Do you want to create a difference in people’s lives by using your own experience? Are you able to offer hope to others who may feel hopelessness?

ICLA’s eFriend Peers work alongside people to offer hope, connectedness and empowerment while they work through some of the difficulties that life often presents. We believe that staff with lived experience in mental health issues bring valuable experience and understanding to our programs, enriching the support provided.

Our Peer Workers:

• Work with people seeking support at difficult times in their life
• Learn how to use their lived experience to support others in helpful and effective ways
• Deliver an innovative and dynamic program in a collaborative team.

About the Program

eFriend is a virtual peer support service, offering free befriending sessions with eFriend Peers via video or phone call to adults who are feeling down, stressed, lonely, isolated or worried. This program has 4.5 hour shifts between 9am – 8pm Monday – Friday.

About the Role

Our empathetic and compassionate Peer Support Workers use their own lived experience with mental health to support and empower people feeling down, worried, lonely, stressed or isolated, through videoconferencing befriending calls. We currently have one part time position available working 9-13.5 hours per week. Remuneration is $28 per hour, in accordance with SCHADS Award 2010 Level 2.1.

Responsibilities include:

• Facilitating a series of videoconference calls (3 – 6 sessions of 30-mins) with eFriend participants, in accordance with the eFriend peer guide.
• Establishing rapport and building trusting, professional and boundaried relationships with eFriend participants.
• Utilising lived experience and befriending skills to provide virtual peer support to eFriend participants
• Managing call time, establish expectations around eFriend program.
• Documenting eFriend sessions to provide an overview of discussion, supports provided and referral pathways identified.
• Ensuring professionalism and ethical practice, maintain appropriate boundaries and work within scope of practice.
• Supporting participants to actively engage with their support networks
• Providing referral options and seek to connect eFriend participants to specialist providers where appropriate.
• Contributing to positive and high performing culture by participating in training, supervision and debriefing sessions, maintaining personal wellbeing and promoting professional boundaries within the team

About You

Essential Criteria - Experience, Personal Attributes and Qualifications:

• Lived experience in mental health recovery and ability to utilise personal lived experience to provide peer support
• Ability to relate to and engage with people who are seeking support for a range of mental health issues.
• Understanding and commitment to a trauma informed, recovery-oriented, person-centred approach.
• Caring nature balanced with a robust understanding of, and commitment to, professional boundaries.
• Advanced listening skills, excellent interpersonal communication skills, and experience building trust and rapport
• Ability to work closely and collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team.
• Working rights in Australia

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in providing recovery-orientated psychosocial support to vulnerable populations.
• An understanding of the biopsychosocial model of mental health, and how social inclusion principles are applied to service delivery and mental health recovery
• Diploma, degree or equivalent in a related field (e.g., mental health, social work, community services).

About Us

Independent Community Living Australia (ICLA) is a not-for-profit community organisation delivering personalised support to people with psychosocial, intellectual and other disabilities as well as those seeking support at difficult times in their life. We manage a number of supported residential and mental health support services across the greater Sydney region, promoting people’s independence, active participation and inclusion in the community. We foster a flexible and inclusive work environment, where everyone’s contributions are valued, while providing a rewarding service to our local community.

Benefits

• Charity salary packaging to pay benefits and living expenses from pre-income tax
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Involvement in innovative and dynamic programs
• Inclusive and committed culture where everyone’s contribution is valued
• Flexible working practices
• Paid Parental Leave

Enquiries can be directed to [email protected], using the subject line: Peer Support Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs.