioritize tasks effectively.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team environment, while also demonstrating initiative and independent judgment.
• Proficient computer skills for documentation and data management purposes.
• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing personal and professional growth.
• Full NZ Drivers Licence
• Valid/Current work visa, residency, or citizenship

He aha te mea nui o te ao? Maku e ki atu, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Ember is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace and are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all. We particularly welcome applications from our Māori, Pacific and Rainbow communities.

We will interview candidates as applications come through rather than waiting until the advertisement closes. The vacancy may be filled earlier if a suitable candidate is identified.