Peer Educator en Svha

Job Description:

• Excellent benefits including salary packaging
• Excellent Career Progression
• Permanent, Part Time, 2 days per week

About the Role

This is a Lived Expertise Position – you must state in your cover letter that you have a lived/living experience of mental health challenges and of accessing mental health services and how this has changed the course of your life.

Under the direction of the Nurse Unit Manager and Team Leader, you will apply knowledge from your lived/living experience to educate and train the lived experience workforce via research, planning and ongoing training. You will be based at St Vincent's North Fitzroy PARC, the position will involve travel to other sites.

• Research the role and history of Consumer movement, and Lived/Living Experience Workforce (LLEW)
• Undertake needs analysis of current LLEW needs including reference to the to St Vincent’s LLEW Strategy
• Develop training and education through research, using own lived experience and application of the values and principles of the Consumer movements and other materials

Classifications for this position will range from MP36-MP39 Lived Experience Level 3

Your Contribution

A lived/living experience of mental health challenges and of accessing mental health services, in a way that has changed the course of your life.

At least two years  experience in a Lived/Living Experience Workforce role in mental health.

What we Offer
• A focus on wellbeing initiatives, with regular events and programs
• Confidential, solutions-focused employee counselling
• Ability to join Fitness Passport - Your pass to an extensive choice of fitness facilities
• Salary Packaging – Increase your take home pay!
• Discounts and Promotions always available through our Foundation
• Regular opportunities for professional development to assist you to reach your career goals
• Culture of continuous improvement


About North Fitzroy PARC

North Fitzroy PARC is a 10 bed short term residential service for adults with a mental illness. PARC is a therapeutic environment, where there is one to one support and group work.

PARC is a sub -acute facility, where consumers can step down discharge from the adult in patient unit, and step up from community case management, if they need additional short term care and support.

Working at St Vincent’s
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) is a leading teaching, research and tertiary health service. SVHM provides a diverse range of adult clinical services and is driven by values of Compassion, Justice, Integrity and Excellence.

Application

Please attach your resume and cover letter to your application.

Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.
We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities. Inclusion is essential to our mission and diversity reflects the community we serve.
Please visit our website, for further information regarding our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment at SVHM.
SVHA has a duty of care under work health and safety legislation to eliminate and/or control the risk of transmission of vaccine preventable diseases in healthcare settings. You may therefore be required to undergo mandatory immunisations/vaccinations (including flu vaccinations).
This position is subject to a Victorian government direction regarding vaccination against COVID-19. Successful applicants must meet these vaccination requirements. Please contact us if you would like to know more.

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) is a leading teaching, research and tertiary health service, which employs more than 7,500 staff across 18 sites throughout Melbourne.

Part of Australia's largest not-for-profit Catholic health and aged care network, St Vincent's Health Australia, SVHM provides a diverse range of adult clinical services including acute medical and surgical services, sub-acute care, medical diagnostics, rehabilitation, allied health, mental health, palliative care, correctional health and community residential care.

SVHM's mission is to provide high quality and efficient health services to the people of Victoria in accordance with the philosophy of St Vincent’s Health Australia. This mission is based on the values of compassion, justice, integrity and excellence.
 

Job Title:

Peer Educator

Reports to:

Footbridge CCU, PARC and Complex Care/SECU Nurse Unit Manager

Program:

Prevention and Recovery Centre (PARC)

Department:

Mental Health

Industrial Agreement:

Victorian Public Mental Health Services Enterprise Agreement 2020-2024 or its successor

Classification:

Lived Experience Worker Level 3, Year 1-4 MP36-MP39

St. Vincent’s Mental Health (SVMH) provides high quality, recovery-oriented services across an adult area mental health service for the inner-city areas of Yarra and Boroondara.  The service utilises the Strengths Model of recovery and this model is embedded across all parts of the mental health service. St Vincent’s is also committed to the development of a strong peer support workforce. The adult mental health service components are: The Footbridge Community Care Unit (CCU), the 44 bed Acute Inpatient Service (AIS) located on the St. Vincent’s Hospital site, the North Fitzroy PARC (Prevention and Recovery Care) and two community mental health services (CMHS) at Hawthorn (Hawthorn CMHS) and East Melbourne (Clarendon CMHS). Community mental health services comprise the Triage and Crisis assessment and Treatment (CAT) service, Continuing Care (CCT), Mobile Support and Treatment (MST) and Homeless Outreach (CHOPS) services. The Primary Intervention and Care Team (PICT) include Primary Mental Health, Extended Triage and HOPE (Suicide Prevention). A Consultation & Liaison Service is provided to the health service. NEXUS Dual Diagnosis Service, the Body Image and Eating Disorders Assessment and Treatment Service (BETRS) are regional services. State-wide services are the Victorian Dual Disability Service and the Victorian Transcultural Mental Health. The Acute Inpatient Service includes 5 beds designated as the Koori State-wide Inpatient Service and linked to the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service.

St Vincent’s Mental Health is committed the recruitment and retention of high-quality staff.  The service aims to support staff to maintain and develop their skills to provide excellent clinical care and to meet their own personal and career goals.  SVMH has a strong education and research focus in addition to affiliations with a number of universities and educational institutions.  All SVMH clinical staff is expected to be familiar, and practice in a manner consistent with the National practice standards for the mental health workforce 2013 | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
 

Under the direction of the Nurse Unit Manager and Team Leader, the Peer Educator will apply knowledge from their lived/living experience to educate and train the lived experience workforce via research, planning and ongoing training.  Where practicable, the Peer Educator will undertake co-production/co-design or at the minimum consumer focus groups to assist with the development of education and training modules.  The Peer Educator will ‘create healing spaces’ and ‘enable pride’ for the cohorts they educate and contribute to creating cultural safety in the workplace and advocate for and role model cultural change.

LLEW Educators may develop and deliver education activities either to or in collaboration with the following different groups:

Consumers Family-Carers-Supporters (FCS) Consumer LLEW Carer LLEW Non-LLEW staff Staff within same organisation, service or team Staff of other services Targeted services e.g., Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect Centres Whole of workforce Community

SVMH is committed to providing services which are recovery orientated in line with the Strengths Model of Recovery Oriented Practice (‘Strengths’ Model) which focuses on a person’s strengths and goals, promoting self-determination and collaboration with consumers and family-carers-supporters.
 

Engage in research, education and training, based at at the St Vincent’s Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC)

• Research the role and history of Consumer movement, and Lived/Living Experience Workforce (LLEW)

• Undertake needs analysis of current LLEW needs including reference to the to St Vincent’s LLEW Strategy

• Develop training and education through research, using own lived experience and application of the values and principles of the Consumer movements and other materials

• Undertake co-design/co-production to develop education and training modules – ‘no one expert, non-hierarchical’

• Research organisational readiness theory and practice

• Facilitate educational groups for Consumers

• Design and develop evaluation and auditing tools

• With St Vincent’s ratification, apply for grants and funding for LLEW projects

• Engage with the Carer LLEW and Consumer LLEW team to understand themes pertinent to Consumer and FCS in the service, barriers and enablers

• Attend the Living Experience Workforce (LLEW) Discipline meeting and contribute to other LLEW development activities.

Other Position Duties

• Supervise Level 1 and 2 Lived Experience Workers where needed

• Provide internal Carer Perspective Supervision, where endorsed to do so

General

• Perform the duties of the position to the best of their ability and to a standard acceptable to SVHM

• Comply with all SVHM policies, procedures, by laws and directions

• Comply with all SVHM requirements, policies, procedures and directions

• Treat others with respect and always behave professionally and in accordance with the SVHM Code of Conduct

• Only access confidential information held by SVHM when this is necessary for business purposes, maintaining the confidentiality of that information once accessed

• Participate in the annual  SVHM performance review process

• Display adaptability and flexibility to meet the changing operational needs of the business

• Comply with applicable Enterprise Bargaining Agreement provisions

• Display a willingness to develop self and seek to improve performance

• Maintain skills and knowledge necessary to safely and skilfully undertake duties

• Take personal responsibility for the quality and safety of work performed

• Recognise the relationship between clinical and non-clinical functions in the achievement of optimal safety and quality care

• Take all necessary care and precautions in the performance of duties

• Participate in risk management and continuous quality improvement activities as part of day-to-day work

Health and Safety

• Attend general hospital orientation within 3 months of commencement

• Protect the health and safety of self and others, complying with all health and safety related policies, procedures and directions

• Report incidents and accidents and collaborate with management to resolve safety issues

• Complete required Fire and Emergency Training annually

• Complete required Workplace Culture and Equity Training annually

• As required, comply with fit-testing and PPE requirements

• Participate in reporting and analysis of safety and quality data including risks or hazards,

• Report any hazards, near misses and incidents (regardless of whether an injury occurred or not) into Riskman

• Identify and report any variance to expected standard and minimising the risk of adverse outcomes
   

The incumbent of this position will be expected to possess the following core capabilities:

