Mental Health Peer Worker (Suicide Prevention)

• We are excited for someone to join our Peer Work Team and play a vital role in the delivery of our Statewide Suicide Prevention and Aftercare Service that supports LGBTQ+ community following a suicidal crisis, an attempt or those experiencing suicide risk.
• This regional NSW based peer work role has become a possibility through an expansion of our grant through the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network.

What’s ACON’s Regional Services you say? 

• Our regional teams engage with LGBTQ+ people, community members and people living with HIV (PLHIV) in providing care coordination, peer support, counselling services, delivering health promotion campaigns, undertaking community development and peer education initiatives, supporting community groups and events, providing training and support to mainstream services, and providing access to the needle and syringe program. 

Ok, so what’s the role?

The Mental Health Peer Worker (Suicide Prevention) is essentially utilising your lived experience of suicide and mental health challenges to support LGBTQ+ community members experiencing suicidal distress or following a recent attempt. This role is a part of a multidisciplinary team consisting of lived experience and non-lived experience roles responding to the needs of LGBTQ+ community members, however peer support may be delivered as a standalone support service depending on the support preferences of individual community members.

 You will:

• Provide strengths based, recovery orientated and trauma informed peer support, advocacy and mentoring to LGBTQ+ community members
• Support and empower peer clients to strength their self-management skills
• Work collaboratively with ACON staff, in particular Client Services and Regional Services staff to ensure adequate support is provided to peer clients in a timely manner
• Regularly attend and actively participate in required team meetings to ensure consistent quality service delivery
• Support the promotion of the service

Who are we looking for?

• Someone with significant lived experience of suicide, mental health distress and recovery who is eager to use this experience to support LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV
• Someone who is compassionate and passionate about human rights and social justice
• Someone who understands the broad range of social factors that impact experiences of suicidality for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV
• Someone with solid written and verbal communication skills including empathy, conflict resolution, productive feedback, active listening and case notes
• Someone with a strong commitment and understanding of ACON’s communities, particularly people with HIV
• Someone with experience working or volunteering in a mental health setting
• Someone with the ability to meaningfully connect with people from diverse backgrounds and possess the skills and commitment to provide a culturally open space
• Someone with a balance of initiative and collaboration, who can work independently and as a part of a cohesive and supportive team

What else can we tell you?

ACON provides a colourful, nurturing, and fun workplace. Our employees and volunteers are the foundation for our ongoing effectiveness and for our capacity to deliver innovative community engagement and health promotion programs and initiatives for our communities.

To support the successful candidate in their new role at ACON we offer:

• Flexible working arrangements.
• Generous learning and development opportunities.
• Potential for tailored mentoring opportunities.
• Supportive working environment with a knowledgeable and friendly team.

What’s the remuneration and working details? 

Salary:           $85,457 – $96,745 TPR (Gross per-annum, PLUS Superannuation and Leave Loading) – commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience.

Location:      ACON’s Awabakal/Hunter Office, with flexible working options a possibility (away from the office).

Hours:           Part-Time (42 hours per fortnight) on a 1-year fixed term contract with the possibility of extension.

We offer flexible working arrangements and a generous array of benefits and entitlements often above the National Employment Standards (NES) including:

• Salary Packaging up to $35,000 gross up value (i.e., currently up to $15,900 Expenses + $2,650 Meals, tax free).
• Generous pro-rata leave entitlements – including up to an extra week of paid leave for full time employees to be taken during our Christmas and New Year’s shutdown period.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to a comprehensive counselling service free to employees.
• Access to discounted unique accommodation experiences to improve employee health and wellbeing.