Peer Support Worker

• Flexible part-time opportunity (up to 35 hours per week), with hours and days negotiable to support lived experience and wellbeing.
• Hourly Rate: $39.57 to $41.58 per hour plus Super + Not for Profit Salary Packaging
• Salary dependent upon qualifications and experience
• Location: Wollongong NSW 2500
• Make a meaningful difference to the lives of Australians in need!

Life at Mission Australia

When you join the team at Mission Australia, you become part of a community who are determined to end homelessness and ensure people in need can thrive. United by our Christian purpose and values, we advocate for a fairer Australia, to meet the growing needs of people across the country. Together we’re building hope and possibility for all.

Find out more about us and our purpose.

Your Opportunity

At Mission Australia, we believe recovery is most powerful when guided by compassion and lived experience.  Peer Workers use their lived experience of gambling harm and recovery to support and inspire hope and recovery in others, and ultimately to positively influence client outcomes. Their lived experience helps them to build connections and rapport with people and inspires hope and confidence.

As a Peer Worker, you will work alongside a dedicated, multidisciplinary team to support people experiencing gambling harm. Drawing on your own recovery journey, you will offer understanding, empathy, and practical strategies to help clients overcome barriers to accessing support and to connect with GambleAware services.

This role is based in Wollongong and involves regular travel to Nowra and surrounding Shoalhaven locations. A pool car is provided for all work-related travel.

You will help by:

• Supporting easy access for people to the GambleAware Service through lived experience perspective.
• Being part of the GambleAware team and provide support to individuals/groups.
• Supporting our Community Coordinator to build community connections.
• Sharing your personal experience of recovery from gambling harm.
• Completing a range of administrative tasks such as case notes and reports.

Does this sound like you?

• You have lived experience of the personal impacts and effects of gambling harm and related challenges and recovery.
• You know the right story to tell to inspire hope. You share your own stories as a way to engage and build trust
• You take time to listen and get to know people and find common ground with ease
• You create environments that make people feel safe, in control and have a sense of belonging
• You’re organised, prepared and always have a plan. You can roll with it when plans change
• You understand self-care is important in order to help others.
• You have a Cert IV in Community Services or Mental Health or willing to obtain while working.
• You have a current NSW driver's licence.

Before starting work with us, you will need to undertake a national police history check, qualifications, and referee checks, and have a clearance to work with children/vulnerable people. 

Please note that disclosing convictions will not automatically preclude you from our recruitment process.

Your benefits

To ensure our employees feel valued, empowered, and celebrated, we provide a range of employee benefits including:

• Rewarding work – every day you know you’re making a real difference
• Not-for-profit salary packaging, reducing your tax (details via AccessPay)
• Free external, confidential counselling and access to chaplaincy support
• Volunteering opportunities 
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave 
• Extra leave including: Mission Australia Thank You Day & Work Anniversary Day off

Our culture  

Our innovative and inclusive culture will ensure you feel valued at Mission Australia as you help Australians in need and develop in your career.  

We prioritise the safety and wellbeing of everyone, both within our team and the individuals we serve.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment. We actively support and encourage people of all backgrounds; gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, religion, and sexual orientation to submit an application and aim to ensure that the recruitment and employee experience is as accessible and inclusive as possible. So, whoever you are, if you’re skilled and actively support our purpose and values, you would be welcome at Mission Australia.

If you live with disability and require support to submit your application, please email [email protected] or visit our Careers page for additional contact details.

We strongly encourage applications from people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. For culturally safe support or assistance with your application, please contact us at [email protected]  

Find out more about a career with Mission Australia. 

How to apply

Click ‘Apply’ and send your application today!

As a committed Circle Back Initiative employer, we will respond to your application.

Applications are shortlisted as they are received. Please apply as soon as possible to be considered. Thank you