Join our Team

• Support people who’ve faced or experiencing psychological distress and / or mental health crisis
• A lounge‑style, café‑like Crisis Support Service offering a supportive, empathetic, calming environment
• Fixed Term Part Time until 30 June 2027 | Part time 34.2 hours/week | Cairns location

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 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 Service

The Crisis Support Space (CSS) service, delivered in partnership with Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Mackay Hospital & Health Services, provides peer-led non-clinical therapeutic supports and services to people over 18 years who do not require medical treatment but may have presented to an emergency department when facing psychological distress or a mental health crisis.

About the role

We are seeking a lived-experience informed and resilient Senior Peer Practitioner for a fixed term, part time (34.2 hours per week) opportunity in the Cairns area. You will support clients to achieve wellbeing goals, build capacity and daily living skills, reduce social isolation, strengthen relationships with family and friends, develop community networks and maintain a sustainable, purposeful lifestyle. The Senior Peer Practitioner works as part of a multidisciplinary team with lived experience of mental ill health and recovery being the unique specialist lens that they bring.

Key responsibilities

• Disclose your lived experience in an appropriate and purposeful manner to support, empower, bring hope and support the recovery of clients.
• Support the team to understand and deliver services that are consistent with recovery oriented practice from a peer/lived experience perspective.
• Work with clients to return to a place of residence and a meaningful life supporting them through a staged approach
• Deliver group work programs as the lead/co-facilitator based on peer values and principles.
• Support the maintenance and development of community networks, service providers and formal connections.

What you’ll bring

• Tertiary qualifications (minimum Certificate IV) in Mental Health, Peer Work, Psychology, Social Work, Occupational Therapy or other health related field as designated by Mind.
• Able to provide a record of Vaccination Preventable Diseases or able to obtain vaccinations against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chicken Pox, Whooping Cough, Hepatitis B or other diseases as required by our Partnership with QLD Health.
• Ability to draw on the broader lived experience knowledgebase to inform your practice.
• Skills and experience in advocacy, collaboration, facilitation, evaluation and problem solving.
• Passion to drive and champion change, initiatives and progress the lived experience agenda throughout the organisation.

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.)
• 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.
• Professional development through regular Practice Development sessions and coaching with your supervisor
• Access to a Workplace Banking Portal that provides convenient access to a range of banking and lifestyle benefits offered through our CommBank program.

Interested?

To apply visit Mind Careers - reference number 498973 Online applications must be submitted by 11pm Day Sunday 15th February 2026. Please contact the person below for more information.

Toni Hines – Service Manager - Mind Centre for Wellbeing/IRSP & GBRSP
Toni.Hines@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 - Senior Peer Practitioner (CSS) 20230524.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.