 Australia’s largest organisation supporting people with eating disorders and body image concerns

 Rewarding, dynamic and innovating role in a well-established not-for-profit

 Supported by passionate and committed colleagues

 Based onsite at Butterfly House in Crows Nest, Sydney

 Generous salary packaging options

 0.6 FTE

 Fixed-term contract until the 30th June 2026

Are you ready to help make a change?

Butterfly Foundation is Australia’s national charity for eating disorders and body image issues, providing a voice for those affected and the people who care for them. Eating disorders are severe and complex mental illnesses with physical complications, and the medical, psychological, physical and social consequences can be long term and for many, life threatening.

Butterfly advocates for improved services from government, health and mental health organisations and the eating disorder sector, raising awareness in the media, with key stakeholders and via community engagement. Butterfly runs Australia’s only national Helpline for eating disorders and body image issues, seven days a week; delivers evidence-based clinical treatment and support programs; and provides prevention initiatives in schools and the community to combat negative body image issues.

About the role

The primary purpose of this role is to provide hope for recovery and peer support through various activities working directly with people currently experiencing an eating disorder and their loved ones. The role aims to provide a safe, supportive and recovery-focused environment and will be responsible for facilitation of supports, and individual peer mentoring.

The role will utilise lived experience to support those experiencing an eating disorder and those caring for someone with an eating disorder, and will impart relevant information about eating disorders, disordered eating, body image concerns and related issues to family, friends and other carers of people with eating disorders.

Overview of Butterfly’s Next Steps Treatment Program

The Butterfly Foundation’s Next Steps Outpatient Program will deliver an online intensive outpatient program for participants aged 16 years and over which will incorporate group therapy, skills training, supportive meal therapy, and lived experience-led recovery support. The program will be delivered online via secure video-based platforms (e.g. Zoom). The Program aims to provide an accessible, evidence-informed and clinically effective way to improve access to intensive treatment for eating disorders and reduce eating disorder and related pathology. Next Steps is one of the three levels of treatment identified within in the National Eating Disorders Strategy (NEDC, 2023) and has been designed with the National Strategy standards in mind.

Selection Criteria

To see the FULL Selection Criteria, please view the Position Description on our website: www.butterfly.org.au/careers

Essential:

• Lived experience of an eating disorder or caring for someone with an eating disorder.

• Peer support fs who have experienced an eating disorder consider themselves to have been recovered for at least two years.

• Ability to eat in a healthy, relaxed, flexible manner in the company of others, and to model an appropriate relationship with food.

• An understanding of eating disorders and disordered eating, body image and related issues and of their impact both on the individual experiencing the issue and, on their families, friends partners and other carers.

• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills with a caring and empathetic approach and ability to establish rapport.

• Insight and understanding of the wide range of issues that are commonly present for people with eating disorders and their families/partners and caregivers.

• A clear understanding of professional boundaries, confidentiality, privacy principles and practices.

• An understanding of common co-morbid conditions with eating disorders and an ability to provide support and referrals as needed.

• A good understanding of best practice principles for supporting those with or caring for someone with an eating disorder.

To Apply

All applicants should supply their resume and address the selection criteria as detailed in the Position Description in a separate cover letter.

We recognise the value of staff with lived experience to instill hope post eating disorder recovery. Therefore we encourage applications from people with lived experience of eating disorders, and family member/carers of people with eating disorders.

Applications should be submitted by email to Human Resources at [email protected] with the Subject Title: Peer Worker – Next Steps

Closing Date: 1st January 2024, please note that if we receive a high level of applications, the vacancy will close earlier than stated. Therefore, we would encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Enquiries

For enquiries about this position, please email [email protected]