What is ACON’s Mental Health Peer Work Service?

The Mental Health Peer Work service at ACON is the combination of two specialty streams of mental health peer work: Suicide Prevention and Trans Mental Health and Wellbeing. It is a state-wide service that can be accessed by community via telehealth or face-to-face at one of the three ACON offices; Surry Hills, Newcastle, and Lismore. The position we are recruiting for will be Newcastle-based.

Ok, so what’s the role?

The Mental Health Peer Worker - Suicide Prevention role is essentially utilising your personal lived/living experience of suicidality and mental health recovery to support community members on their mental health recovery journeys.

This service is only for LGBTQ+ people and recognises the unique contexts that influence suicidality and mental unwellness for people of diverse sexualities and genders, and its impacts.

You will:

• Maintain a caseload of LGBTQ+ peers (clients) who are experiencing suicidal crises or following a recent suicide attempt. Some clients may also be seeking support in relation to gender and/or sexuality, mental health, substance support, ageing, housing, and/or be newly diagnosed or living longer-term with HIV.
• Collaborate with peers, colleagues, other services, supervisors and managers in a person-centred, trauma-informed manner to appropriately meet the needs and support the people you are working with.

Who are we looking for?:

• Someone who has an understanding of ACON’s communities and the unique complexities of working with LGBTQ+ peers who are experiencing suicidal crises or following a recent suicide attempt.
• Someone confident in sharing and using their personal lived experience of suicide and mental health recovery in a safe and meaningful way to support and advocate for the peers they are working with.

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.

You will be part of the Community Health team which delivers Care Coordination, counselling, substance support counselling, peer mental health support, trans mental health and trans peer support across NSW. It’s an energetic team of people with a dedicated focus on improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

What’s the remuneration and working details?:

Newcastle Role (Part-Time).

Salary (P-Time): $27,767 – $33,620 (Gross per-annum for 2 days / week, PLUS Superannuation and Leave Loading) – commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience.

Location: ACON’s Islington (Newcastle) Office, with some flexible working from home arrangements possible.

Hours: Part-Time (28 hours per fortnight).

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

• Salary Packaging up to $30,000 gross up value (i.e., currently up to $15,899 tax free) pro rata.
• 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.

How can I find out more details and apply?

If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply to join our team and help us make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve. By joining us, you will be part of a mission to create a healthier and more inclusive community.

We’d love someone who has experience already in this area but people at all levels of experience are absolutely welcome to apply. We highly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, migrant, and refugee backgrounds, and people of colour, people with disabilities, and people of all genders to apply.

For more information on the roles, please contact Chloe Wilson, Co-ordinator Mental Health Peer Work at [email protected] or 02 4962 7700, or Kage Gold, Acting Regional Manager Hunter at [email protected], using the subject line: Mental Health Peer Worker - Hunter (LGBTQ+) enquiry via EthicalJobs.

If this sounds like the position and organisation you’ve been looking for, find out how to apply via the Apply Now link.

All applications must include:

1. Your completed ACON Employment Application Form – with all the details filled in where requested;
2. Your Cover Letter outlining how you meet the Selection Criteria (max. 4 pages); and
3. Your Resume (max. 4 pages).

We are grounded in the belief that diversity is our strength, our differentiator, and at the core of who we are and what we do. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we encourage applications from people living with HIV, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTQ people from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, migrant and refugee backgrounds, and LGBTQ people of colour.

acon.org.au.