Mental Health Team Leader – Support & Connect

Utilise your lived experience to make a difference and join this vital new collaboration – Mental Health & Wellbeing Locals, which will focus on care and support for people aged 26 years and over who are experiencing mental health concerns – including people with co-occurring alcohol and drug treatment and care needs and their family, carers, and supporters.

As part of a new government initiative, we have joined with Wellways, Eastern Health and Oonah to provide a local mental health service for all, which will be driven by the values of lived experience, inclusivity and partnership. We will link with other disciplines to provide a range of supports and therapies, specific to the needs of those in the Yarra Ranges community.

This is a rare opportunity to join a community-led co-production, which will greatly assist in improving the lives and outcomes for those who need it most. Helping shape the future of mental health and wellbeing to those living in the Yarra Ranges community, ensuring that everyone is included and supported with much needed mental health improvements.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals are free, voluntary, and easy to access, with no referral required. Importantly, these new services will be delivered on the basis of ‘how can we help? and a ‘no wrong door’ approach, focused on giving choice and control over how the consumer wants to receive support.

This new service will make it easier for the consumer to access the support they need, closer to home and family, carers, and support networks.

Most importantly, Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals are safe spaces for everyone.

About the role:

We are seeking an experienced mental health professional to lead a highly skilled, knowledgeable and diverse team, comprised of designated Lived/Living experience roles. The Support and Connect team champions the voices of Lived/Living experiences and person-centred approaches within the Local. The team is supported by a skilled and capable leadership structure supporting the delivery of high quality, trauma informed care and support. The role is full time, ongoing and based in our Lilydale and Belgrave sites.

The Team Leader – Support and Connect will be employed with us @ Inspiro and is integral to the establishment and ongoing vision and operations for the Yarra Ranges Mental Health and Wellbeing Local by providing exceptional leadership to the peer workforce and championing Lived/Living experience. You will provide discipline specific supervision to the team within an Intentional Peer Support framework, monitor team KPIs and ensure the delivery of high-quality peer support and service navigation.

As the Team Leader – Support and Connect, you will develop and nurture a culture grounded in peer work values, trauma-informed principles, trust, respect, hope, and empowerment. In close collaboration with the Yarra Ranges Local leadership team you will drive an inclusive and values-driven culture that cultivates and nurtures participant and community-led initiatives.

Your leadership in this role will reflect peer work values, trauma-informed principles and human rights perspectives, supporting effective communication, guidance and collective problem-solving. Your responsibilities will significantly impact the enhancement of participant wellbeing, aligning with human rights and recovery frameworks.

Position Responsibilities:

• Working with the leadership team to develop warm and welcoming trauma informed approaches and processes that optimise opportunities for participant engagement and a positive experience of the service
• In collaboration with the leadership team, ensure smooth operations through coordinated rostering and process development, review, and continual improvement
• Work collaboratively with the leadership team, partners, and stakeholders to regularly review and understand service delivery needs and consider innovative alternatives and options
• Develop processes that support team members to identify and raise risk issues or concerns in a timely and consistent manner.
• Coordinate training and development opportunities for the Lived/Living experience workforce, as well as ongoing education to Locals staff to build capacity, understanding of peer work and support integration within the team.
• Lead and support co-design and co-production activities across the Yarra Ranges region and implement effective strategies that integrate consumer perspective principles into systems, processes, and practices.
• In partnership with the Senior Peer Navigator, provide orientation, and guidance through Consumer Perspective supervision and mentoring to peer navigators.
• Lead with empathy, vision, humility, creativity, and integrity.
• Drive the transformational change associated with developing and championing the Lived/Living Experience workforce.
• Integrate Lived Experience Leadership: Leverage personal lived experience with mental health challenges and the recovery journey to develop and deliver programs and projects.
• Drawing on your lived/living experience, demonstrate a commitment to holistic wellbeing, social change, and human rights principles.
• Provide thoughtful, consistent leadership and effective decision making that brings people together.

About You:

You will have personal experience of mental illness and recovery, of accessing and navigating health care services, including mental health services and a willingness to draw upon your experiences and recovery journey to inform your work. You will have a demonstrated desire and experience in leading and championing the peer workforce and Lived/Living experience workforce.

We welcome people who identify as gender diverse, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, living with a disability or culturally and linguistically diverse.

You will have:

• Minimum Qualification in Intentional Peer Support, Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer work, or relevant Diploma level qualification
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in consumer Lived/Living experience/peer work roles and minimum 2 years’ experience leading and supervising Lived/Lived experience workers
• Proven ability in creating psychologically safe spaces that empower and support diversity and inclusivity
• Strong knowledge of mental health service delivery, development and design, project management and reporting
• Alignment with a Culturally respectful approach that includes and strengthens all peoples, traditions, stories, and Culture
• Experience and commitment to develop the capabilities of the LLE workforce and champion their voices within the organisation and the community
• Demonstrated thought leadership qualities and attributes through being observant, curious, reflective and action oriented
• Knowledge about the latest research and best practice for the Lived/Living experience workforce.
• Ability to develop and maintain strategic relationships and networks throughout the Yarra Ranges region
• Experience with and be confident in using Microsoft Office Suite and CRM systems.

Essential

To be the successful candidate, you will also need to:

• meet the position requirements,
• undertake a current Police Record Check,
• hold an Employee Working with Children Check, and
• an NDIS worker clearance check will also be required if you don’t have one
• meet the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements, providing evidence of vaccination status.

Inspiro may request additional background checks subject to current legislation.

Desirable

Completion of Intentional Peer Support Manager training, Organisational Readiness for Peer workforce training or other peer workforce related training.

How to Apply:

Download Full Job Position Description

Please click apply Now to submit your application. 

If you have any questions, please get in touch via [email protected] using the subject line: Mental Health Team Leader – Support & Connect enquiry via EthicalJobs. 

We’re keen to recruit for this role ASAP – so we’ll shortlist as applications are received. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

We welcome Everyone. Inspiro is committed to an inclusive workforce and celebrates the value of difference and diversity. We encourage applications from people of all abilities and ages, First Nations people and people of all cultures. We also encourage people to apply who have a lived experience of mental health challenges so that our workforce can better connect with our community and drive collaborative and innovative healthcare improvements.