Peer Worker

• Permanent role | 30.4 to 38 Hours per week
• Location: Dubbo NSW 2830
• $81903 to $86066 FTE + Super + NFP Salary Packaging Benefits
• Salary dependent on qualifications and experience
• Make a meaningful difference to the lives of Australians in need

Life at Mission Australia

When you join the team at Mission Australia, you become part of a community who are determined to end homelessness and ensure people in need can thrive. United by our Christian purpose and values, we advocate for a fairer Australia, to meet the growing needs of people across the country. Together we’re building hope and possibility for all.

Find out more about us and our purpose.

Your opportunity

At Mission Australia, we believe recovery is most powerful when guided by compassion and lived experience.

The Way Back Program is a non-clinical support service focused on providing rapid, practical psychosocial support to people experiencing a suicidal crisis or who have attempted suicide.

As a Peer Worker you will work alongside a dedicated, multidisciplinary team to support people experiencing suicidal crisis and/or distress. Drawing on your own journey, you will offer understanding, empathy, and practical strategies to help clients overcome barriers to accessing support, connect with community resources, and build independence in daily life.

Within a Recovery and Lived Expertise framework, you will facilitate support activities, coordinate care, and collaborate with other services to promote healing, community integration, and wellbeing.

This role calls for initiative, sound judgement, and sensitivity, as you provide tailored support to clients with complex needs while contributing to the positive outcomes of the service.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• Provide individualised coaching and support to help clients achieve recovery goals, including referral assessments, safety planning, and care planning.
• Respond to referrals from internal and external services and assist with assessing suitability for support.
• Facilitate client intakes, complete assessments, and maintain accurate case files and documentation.
• Deliver outreach and in-reach support in safe and appropriate environments.
• Assist clients with daily living needs, including medication observation where required.
• Promote the involvement of family, carers, and kin in safety and support planning.
• Support clients transitioning to independence or other services, fostering self-management skills.
• Connect clients with community resources, networks, and ongoing supports.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and external stakeholders.
• Complete administrative tasks, reports, and data entry in line with quality and accreditation standards.

Requirements for success

• A demonstrated lived experience of suicidal crisis or a lived experience of caring for someone experiencing suicidal crisis or bereavement from a suicide.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with clients, colleagues, stakeholders, and community services.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds and levels of disadvantage.
• Professional approach with clear boundaries and resilience in managing complexity
• Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work Support or with equivalent experience acceptable to Mission Australia.
• Current Valid First Aid and CPR certificates
• Current valid Driver’s Licence

Before starting work with us, you will need to undertake a national police history check, qualifications, and referee checks, and have a clearance to work with children/vulnerable people. 

Please note that disclosing convictions will not automatically preclude you from our recruitment process.

Your benefits

To ensure our employees feel valued, empowered, and celebrated, we provide a range of employee benefits including:

• Rewarding work – every day you know you’re making a real difference
• Not-for-profit salary packaging, reducing your tax (details via AccessPay)
• Free external, confidential counselling and access to chaplaincy support
• Volunteering opportunities 
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave 
• Extra leave including: Mission Australia Thank You Day & Work Anniversary Day off

Our culture  

Our innovative and inclusive culture will ensure you feel valued at Mission Australia as you help Australians in need and develop in your career.  

We prioritise the safety and wellbeing of everyone, both within our team and the individuals we serve.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment. We actively support and encourage people of all backgrounds; gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, religion, and sexual orientation to submit an application and aim to ensure that the recruitment and employee experience is as accessible and inclusive as possible. So, whoever you are, if you’re skilled and actively support our purpose and values, you would be welcome at Mission Australia.

If you live with disability and require support to submit your application, please email [email protected] or visit our Careers page for additional contact details.

We strongly encourage applications from people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. For culturally safe support or assistance with your application, please contact us at [email protected]  

Find out more about a career with Mission Australia. 

How to apply

Click ‘Apply’ and send your application today!

As a committed Circle Back Initiative employer, we will respond to your application.

Applications are shortlisted as they are received. Please apply as soon as possible to be considered. Thank you