Mental Health Worker / Peer Support Worker

Position Title – Mental Health and Wellness Worker / Peer Support Worker – Community

Position Part Time – Fixed contract until 30/06/2025 with potential option to extend

Location – Hillston, Lake Cargelligo, Griffith NSW – Negotiable

JOIN OUR TEAM!

The Healthy Communities Foundation Australia (THCFA)

The Healthy Communities Foundation Australia was founded by healthcare professionals to change health outcomes in rural and remote communities. Formerly known as Rural and Remote Medical Services, we have been helping Australian communities for over 20 years. 

The Healthy Communities Foundation Australia was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Suicide Prevention Australia in 2022 to design and deliver the National Rural and Remote Suicide Prevention Program.– This position is funded under this grant to help increase access to services and ensure the continuity of care. 

The program is designed to deliver a scalable, integrated peer-to-peer suicide prevention program designed by communities for communities. The program focusing on the core needs and values of each community individually. The program has a core focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQI+, Farming and young people communities as the target audience.

General Purpose of Position:

HealthAccess Mind Care is a social enterprise of the Healthy Communities Foundation Australia. The Foundation has established social enterprises to meet identified gaps in community health care needs while also generating surplus income to support the Foundation’s charitable activities (providing access to health and social care to disadvantaged people where there is no other source of support or funding). HealthAccess Mind Care is responsible for the National Rural and Remote Suicide Prevention Program and the Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities Program. 

HealthAccess Mind Care is seeking a dedicated and compassionate individual to join our Team as a Mental Health Worker/Peer Support Worker working with the National Rural and Remote Suicide Prevention Team. This multifaceted role involves Mental Health support and client management alongside the Team and gives the employee the opportunity to potentially up-skill and start their journey to become accredited as a Mental Health Worker/Peer Support Worker. 

The successful candidate will be responsible for a range of tasks, including client record management, crisis intervention, care coordination, community training, regular professional development, and working in conjunction with the person’s support team to inform, manage, monitor, and review the needs of consumers experiencing a personal crisis.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with autonomy to support people experiencing a personal crisis and work with their support team, families and carers to provide brief counselling and support services utilising evidence-informed approaches within your scope of practice.
• Deliver Psychosocial support planning and coordination in a multi-session format.
• Deliver support through channels preferred by the service user.
• Conduct callbacks when appropriate to service users in need.
• Ensure professional standards are upheld including privacy, confidentiality and duty of care as well as those relevant to professional registration requirements and scope of practice as applicable.
• Consistently display and promote high-level commitment, integrity, and diligence in all aspects of work and decision-making.
• Ensure the delivery of evidence-informed services and supports.
• Appropriately document client sessions through our client database system. 
• Participate in, and develop skills and knowledge through, professional development and supervision sessions.
• Conduct suicide risk assessments and safety planning for high-risk callers or clients and escalate to appropriate services as required.
• Recognise and respond to deterioration in mental state and escalate care and support in line with policies and procedures.
• Deliver programs and training as decided by THCFA into communities, schools and other organisations 
• Adhere to THCFAs policies and procedures.
• Engage in self-led well-being planning to support ongoing compassionate practice and professional resilience.
• Other duties as required

Essential Credentials and Experience

• Minimum of Cert IV in one of the following Mental Health, Counselling, Community Services, Aboriginal Health, Peer Support or equivalent
• Demonstrated commitment to trauma informed, recovery oriented, person centered and culturally competent service provision.
• Demonstrated high level communication and interpersonal skills.
• A proven commitment to ongoing professional development and personal wellbeing.
• An understanding of assessment and support planning, clinical reasoning and goal setting, problem solving, organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Ability to maintain and instill high levels of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Demonstrated ability to practice collaboratively and work effectively as part of a diverse and multidisciplinary team. 
• Highly developed computer skills and digital service provision skills. 
• Flexible and adaptable to work within a hybrid model. 
• Demonstrates ability to manage a caseload and manage time wisely
• Current Working with Children Check or willingness to obtain
• Current Criminal History Check or willingness to obtain
• Has unrestricted NSW Driver’s License 

Desirable Credentials and Experience

• Experience working in Suicide Prevention or Mental Health
• Lived Experience of mental health and or suicide

What is on offer

• A competitive package, including salary-sacrificing options.
• Extensive professional development opportunities including (but not limited to):
  1. Suicide Prevention Training
  2. Mental Health First Aid Training
  3. Opportunity to attend relevant conferences, trainings and seminars
• An opportunity to work for a charity and make a real difference in providing essential services to the local community.
• Regular team functions and training events
• Ability for flexible work arrangements

If you have any questions about this role please contact our team at [email protected]

Please apply through SEEK.