Join our Team

• Use your lived experience to empower people with mental ill health and AOD challenges to achieve their recovery goals and make a lasting impact in your community
• Fixed Term until 30 June 2027 | Part Time role 22.8 hours per week
• Location Warrnambool

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 role

This role will function within a Regional Care Partnership, known as Step Thru Care, which is a partnership arrangement with two other agencies - WRAD Health, and Brophy Family and Youth Inc. Mind Australia is the lead agency in this partnership. Step Thru Care provides Mental Health and/or Alcohol and Other Drug support to the Great South Coast Community. Step Thru care is funded through the Western Victoria Primary health network (WVPHN).

Use your lived experience to make a meaningful difference.

As a Peer Practitioner, you'll walk alongside people experiencing mental health and/or alcohol and other drug challenges, providing recovery-oriented, person-centred support. Drawing on your own lived experience, you'll champion hope, inclusion, and human rights while empowering people to define their own recovery goals through genuine connection, mutuality, and co-designed support.

Key responsibilities

• Draw on the broader lived and living Experience knowledge base to inform your practice.
• Provide direct support to individual clients, delivering high quality service and facilitating positive educational and social experiences.
• Work with service users who have a history of AOD dependency to facilitate the attainment of their life goals.
• Contribute to knowledge, interpretation and development in establishing procedures and outcomes for the dual diagnosis function within the service.
• Involve families, carers and friends as identified by the client in work to support their recovery.
• Lead planning, development, delivery, and evaluation of group work programs that will assist clients to build their skills, focus on their recovery and work towards transitioning back to their natural community.

What you’ll bring

• Completion of Intentional Peer Support Core is desirable but not required.
• Tertiary qualifications (minimum Certificate IV) in Mental Health, Peer Work, Psychology, Social Work, Occupational Therapy or other health related field as designated by Mind.
• Lived/living experience and willingness to support clients through sharing your own learnings and recovery orientated practice.
• Experience working with people with complex mental health issues, as well as their families, support networks and carers.
• Demonstrated ability to implement a recovery-oriented framework.
• Skilled in building solid connections with clients, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated understanding of available community services, supports and the NDIS.
• Experience or ability to acquire skills in understanding needs and working collaboratively to plan wellbeing supports using evidence informed approaches and tools, for example in challenging situations.
• Experience and expertise in working directly with people with mental health issues, AOD issues, complex needs and with their families and carers.

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, childcare, car leasing expenses etc.)
• 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), provided by Converge International, for you and your immediate family members.
• Fitness Passport - Access to our corporate health and fitness program, providing you and family with access to a wide choice of fitness facilities.

Interested?

To apply online visit Mind Careers - reference number 500159. Online applications must be submitted by 11pm Thursday 6 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. 

Jen Shanley, Team Leader

Jennifer.Shanley@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

 PD Peer Practitioner (Step Thru Care) 20260723.pdf

The successful applicant is required to complete comprehensive reference and background checking prior to employment, including a Working with Children Check, NDIS Workers Screening Check and the ability to obtain vaccinations against COVID-19.