Capability

Demonstrated behaviour

Personal

Personal effectiveness

Takes responsibility for accurate, timely work results

Learning Agility

Identifies personal development needs and seeks information from a range of sources

Outcomes

Patient/Resident/client centred

Strives to meet and exceed expectations, demonstrating sound judgement

Innovation and Improvement

Contributes to improvement by reviewing strengths and weaknesses of current processes

Strategy

Driving Results 

Manages own work load to deliver results

Organisational Acumen

Understands the interdependencies between units/departments

People

Working with and Managing others

Takes responsibility for ensuring productive, efficient teamwork

Collaboration

Works collaboratively within and outside the team

A lived/living experience of mental health challenges and of accessing mental health services, in a way that has changed the course of your life. At least two years' experience in a Lived/Living Experience Workforce role in mental health Experience in delivering education and/or training or in the facilitation of groups

A well-developed understanding of contemporary trends and issues regarding mental health services from a lived experience perspective Understanding of the Consumer and Family-Carer-Supporter Movements and broader perspective and of the lived/living experience workforce A passion to grow and develop the lived/living experience workforce Commitment to working collaboratively with other disciplines Well-developed communication, IT and interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders Sound knowledge of co-design/co-production Excellent time management and priority setting skills Ability to acknowledge responsibility for own actions and seek assistance when necessary Is open to feedback and is responsive in adjusting behaviour

Tertiary qualifications such as a tertiary degree in health, community development or social sciences and/or Cert IV in MH or MH Peer Work and/or Cert IV in Training and Assessment Previous experience in facilitating co-design/co-production Intentional Peer Support Training or willingness to undertake

SVHM Employee Health Screening and Immunisation Policy outlines the requirements for staff working in SVHM facilities.

Table 1: Vaccine Preventable Diseases for which vaccination and/or assessment is required within SVHM

Chicken pox (varicella)

Hepatitis B

Measles

Mumps

Rubella

Whooping cough (pertussis)

Diphtheria

Tetanus

Influenza

Tuberculosis

NOTE: Vaccination requirements may differ according to individual jurisdictional requirements and policy directives and where there is a conflict the higher directive will apply. 

SVHM has grouped individuals according to their risk of transmitting vaccine preventable diseases and their risk of exposure to blood or body substances (Table 2).

Table 2: Health Care Worker Risk Categorisation

Risk Category

Description

Vaccination requirement

Category A

Vaccination is required for this category of health care worker. Healthcare workers within this category have the potential to transmit Vaccine Preventable Diseases to vulnerable patients most at risk of mortality and morbidity from these diseases within SVHM.

This includes employees with direct physical contact with patients/clients, deceased persons, blood, body substances or infectious material or surfaces/equipment that might contain these or contact that would allow acquisition and/or transmission of a specific infectious disease by respiratory means.

This includes laboratory workers.

Required

Category B

Vaccination is recommended for this category of HCW. This includes individuals who do not work with the risk of exposure to blood or body substances, their normal work location is not in a clinical area (e.g. chef, administrative staff) and only attends the clinical area for short periods of time. Essentially, these individuals have no greater level of risk than that of the general community.

Recommended

Prior to any person being appointed to this position it will be required that they disclose full details of any pre-existing injuries or disease that might be affected by employment in this position.

Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC):

I understand that it is a condition of my employment to provide SVHM with a current Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) PRIOR TO COMMENCING WORK and this is at my own cost.

I understand that regardless of the frequency, if I am working and or visiting in a designated ‘high risk area’ of SVHM (as defined in the SVHA Pre-employment/Appointment Safety Checks Policy) I will be subject to periodic Police Checks every three years at my own cost.
 

Required Immunisations:

Individuals who will be working in Category A positions will only be able to commence employment following assessment of their vaccination status. The decision to proceed with the commencement of employment will be at the discretion of the ICP in consultation with the Hiring Manager and may in some instances, require additional vaccinations to ensure full compliance with the SVHM Employee Health Screening and Immunisation Policy.

I understand that if additional vaccinations are required to comply with pre-employment prerequisites, this will be at my own cost. Where a state jurisdiction overrides this, the facility will bear the cost.

I have read, understood and agree to comply with the responsibilities and accountabilities of this position description.  I agree to comply with all SVHM requirements, policies, procedures, by laws and directions.

Closing Date:

Reconciliation Action Plan:

At St Vincent's we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

For further information, visit https://www.svha.org.au/about-us/reconciliation or get in contact at [email protected]

View Reconciliation Action Plan

Code of Conduct:

View Code of Conduct