Safeguards Peer Worker, Adolescent Forensic Mental Health, Justice Health Olympic Park

If you are passionate about delivering healthcare with the greatest impact, then come and join us at the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network (JHFMHN). We are Just the Place to grow your career and be part of a valued team delivering care where it's needed most!

Be part of a supportive environment, where you can apply your skills to address complex healthcare needs while broadening your treatment capabilities to maximise patient outcomes. We are a challenging yet rewarding place to take your career even further. With industry-leading safety standards, you can focus on doing your best work alongside skilled colleagues while gaining job training to progress your career.

Our team and service Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network (Justice Health NSW) is committed to embedding people with lived and living experience across all levels of service delivery to ensure lived and living experience is heard, respected and genuinely influences our services to meet our patient's needs. The Lived and Living (Peer) Experience Workforce is seen as vital in the support and guidance they positively offer to patients and the forensic mental health service, through the significant gains made in their own recovery.

The Justice Health NSW Safeguards team provides a Statewide rapid response service for young people (YP) aged 10–18 who are in contact with, or at risk of contact with, the criminal justice system and experiencing mental health crises. This voluntary, time-limited program delivers evidence-based adolescent mental health interventions. It includes comprehensive assessment, diagnostic clarification, therapeutic support, and care navigation tailored to the needs of YP in crisis. The multidisciplinary team works to understand and address the mental health and wellbeing of YP facing complex challenges, including mental illness and/or neurodevelopmental disorders. Many participants experience significant multi-morbidity and psychosocial vulnerabilities such as homelessness, risk of violence which impact on their ability to access local health services.

The Role The Safeguards Peer Worker (Adolescent Forensic Mental Health) is an integral member of the Justice Health NSW Safeguards multidisciplinary team, bringing a unique and invaluable lived experience perspective to the care of young people and adolescents experiencing mental health crises. This role focuses on supporting individuals who are in contact with, or at risk of contact with, the criminal justice system. The primary purpose of the position is to bridge the gap between clinical services and lived experience. Grounded in recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally safe practice, the Peer Worker complements clinical and psychosocial interventions by providing relational support, instilling hope, and advocating for the needs and rights of young people.

Personal lived experience of mental health challenges, mental health services use and recovery. Additional lived experience of contact with the criminal justice or forensic mental health systems will be considered highly desirable. Relevant qualifications in Mental Health Peer Work (for example, Certificate IV Mental Health Peer Work, Intentional Peer Support); or equivalent work and study experience, or willingness to obtain this qualification. Note, successful applicants without formal Mental Health Peer Work qualification are expected to attain within 12 months of commencement.

Demonstrated commitment to consumer led recovery principles including the physical health care of mental health consumers. Demonstrated clear written and verbal communication and negotiation skills including computer skills (MS Office). Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team and actively contribute to clinical care planning processes in a team setting. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective partnerships with a range of key stakeholders, nongovernment organisations, multi-disciplinary teams, consumers and carers.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, veterans, younger and older workers, and people with diverse genders, sexes and sexualities to apply.

Other requirements: Valid unrestricted drivers' licence for use in NSW/Australia. Valid NSW Employee Working With Children Check. May be required to travel to metro and regional NSW sites to provide in-reach.

Your annual salary in line with your grade classification plus superannuation is just the beginning. You will also have access to a number of benefits: Additional allowances and salary packaging options. Fitness Passport (if eligible). Genuine career progression and skill-set development. Support from an enthusiastic and invested team of managers and colleagues.

We are an equal-opportunity employer. We employ all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees and people with disability. We're working with JobAccess and the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) to remove barriers in our recruitment process and build a more inclusive workplace. If you require any adjustments to take part in this recruitment process, we're happy to discuss them with you. This is also a Targeted Aboriginal Position. Preference will be given to applicants of Aboriginal descent. Exemption is claimed under Section 21 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977.

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