Peer Support Worker (Health Education Officer Graduate/Non-Graduate) - Mental Health
Employment Type: Permanent Part Time (24 hours per week)
Position Classification: Health Education Officer Graduate/Non Graduate
Remuneration: $32.77- $59.89 per hour + annual leave loading + Superannuation
Location: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Requisition ID: REQ645456
Sydney Local Health District is one of the fastest growing Local Health Districts in New South Wales. Our facilities and services are world class and our staff are dedicated, innovative and caring.
About the Role
The position is based at Naamuru Parent and Baby Unit, which is a purpose built, 8-bed inpatient mental health facility located at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and is one of two state-wide mother and baby units in NSW.
The unit provides inpatient treatment to parents experiencing severe mental illness during the perinatal period from conception to 1 year of age. The parent is admitted with their baby or babies, as well as their partner or a support person who is encouraged to stay throughout the admission. The team establish a partnership with referring clinicians updating them on the progress made throughout the admission and liaising with them to ensure a safe and planned transfer of care at the conclusion of the admission.
Care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team of Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Professionals and Peer Support Worker with a program of individual and group activities and interventions that encourage healthy attachment, the development of parentcraft skills and support for the family, alongside recovery-oriented mental health treatment.
What does a Peer Support Worker do?
The Peer Support worker provides:
- Peer support and advocacy for consumers admitted to the unit as well as their Carers and families through individual and group activities,
- Advice, support, and insight to the staff of the unit by providing a lived experience perspective during discussions and as part of the education program,
- A lived experience perspective to the development of processes and policies within the team.
- Wellness and recovery action planning with parents to support discharge and recovery.
This is all done as part of the multidisciplinary team at Naamuru.
A key capability of the successful applicant is that they must have a lived experience of mental illness with an understanding of the journey during the perinatal period being especially helpful.
What is Lived Experience?
The Peer Support Worker at Naamuru is a ‘Lived Experience’ role whose work is informed by their own personal experience of mental health challenges, service use, and periods of healing/personal recovery.
As there is no qualification per se, you are asked to discuss your own experience as part of the application process reflecting on your journey through the mental health system and how this experience would be helpful to others going through a similar experience.
What support do I get?
As a member of the team at Naamuru you will be encouraged to take part in group supervision sessions, staff meetings and educational activities.
As a part of our Peer Support workforce, you will also attend training and development sessions as well as specific reflective sessions to keep yourself safe and to help navigate the role.
For more information, please view the Position Description
Ideal Candidate
- Personal experience of mental distress and demonstrated experience using recovery principles. A degree in a relevant field is required for payment at Graduate rate.
- Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to plan, implement and evaluate group and individual peer led interventions
- Understanding of and commitment to recovery oriented services and consumer involvement in service design, implementation and evaluation.
Benefits and Perks!
- Paid Parental Leave & Annual Leave loading
- Opportunity for extra tax savings through Salary Packaging and Novated Leasing. For more information visit SalaryPackagingPlus
- Access to free courses, qualifications and coaching via Sydney Education
- Access to confidential EAP counselling for staff and their families
Because we care about your health: Free annual influenza vaccination, discounted Fitness Passport membership, and free telehealth nutrition and wellness resources from qualified professionals.
This recruitment may be used to create a talent pool for similar future roles (ongoing or temporary) that may arise over the next 18 months.
Working for Sydney Local Health District - NSW Health
This is a Category A position. To be employed by NSW Health you are required to provide evidence of vaccination to comply with the NSW Health Occupational Assessment, Screening & Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases Policy (PD2024_015).
SLHD is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people with disability are encouraged to apply for all internal and externally advertised positions. If you require assistance, please advise the contact person at the time of your application.
Stepping Up aims to assist Aboriginal job applicants by providing information about applying for roles within NSW Health. For more information, please visit: https://www.steppingup.health.nsw.gov.au/
Sydney Local Health District is committed to implementing the Child Safe Standards.
For more information about SLHD please visit ‘Working With Us’
To further connect with us, check us out on LinkedIn
Where to from here?
Please consider the above information. I encourage you to then reflect on your experience and qualifications and to revisit your application and resume before your interview to make sure you have provided a summary of your personal experience with mental illness and how you can use this experience to inform your work with parents admitted to the unit.
If you have any questions about this email, please contact Nathan MacDonald on 0434 181 951 or via email at Nathan.MacDonald@health.nsw.gov.au
Join the team enriching health in millions of ways every day, apply now!
Applications Close: 16 March 2026
For Applicant Support and Information, visit ‘Applicant Information’
