About ReachOut

ReachOut is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents. Our practical support, tools and tips help young people get through anything from everyday issues to tough times – and the information we offer parents makes it easier for them to help their teenagers, too.

We’ve been changing the way people access help since we launched the world’s first online mental health service more than 25 years ago. Everything we create is based on the latest evidence and designed with experts, and young people or their parents. This is why our digital self-help tools are trusted, relevant and easy to use.

Available for free anytime and pretty much anywhere, 166,000 people in Australia access ReachOut every month. That’s approximately 2 million each year.

About the role

ReachOut’s new 1-1 Online Peer Support service provides an opportunity for young people aged 18-25 to connect with a trained Peer Worker via text chat in a safe, anonymous, online environment.

Drawing on your lived experience of mental health issues and recovery, you will provide peer support to young people, as well as maintain necessary service records. You will work with the Peer Work Team Leader to contribute to the development of peer work resources and a resource database for content and service referrals, as well as contributing to service development initiatives.

The Peer Worker is managed by the Peer Work Team Leader and will work collaboratively within a close-knit team. You will receive induction training, ongoing professional development opportunities and peer supervision.

Key tasks:

• Provide 1 to 1 anonymous peer support via text-based chat to young people.
• Demonstrate and promote person-centred, strengths-based, trauma informed, and recovery-oriented approaches.
• Develop positive relationships with young people that respect boundaries.
• Encourage goal setting and support the development and review of support plans.
• Follow ReachOut’s duty of care policies and procedures to respond to, and escalate any risk appropriately
• Support young people to manage their safety, including those disclosing self-harm and thoughts of suicide
• Provide feedback to help develop and refine the service.
• Advocate for the importance of peer support and lived experience and
  contribute to the development of a Lived Experience Workforce Blueprint for ReachOut

About you:

• Personal lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery as a young person.
• Qualifications or relevant experience in one or more of the following areas: peer work, mental health, youth work, safe storytelling, community services, or similar.
• An understanding of Duty of Care principles, strengths-based, trauma informed, and recovery-oriented practices.
• Understanding of assessing and responding to levels of risk and harm.
• Excellent computer skills and a familiarity with online environments.
• Excellent online and offline communication skills.
• Experience practising clear boundaries and self-care.
• Proven ability to help problem-solve effectively, engage, and work creatively.
• Proven ability to work effectively both individually and within a team.

How to apply:

To find out more about ReachOut and read the full position description, please go to our careers page.

Note: We will be shortlisting for this role immediately. Please get your application in ASAP.

Candidates must have the right to live and work in Australia permanently. You will also be required to obtain a current employment Working with Children Check.

As we are a mental health organisation it is important to let you know that you may hear stories of distress, hardship or trauma when working at ReachOut. We really encourage you to reflect on how this may impact you when considering applying for this role. An EAP is available to support employees.