• Provide culturally responsive, recovery-oriented peer support to LGBTIQA+ community members experiencing suicidal crises & mental health challenges
• Permanent role - Part time 22.8 hours/week
• Abbotsford Location

Mind strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, people with a lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery, and applicants from all cultures, genders, sexualities, bodies, abilities, spiritualities, ages and backgrounds. 

Mind Australia is one of Australia’s largest providers of community-managed psychosocial services, supporting people experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges to find help, hope and purpose in their lives. Operating for almost 50 years and employing more than 1,300 staff around Australia, Mind is a leading employer of people with lived experience of mental health challenges, recognising their unique ability to connect with and motivate clients and guide recovery. 

About the role

The Aftercare program, funded by the Victorian Government Department of Health, offers a safe place of healing and support for people from the LGBTIQA+ community who are having thoughts or intentions of suicide.  Aftercare offers short-term (three to six months), queer and peer-led support and counselling for community members, their families and loved ones at no cost. 

We are seeking two compassionate Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous People of Colour (QTBIPoC) Peer Practitioners for permanent part time (22.8 hours per week) opportunites in the Abbotsford area. You will work as part of the Aftercare team to provide culturally responsive, recovery-oriented peer support to LGBTIQA+ community members experiencing suicidal crises and mental health challenges. The role uses lived experience of both mental health and suicidal distress and QTBIPOC identity as professional expertise to support individuals in their recovery, strengthen connection to community, and enhance culturally safe service delivery. You will need availability to work Wednesdays & Fridays.

Key responsibilities

• Have a publicly disclosed LGBTIQA+ identity and personal/consumer lived experience of suicidality, along with demonstrated lived expertise and designated work experience that is equal to the level of the position.
• Draw on the knowledge, skills and expertise as a Black, Indigenous or Person of Colour to inform your practice with members of our community who share similar experiences.
• Provide direct support to individual clients to enable them to engage in a meaningful life by supporting them through a strength-focused, staged approach to recovery using agreed practice techniques and approaches.
• Engage with Aftercare’s BIPOC community members to fully understand their need for assistance from local service providers with clinical mental health, physical health, education and employment, LGBTIQA+ community connectedness, eligible entitlements and benefits, housing, transport, recreation and social connections.

What you’ll bring

• Completion of Intentional Peer Support Core and/or Advanced Training, or Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer work desirable but not required.
• Have a personal lived/living experience of LGBTIQA+ identity and suicidality and an understanding of, and ability and willingness to, contribute this Lived Expertise in working towards greater organisational impact.
• Experience in building connection and engagement with and across QTIBPoC, multicultural and multifaith and/or First Nations communities.
• Sophisticated understanding of the issues that may impact QTIBPoC people, their families and communities and an awareness of the key barriers these communities may face in accessing LGBTIQA+ services. 

Benefits

• Salary packaging up to $15,899 p.a. allows you to allocate a portion of your pre-tax income to cover living expenses (e.g. rent, mortgage, child care, car leasing expenses etc.)
• Option to access Meal and Entertainment allowance up to $2,650 p.a. via Salary Packaging.
• Generous leave entitlements including 17.5% annual leave loading.
• Fitness Passport - Access to our corporate health and fitness program, providing you and family with access to a wide choice of fitness facilities.

Interested?

To obtain a position description and apply online click Apply Now to visit Mind Careers - reference number 499838. Online applications must be submitted by 11pm on the closing date. Please contact the person below for more information. 

Geena Hardy - LGBTIQA+ Strategy and Service Development Manager

[email protected]

Maddie Cox - LGBTIQA+ Peer Practice Lead

[email protected]

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please contact us at [email protected].

Position Description

PD LGBTIQA+ QTBIPOC Peer Practitioner (Aftercare) 20260610.

The successful applicant is required to complete comprehensive reference and background checking prior to employment, including a Working with Children Check and NDIS Workers Screening Check.