Join our Team
Peer Cadet - Bendigo Locals
- Experience on the job training to work with people accessing a community based Mental Health service whilst studying to deliver Mental Health Peer Support
- Fixed term 10 month role | Part time 22.8 hours/week
- Bendigo Location
Mind strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, people with a lived and living experience of mental distress and recovery, and applicants from all cultures, genders, sexualities, bodies, abilities, spiritualties, ages and backgrounds.
There is scope for this role to be made into an identified First Nations position for people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if requested, please contact timothy.mcgregor@mindaustralia.org.au for more information.
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 Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing services, otherwise known as “Locals”, act as a front door to the mental health service system. The service provides a continuum of care and support including clinical interventions, wellbeing supports, and therapeutic support through an integrated mental health and alcohol and other drug framework approach.
We are seeking a resilient, self-motivated Peer Cadet for a 10-month Fixed Term, Part Time (22.8 hours per week) opportunity in the Bendigo area. You will be supported to work as part of a multidisciplinary team with lived experience of mental health challenges and/or distress, alcohol and other drug challenges and recovery being the unique specialist lens that they bring.
To be eligible
To be eligible, applicants must submit a covering letter that addresses their desire to work in a Lived/Living Experience position, as well as provide evidence of enrolment in the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work before commencement of the cadetship period.
Applicants will also need to meet the selection criteria defined by participating organisations.
Peer Cadet Program 2026/2027 Information Session:
The Peer Cadet Program provides paid work experience opportunities for Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work students in Victoria. These roles are dedicated part-time lived and living experience positions at non-government community mental health service providers.
The Information Session Covers
- What is Peer Work?
- What the Peer Cadet Program Offers
- Eligibility
- Things to consider
- Is now the right time?
- Application process
If you were not able to attend the online information session, a recorded version will be available on the link below
Questions about the program can be emailed to LECC@mindaustralia.org.au
Key responsibilities
- Willingness to utilise your own lived experience of mental health challenges and/or distress and recovery to inform your work and the work of the team.
- Draw on Mind’s Peer Work Framework and Model of Peer Work to guide your work.
- Learn to support staff and clients to return to a place of residence and a meaningful life supporting them through a staged approach to recovery
- Learn to aid in planning, developing and facilitating group work programs that will assist clients to build their skills, focus on their recovery and work towards transitioning back to their natural community.
- Build skills to be able to engage with clients to understand and respond to their needs
What you’ll bring
- Must be currently enrolled and/or undertaking Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work
- Intentional Peer Support (IPS) and/or Alt2Su training desirable but not mandatory. Intentional Peer Support may also be delivered within Mind
- Willingness to learn and engage with Lived and Living Experience values
- Ability to learn and about draw on Mind’s Peer Work Framework and Model of Peer Work to guide your work
- Willingness to travel to Burnley head office and other locations for training, events and workshops
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.
- Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provided by Converge International, for you and your immediate family members.
Interested?
To apply visit Mind Careers - reference number 499480. Online applications must be submitted by 11pm Thursday 7 May 2026. Please contact the person below for more information.
Tim McGregor, Lived Experience Project Lead
Timothy.McGregor@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 hr@mindaustralia.org.au
Position Description
The Lived Experience Career Compass (LECC), hosted by Mind Australia, oversees the Peer Cadet Program. If you are contacted by phone regarding your application, you will be asked for your consent to share your application details with the LECC and other peer cadet host organisations. This is solely for the purpose of recruitment coordination and will not affect your ability to apply to multiple host organisations or influence the outcome of your application. If you give your consent during the phone call, the LECC may also follow up with you to discuss your application. Opting not to share your application details will not negatively impact your application.
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.
