Aboriginal Mental Health Peer Worker

Position Title: Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Peer Worker
Employment Type: Permanent Part time
Hours per week: 20 hours
Position Grade: Health Education Officer (Non-Graduate) / Health Education Officer (Graduate)
Salary: $60,373 - $87,304 base per annum / $69,050- $110,326 base per annum
Enterprise Agreement: The Named NSW (Non-Declared) AHO Professional and Associated Staff Agreement 2022
Department Name: Towards Zero Suicide , Darlinghurst Campus

About us:

St Vincent's Hospital Sydney is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing health services to our community. Guided by our values of compassion, excellence, integrity and justice, we promote a culture of diversity and inclusion and empower our people to learn, grow and innovate.

Benefits of working at St Vincent's include:

• Generous salary packaging and Fitness Passport for eligible staff
  
• Opportunity to access a large range of clinical and non-clinical education programs
  
• Supported post graduate opportunities within applicable fields
  
• Career development opportunities across the St Vincent's Health Australia Network
  
• Employee Assistance Program
  
• Work/Life balance

  About the role:

  We have an exciting opportunity to work in a dynamic team leading our approach to the provision of quality care to clients of the Towards Zero Suicide Department.

  The Alternatives to Emergency Department Service will provide support and connections for people who present to the service in distress or experiencing suicidal crisis. This service promotes a "no wrong door approach" and provides a non-clinical space and alternative to emergency department presentations.

  For many people experiencing a suicidal crisis, emergency departments are the most immediately accessed or only form of support. However, busy emergency departments are not ideal locations for people who are in psychological distress.

  The Alternatives to Emergency Department service will provide people with appropriate and responsive care in a warm welcoming environment, nearby to emergency departments. Support will be provided by suicide prevention Peer Workers in a non-clinical environment.

  People can also be connected with a wide range of other community based services such as for example housing, relationship counselling, financial assistance, drug and alcohol, homelessness, CALD services and Aboriginal services to help address the causes of their distress.

  The Aboriginal Peer Worker will provide holistic and culturally sensitive person centered, recovery-oriented and trauma-informed peer support as a team approach, to achieve better health outcomes and better access to services. Support may include:

  • Psychosocial support, safety planning, recovery/wellness planning, individual or group peer support, and advocacy.
  • Collaborative approach to supporting people to identify and connect with the support they need and want.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the local Aboriginal community and engage and involve Aboriginal communities when working with consumers of the Alternative to Emergency Department Service.
  • May also be required to work from or liaise with emergency departments to ensure people in distress are successfully linked to the service and that emergency department staff have a high awareness of the service.
  • The Aboriginal Peer worker will deliver support that aligns with the principles of step up/step down care. This includes making connections to a range of community-based services for ongoing support if required (step down), or supporting people to determine if they require clinical intervention including emergency care and/or outreach teams for follow up (step up).

  The service will operate outside of business working hours including weekends and public holidays.

  Our Culture:

  St Vincent's is committed to employing a workforce that reflects the community we care for. We strongly encourage applications from people that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally diverse, sexuality or gender diverse and/or living with disability.

  Employment with St Vincent's is subject to you having current immunity status that complies with the Occupational Assessment, Screening & Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases - NSW Health Policy Directive (PD2022_030). Appointment and ongoing employment will be subject to continued compliance with this policy directive.

  Application Instructions:
  To have you application considered you are required to upload a current CV/Resume as well as a separate cover letter/document addressing the 'Selection Criteria' as below. Internal applicants i.e. current employees of St Vincent's Hospital or an entity of SVHA are required to apply via their Workday account.

  Selection Criteria:

  1. Personal integrity and demonstrated commitment to the Philosophy, Mission and Values of Mary Aikenhead Ministries and St Vincent's Health Australia.

  2. Personal lived experience of a suicidal crisis and/or attempt, and ability to meaningfully and purposefully use lived experience of suicide to provide peer support to people at risk of suicide.-

  3. Intentional Peer Support (IPS), and Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer), or successful completion of Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer) or willing to attain within 18 months of commencing position

  4. Capacity to use person centred recovery-oriented and trauma-informed principles in providing support to people at risk of suicide.

  5. Understanding of the suicide prevention sector and ability to utilise appropriate suicide prevention support such as crisis response, safety planning and managing risk and an understanding of, and commitment to, recovery oriented services and lived experience involvement in service design, implementation and evaluation.

  6. Capacity to work collaboratively with people using the service, families/carers, colleagues, other NSW Health personnel and other stakeholders.

  7. Demonstrated effective negotiation, time management, and written and verbal communication skills and excellent computing skills including the ability to use Microsoft applications.

  8. Experience working in community based health or social support settings or NSW Health Services and awareness of NSW Health policies and procedures.

  "Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced."

  Applications close on 18 April 2024