Mind Australia: Peer Practitioner - Aftercare - Abbotsford
Michael Barnett OAM
Peer Practitioner - Aftercare - Abbotsford
Job description
- Use lived/living experience to support LGBTIQA+ community members with mental health challenges
- Permanent role | Part time 22.8 hours per week
- Abbotsford Location
Mind strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, people with a lived experience of mental ill health 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 more than 45 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 (up to three months), queer and peer-led, practical outreach and counselling-based support for community members, families and loved ones at no cost to find inclusive, affirming care and strategies for moving forward following a suicide crisis.
We are seeking a empathetic, compassionate Peer Practitioner for a permanent part time (22.8 hours per week) opportunity in the Aftercare team located in the Abbotsford area Suburb area. You will utilise learnings from your lived/living experience of mental health challenges, languages of pain and other intersectional identities to hold space and opportunity for healing.
Key responsibilities
- Demonstrate knowledge and abilities gained from both an individuals lived/living experiences, collective impacts and Lived Expertise.
- Work within an Intentional Peer Support model to walk alongside people who seek support from Aftercare.
- Have willingness to engage in personal reflection on your role as a peer practitioner in your relationships with the people you are supporting.
- Connect with your team leads and your colleagues to support you in your practice and participate in collective care and solidarity.
- Work to coordinate holistic care with acknowledgement of power dynamics being guided by autonomy and choice of the person you are supporting.
What you’ll bring
- Completion of Intentional Peer Support Core and/ or Advanced Training,
- Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, is desirable but not required
- LGBTIQA+ identifying with a personal lived/living experience of suicidal distress and an understanding of, and ability and willingness to, contribute this Lived Expertise
- Experience, expertise and/or desire in working directly with LGBTIQA+ community members with mental health issues, suicidal ideations and crisis, complex needs or life situations, and their families and carers.
- Ability to be with people experiencing a range of emotions including acute distress without problem solving or trying to fix their feelings.
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 8 weeks paid parental leave and 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.
- Professional development through regular Practice Development sessions and coaching with your supervisor
Interested?
To obtain a position description and apply online click Apply Now to visit Mind Careers - reference number 498530. Please contact the person below for more information.
Tristan CadmanGibbings – Acting Senior Lived Experience Project Manager
Tristan.Cad...@mindaustralia.org.au
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 h...@mindaustralia.org.au.
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.
Supporting Materials
Applications for this role will take you to the employer’s site.
Job Summary
- Applications close: 11:00 PM AEDT, 2nd Nov 2025
- Job posted on: 20th Oct 2025
- Melbourne > Abbotsford