Peer Worker or Mental Health Worker (Community Businesses)

Flourish Australia has an exciting opportunity for a Peer Worker or Mental Health Worker to join our Community Businesses team in St Marys!

The position available is:

• Ongoing Part-time (45.6 hours/fortnight)
• Working days between Monday and Friday
• Based in St Marys
• Attractive hourly rates equivalent to SCHCADS Level 3 $36.00 - $38.60p/h + 11% Super + Tax-Free Salary Packaging!

About the Community Businesses

• Social: to create a recovery and reintegration pathway for people with mental health issues through various employment activities.
• Economic: to operate the business on a commercially sustainable basis of profitable growth whilst simultaneously offering employment opportunities for people.
• Product: to provide a range of commercial industry-standard products that meet the expectations and needs of targeted markets.
• Support: to increase awareness of mental health issues and to encourage businesses to support the Community Businesses.

For more information on how our Community Businesses provide recovery-focused employment and support, please visit our website.

About the Opportunity

Flourish Australia’s Community Businesses provide vocational support and training within a commercial environment to people with lived experience of mental health issues. They achieve this goal by tailoring meaningful employment activities that support an employee’s vocational journey with practical on the job training and a group based learning experience. These vocational activities culminate into achieving the Community Businesses objective of transitioning employees into open employment.

The objectives of our community businesses are to provide a supportive working environment where people can:

• Reconnect gradually with employment and earn an award-based wage;  
• Gain or enhance the social skills required to operate successfully as an employee;
• Learn about recovery and how to improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing, and plan their recovery journey with support from a peer worker; and 
• Gain useful trade or industrial skills and qualifications relevant to future working opportunities.

A Peer Worker or Mental Health Worker working in Flourish Australia’s Community Businesses provides a high quality and responsive person-led, recovery-oriented and trauma informed service that best supports people to maintain meaningful employment. The Peer Worker or Mental Health Worker will provide workplace supports to people with NDIS plans and defined employment goals.

We value lived experience and believe peer support is a powerful part of the mental health recovery journey. Therefore, our Peer Worker roles are for those willing to use their lived experience and personal recovery to mentor people with a lived experience of a mental health issue. You will use your lived experience to inform and contribute to staff learning, service understanding, and delivering person-led, strengths focused, recovery based service.

For more information about what it means to be a Peer Worker with Flourish Australia, please review the Position Description and the Peer Worker information statement “What You Should Consider Before Becoming A Peer Worker”.

For more information on the Mental Health Worker role, please read the Position Description.

Please note - Successful candidates must maintain a Class C drivers license and proof of comprehensive insurance must be provided when required. You may be directed to use your private motor vehicle in the course of performing your duties when an organisational pool motor vehicle is unavailable. You will receive the Travelling Transport and Fares Allowance when using your private vehicle for work related purposes.

Who we are

Flourish Australia operates social enterprises and community businesses with the purpose of creating sustainable employment, vocational and training opportunities for people with mental health issues. We work in local communities to help people on their mental health recovery journey.

Our services are comprehensive and highly personalised because each person’s experience will be different and their needs, as an individual, are unique. Together we set goals, connect individuals with the right people, support services and opportunities to meet their needs.

Our positions are open to all suitably qualified applicants. We have a strong commitment to the participation of people with lived experience of mental health issues in our workforce. We value diversity and encourage applications from suitably qualified people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities, LGBTQ+ communities and mature age candidates.

Selection Criteria

Essential:

• A Certificate IV or above in a relevant field OR a minimum of 2-years full-time experience working in the human services field (as recognised by Flourish Australia).
• A strong commitment to recovery-based practice in the workplace.
• Understanding of the challenges faced by people with a lived experience of a mental health issue.
• Demonstrated alignment to Flourish Australia’s values.
• Understanding of, and ability to effectively use, Microsoft Office and knowledge of data information management systems.
• Maintain a current Australian Driver’s Licence.

For more information, please contact Darren Field, Site Manager. E: Darren.Field@flourishaustralia.org.au (please do not email applications).

All appointments with Flourish Australia's Mental Health Services are subject to an NDIS Worker Screening clearance, a National Criminal History Check, a Working With Children Check, previous employment reference checks, satisfactory Australian residency status and other background checks. All successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence they are fully vaccination against COVID-19 (including booster) prior to commencement, inline with Flourish Australia’s Vaccination Policy.

The Benefits

Flourish Australia recognises and values its people as demonstrated by:

• Level 3 (SCHCADS) on the Flourish Australia Enterprise Agreement (2018) 
• Tax-Free Salary Packaging up to $15,900
• Vehicle mileage allowance 
• Family-friendly and flexible working conditions
• Generous leave provisions including 17.5% leave loading + 2 additional days of personal leave + extra day paid leave over Christmas/New Year + 10 weeks paid parental leave
• Opportunities for career development, professional development and training such as Mental Health First Aid and ASIST.
• Regular supervision (reflective practice), ongoing 1:1 mentoring, strong team support and a comprehensive induction program
• Inclusive initiatives such as our Rainbow Network and YarnUp for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander staff
• Employee Assistance Program for confidential wellbeing support
• Exclusive Fleet pricing discounts with our preferred automotive supplier
• Employee discounts at 350+ popular retailers (Woolworths, Expedia, Myer, Kmart etc)

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please complete all the questions asked. You will then be required to attach a copy of your resume on the following page, we encourage you to have your resume up-to-date and available before you commence the application.