So you want to be a Peer Support Worker?

[Oaktree]

@tyme @MJG017 @ArraDreaming @Rockdog @Shaz51 

Please tag any others I have missed Shaz.

This thread is following on from a Sunday Hangout chat tonight on which we discovered that we were all pretty interested in the possibility of becoming peer support workers. Please leave any advice, interesting articles or resources here.

@tyme gave out this link to help find applicable jobs

au.jora.com 

[Oaktree]

@tyme 

So I clicked on Jora and typed in Lived experience mental health and searched in my state. Up popped an add for fee free cert 4 in mental health. I downloaded the brochure. Definitely a good place to start because it won’t cost me anything 

[tyme]

Thanks @Oaktree 🙂

So with jora, I put in key words about what I'm interested in and they send me jobs every night related to the key words I've chosen e.g. mental health, peer work, lived experience, counselling

Just to be clear, I'm not looking for another job, but I like to know what's out there and the direction mental health vacancies are heading.

This includes both government and non-government jobs. I tend to look Australia wide, but you can filter it to just the state you live in.

You can also look for scholarship opportunities

@MJG017 @Shaz51 @Glisten @Rockdog @Ainjoule @ArraDreaming @Oaktree .

[Oaktree]

@tyme 

Cert 4 in Mental Health requirements 

 plus 80 hours practical placement 

[tyme]

Cool! Yes, look into it. If it is a private organisation, have a read of any reviews to make sure they don't give you grief later @Oaktree When I mean grief, there are some people who start a course, but the organisation closes, or they don't return assignments, don't give you a proper transcript etc.

It also needs to be a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

[tyme]

In the past, we have signed off placement for students who are CGs at SANE. I can't promise we still do this, but if it pops up, I can ask @Oaktree 

[Oaktree]

@tyme 

Thanks for the advice, I will check all that.

 

[tyme]

Totally. I look forward to hearing how it goes. It may also guide others @Oaktree 

The course is not too taxing. We can also support each other if you have questions etc.

For my Peer Work course, the placement up to a year prior was counted.

[Oaktree]

@tyme 

They are an RTO and they have a location 15 minutes from me.

 

[tyme]

Do all the research you can for the organisation 'in case' they are not very good. @Oaktree Once you get one certificate subsidised, you can't get another funded in the future (or not without a lot of effort anyway)