POSITION DESCRIPTION DATE REVISED: 21 July 2016 POSITION: Peer Support Worker (Consumer) Enhanced Post Discharge Support Initiative Part time 0.6 FTE (24 months fixed term with evaluation and review) AWARD/AGREEMENT: Victorian Mental Health Services Enterprise Agreement 2012-2016 CLASSIFICATION TITLE: Community Development Worker Grade 1 DEPARTMENT/UNIT: CLINICAL PROGRAM: DIVISION: REPORTS TO: OPERATIONALLY ACCOUNTABLE TO: Alfred Acute Inpatient Psychiatry Psychiatry - Adult Operations Enhanced Post Discharge Support Coordinator Acute Operations Manager Inpatient Psychiatry ALFRED HEALTH Alfred Health is the main provider of health services to people living in the inner southeast suburbs of Melbourne and is also a major provider of specialist services to people across Victoria. The health service operates three outstanding facilities, The Alfred, Caulfield, and Sandringham. Further information about Alfred Health is available at www.alfredhealth.org.au OUR VALUES Our staff are expected to demonstrate and uphold our values of: Integrity, Accountability, Collaboration and Knowledge. Our values provide the platform for the way we work and the decisions we make. Through this approach, our Vision and Mission are achieved. Peer Values All peer workforce roles are defined and underpinned by values intrinsic to the consumer rights, carer rights, self help and recovery movements spanning mental health and/or addiction. Six core values necessary for the peer workforce are presented below with the values of mutuality and experiential knowledge being particularly important. Mutuality the authentic two-way relationships between people through the kinship of common experience. Page 1 of 6
Experiential knowledge the learning, knowledge and wisdom that comes from personal lived experience of mental distress or addiction and recovery. Self-determination the right for people to make free choices about their life and to be free from coercion on the basis of their mental distress or addiction. Participation the right for people to participate and lead in mental health and/or addiction services including in the development or running of services as well as in their own treatment and recovery, or involvement as a carer or family member. Equity the right of people who experience mental distress and/or addiction and their families/carers to have fair and equal opportunities to other citizens and to be free of discrimination. Recovery and hope - the belief that there is always hope and that resiliency and meaningful recovery is possible for everyone. ALFRED PSYCHIATRY PROGRAM, DEPARTMENT AND UNITS Alfred Psychiatry is responsible for the operation of services which focus on people with a severe mental illness residing in the Inner South Eastern area of Melbourne. Services are provided by a number of teams located at the Alfred Hospital (Commercial Road, Prahran) and at St. Kilda Road Clinic, Waiora Clinic in Armadale, Alma Road CCU in St. Kilda, the Child & Adolescent Service located in Moorabbin and Headspace Centres are located at Elsternwick, Bentleigh, Frankston, Dandenong and Narre Warren. Aged Psychiatry Services are based at Caulfield Hospital and include a 15 bed inpatient unit, a community psychiatry program and consultation liaison service. Alfred Psychiatry also works in partnership with relevant local nongovernment and social support agencies. DEPARTMENT Acute inpatient psychiatry consists of First Floor Psychiatry providing 28 acute inpatient beds with 6 high dependency beds and Ground Floor Psychiatry providing 30 bed acute beds incorporating an 8 bed high dependency unit inclusive of 4 state-wide psychiatric intensive care beds. The allied health teams work across the two units providing a range of therapeutic and group programs to assist in treatment. Dedicated nursing and medical teams are attached to each unit. The single most important goal of Alfred Psychiatry is to create an environment that facilitates clinical recovery, supports individual recovery efforts and strives to minimise service system barriers to the recovery process. POSITION SUMMARY This exciting new role has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of mental health challenges. Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, peer support workers will inspire hope and encouragement in the recovery journey of people accessing Acute Inpatient services. The goal of this position is to provide tailored support to consumers in the discharge planning and post discharge periods to minimise the risk of unplanned re-admission. As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, the peer support worker will provide peer support and practical assistance to people, to support them to lead their own unique recovery process. Within a relationship of mutuality and information sharing, they will promote choice, self-determination and opportunities to seek Page 2 of 6
or maintain socially valued roles and connections in their local communities following a mental health inpatient admission. The peer support worker will act as a recovery champion within the team and be involved in the ongoing development of volunteer peer support roles in the Alfred Psychiatry program, including peer support training and evaluation. All peer support workers will receive training and supervision. This position is for a fixed term 24-months and will be subject to evaluation and review. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Engage people accessing the Acute Inpatient program and develop trusting and professional relationships whilst maintaining professional boundaries Provide one to one peer support with people accessing the Acute Inpatient program in their preparation and planning for discharge and use your personal experience to model hope and share skills and knowledge Work closely with service leaders, clinicians and family support workers to promote a team approach to care that is sensitive and responsive to the needs and views of consumers and ensure the service is easily understood by those receiving services Provide support to consumers in identifying and accessing available community supports that will support recovery Provide tailored community contact with people in their transition from the Acute inpatient Unit ensuring a supported transition to community based services is completed Contribute to the development of the Enhanced Post Discharge Support Team and peer workforce models Facilitate peer recovery groups and education as required Participate in Peer Support Reflective Practice To contribute to education, training, and professional development opportunities as required To comply with and contribute to the further development of information and reports on the activity and outcomes of the Enhanced Post Discharge Support Initiative To represent Alfred Psychiatry externally and amplify the voice of people with a lived experience of mental illness more broadly in the community QUALITY, SAFETY, RISK and IMPROVEMENT Maintain an understanding of individual responsibility for client safety, quality & risk and contribute to organisational quality and safety initiatives Follow organisational safety, quality & risk policies and guidelines Maintain a safe working environment for yourself, your colleagues and members of the public. Escalate concerns regarding safety, quality & risk to appropriate staff member, if unable to rectify yourself. Promote and participate in the evaluation and continuous improvement processes. Comply with principles of Client Centred Care. Comply with Alfred Health mandatory continuing professional development requirements. Comply with requirement of National Safety & Quality Health Service Standards and other relevant regulatory requirements. Page 3 of 6
OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL ALFRED HEALTH STAFF: Ensure compliance with relevant Alfred Health clinical and administrative policies and guidelines. Comply with relevant privacy legislation. Protect confidential information from unauthorised disclosure and not use, disclose or copy confidential information except for the purpose of and to the extent necessary to perform your employment duties at Alfred Health. Comply with Alfred Health medication management and medication safety policies and guidelines. In this position you must comply with the actions set out in the relevant section(s) of the OHS Roles and Responsibilities Guideline. Research activities will be undertaken commensurate with the role KEY CAPABILITIES: Capabilities - Essential Lived experience of mental health challenges. Recognition and understanding of own personal recovery process and ability to use this appropriately to support others. Knowledge of peer support principles and the ability to support people from a mutual perspective by sharing lived experience. Ability to use own experience to inspire hope and belief in recovery. Ability to work with people from a strengths perspective. Ability to listen with empathy and support people to discover their own solutions. Willingness to participate in relevant training and supervision programs for peer support workers. Ability to be able to put own viewpoint forward whilst respecting the views of others. Effective communication skills and an ability to communicate in everyday, non-clinical language. Knowledge and experience of the mental health system. Ability to support people to discover meaningful connections in the community. Ability to organise workload and manage time effectively. Capabilities - Desirable Experience working in a peer support role. Demonstrated ability in working with people, particularly within a community development or health promotion framework. Experience in working within a multidisciplinary team, and an understanding of the dynamics of a positive team culture. Understand the role of supervision, ongoing personal/professional development and other mechanisms that sustain motivation and enthusiasm. Experience in education or training. Capability with using contemporary technologies. Page 4 of 6
Mental Health Workforce Capabilities & Priorities 1. RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, SAFETY AND PRIVACY Mental health professionals uphold the rights of people affected by mental health problems and mental disorders, and those of their family members and/or carers, maintaining their privacy, dignity and confidentiality and actively promoting their safety. 2. CONSUMER AND CARER PARTICIPATION Mental health professionals encourage and support the participation of consumers and carers in determining (or influencing) their individual treatment and care. 3. AWARENESS OF DIVERSITY Mental health professionals practise in an appropriate manner through actively responding to the social, cultural, linguistic, spiritual and gender diversity of consumers and carers, incorporating those differences in their practice. 4. MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND MENTAL DISORDERS Mental health professionals are knowledgeable about mental health problems and mental disorders and the cooccurrence of more than one disease or disorder, and apply this knowledge in all aspects of their work. 5. PROMOTION AND PREVENTION Mental health professionals promote the development of environments that optimise mental health and wellbeing among populations, individuals and families in order to prevent mental health problems and mental disorders. 6. EARLY DETECTION AND INTERVENTION Mental health professionals encourage early detection and intervention. 7. ASSESSMENT, TREATMENT, RELAPSE PREVENTION AND SUPPORT Mental health professionals provide or ensure that consumers have access to a high standard of evidenced-based assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and support services which prevent relapse and promote recovery. 8. INTEGRATION AND PARTNERSHIP Mental health professionals promote the integration of components of the mental health service to enable access to appropriate and comprehensive services for consumers, family members and/or carers through mainstream health services. 9. SERVICE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT Mental health professionals develop and acquire skills to enable them to participate in the planning, development, implementation, evaluation and management of mental health services to ensure the delivery of coordinated, continuous and integrated care within the broad range of mainstream health and social services. 10. DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS Mental health professionals maintain a high standard of documentation and information systems on clinical interventions and service development, implementation and evaluation to ensure data collection meets clinical, monitoring and evaluation needs. 11. EVALUATION AND RESEARCH Mental health professionals systematically monitor and evaluate their clinical practice, consistent with the National Standards for Mental Health Services and relevant professional standards to ensure the best possible outcomes for consumers, family members and/or carers. Page 5 of 6
12. ETHICAL PRACTICE AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES Mental health professionals adhere to local and professionally prescribed laws, codes of conduct and practice, and take responsibility for their own professional development and continuing education and training. QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE DESIRED Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work or Certificate IV in Mental Health or other relevant qualification. Other relevant information: Current Victorian Driver s License Satisfactory completion of a Police Check Satisfactory completion of Working with Children Check Position Description authorised by: Sandra Keppich-Arnold Date: 21 July 2016 Page 6 of 6