Join our Team
Family and Carer Peer Practitioner
- Utilise your family/carer lived or living experience to support and advocate for families, carers and supporters navigating mental health challenges
- Permanent, Part-time 18 hours/week | Monday - Friday
- Newly established service located in Parkville
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 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 Service
The Adult and Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (A&YPARC) service is a residential, short-term recovery program supporting people aged 16–65 years experiencing mental health challenges. Delivered in partnership with Victorian health services, the program provides an alternative to hospital admission and supports people transitioning from acute mental health settings back into the community.
Operating within a recovery-oriented and trauma-informed framework, the service provides 24-hour support through individual recovery planning, group programs, skill development, and connection to community-based supports.
About the role
We are seeking a compassionate Family and Carer Peer Practitioner for a permanent, part-time (18 hours per week) opportunity in Parkville.
Drawing on your family/carer lived or living experience of supporting someone experiencing mental health and/or alcohol and other drug challenges, you will provide peer-led support to families, carers and supporters. Working within a multidisciplinary team, you will champion lived experience perspectives, support family-inclusive and recovery-oriented practice, facilitate groups, and contribute to family engagement initiatives that enhance outcomes for service users and their support networks.
Key responsibilities
- Demonstrate knowledge and abilities gained through family/carer lived or living experience and support the development of lived experience approaches across the service.
- Provide peer-led support, education, information and practical assistance to families, carers and supporters.
- Support your team to understand and deliver services that are consistent with relational recovery-oriented and family-inclusive practice.
- Facilitate and contribute to group programs, family engagement activities and co-design initiatives.
- Advocate for the voice of families and carers and contribute to service improvement and development activities.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen support pathways for families and carers.
What you’ll bring
- Lived or living experience as a family member, carer or supporter of someone who has experienced mental health and/or alcohol and other drug challenges.
- Completion of Intentional Peer Support Core and/or Advanced Training, or Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, is desirable but not required.
- Tertiary qualifications in Mental Health, Peer Work, Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) or another health-related field as designated by Mind are desirable but not required.
- Ability to share aspects of your personal and familial story in an appropriate and purposeful manner to support hope, connection and relational recovery.
- Proven experience using lived experience and expertise in a dedicated Family/Carer Peer role is highly desirable.
- Able to obtain and provide evidence of vaccinations against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Hepatitis B, Pertussis/Diphtheria/Tetanus, Influenza, and COVID-19.
- Able to obtain CPR and First Aid certifications.
Benefits
- Generous not-for-profit salary packaging of up to $15,899 p.a.
- 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, 17.5% annual leave loading.
- Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for you and your immediate family.
- Fitness Passport - access to a wide range of fitness facilities for you and your family.
- Professional development through regular Practice Development sessions and coaching with your supervisor
Interested?
To apply visit Mind Careers - reference number 500128. Online applications must be submitted by 11pm Sunday, 2 August 2026. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.
Please contact the person below for more information.
Julz Gahly, Acting Service Manager
Mind is committed to a barrier-free recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to complete your application, please email hr@mindaustralia.org.au
Position Description
PD Family and Carer Peer Practitioner (YPARC Parkville) 20260709.pdf
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.
