Peer Support Worker - Family, Friend and Kin Service

About us:

We’re leaders in mental health service delivery, specialising in working with adults and young people, and in early childhood intervention.

Stride is a name that expresses our ambition – it’s a name that’s purposeful and shows awareness of the important role we play in the recovery journey.

Our service:

The Family, Friend and Kin Service is an enhancement to the existing Universal Aftercare (UAC) Service, which is non-clinical trauma informed support and transition service that is built on personal connection and integration with community services.

The aim is to assist those at risk of suicide to stay safe and better access high-quality support, while building the capacity to self-manage stress and improve mental wellbeing.

This program addition is a co-designed regional model of support for families, friends and significant others of people aged 18+ yrs experiencing a suicidal crisis across Western Queensland.

On Offer:

• Part time & full time opportunities available on a fixed-term contract until end of January 2027 (with possibility of extension)
• Can be based in Roma, St George or Charleville
• SCHADs Level 3 plus Super
• Salary packaging options (up to $15,899 tax free!!)
• Meals and entertainment allowance of up to $2,650!!
• Leave loading at 17.5%
• Stride Rewards – access to discounts from 100s of retailers (fashion, food and fitness)
• Purchase up to 5 additional leave days in a 12-month period (pro rata entitlement if part-time)
• Excellent training & career development

Role Overview:

To provide direct and personalised peer support to families, carers, friends and significant others of individuals (18+) who have survived a suicide attempt, are experiencing a suicidal crisis, or are living with mental health challenges, drawing on personal lived experience of the caring role to build connection, hope and resilience.

• Deliver focused, tailored support to families and carers of UAS participants, assisting them to access community services, mental health education and practical coping resources.
• Provide regular, flexible, non-clinical one-on-one and group-based psychosocial support to families and carers.
• Utilise evidence-informed engagement and planning tools to guide initial engagement, goal setting, review and exit planning, supporting carers to build self-awareness, identify strengths and develop sustainable strategies to manage the demands of the caring role.
• Assist families and carers to achieve greater independence and confidence in supporting their loved ones.
• Maintain proactive, ongoing follow-up and check-ins with families and carers beyond the immediate crisis period, recognising that support needs often continue and evolve over time.
• Support families and carers in navigating difficult decisions associated with the caring role, providing information, peer perspective and appropriate referral to assist informed decision-making.
• Recognise and respond to the needs of broader family, kin and community networks where appropriate, including in cultural contexts where collective family and community roles in caring are central.
• Provide advocacy or support self-advocacy for families and carers where appropriate.
• Identify, develop and maintain links with relevant service providers, carer support organisations and consumer groups to enable effective referral and linkage for families and carers.
• Undertake consultation, liaison and linkage with internal and external service systems, including collaboration with Hospital and Health Services, Community Managed Organisations, GPs, primary care providers and Hospital and Health Service mental health teams, to support a coordinated and integrated response to family and carer need.
• Apply Stride's risk and escalation procedures, recognising indicators of wellbeing concern, vulnerability or suicide risk affecting carers and/or the person they support, and promptly escalating to the Service Leader/Manager, Aftercare Clinical Coordinator or emergency services as required.

Requirements:

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Certificate IV in Community Services, Peer Work, or Mental Health.
• Hold, or be willing to work towards, a Certificate IV in Peer Work and/or complete Safe Story Telling training.
• Carer or family peer support training is highly desirable.
• Must hold, or be willing to obtain, a valid Blue Card, Police Check and NDIS Worker Screening Clearance.

Experience & Skills

• Personal lived experience as a family member or carer of a person living with mental health challenges or suicidal crisis, with the ability to use that experience appropriately to support others in a safe and professional way.
• Demonstrated capacity to relate to consumers, families and other stakeholders with dignity and respect, and to engage sensitively and effectively with people experiencing distress, trauma or crisis.
• Minimum 2 years' experience in a support worker, peer work or related role, preferably within mental health, suicide aftercare or carer support services.
• In-depth understanding of the impact of mental illness, suicidal crisis, and alcohol and other drug use on individuals, families and communities.
• Experience supporting people with mental health challenges and understanding the importance of recovery-oriented practice, trauma-informed care and strengths-based approaches.
• Experience in group facilitation, including planning and delivering mental health education and peer support programs.
• Demonstrated effective listening, communication skills and empathy, with the ability to build trust and rapport and provide strengths-based, non-judgemental and solution-focused peer support.
• Ability to think and act calmly and deal sensitively with distressed people.
• Excellent negotiation, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to work effectively with families, carers, government agencies and community services, meet deadlines and perform well in challenging situations.
• Understanding of, or experience working in, regional, rural or remote community contexts, including awareness of the specific challenges faced by families and carers in small and geographically isolated communities.
• Demonstrated cultural awareness and sensitivity, including an understanding of First Nations peoples' connection to family, land, culture and Country, and a commitment to culturally safe practice.
• Understanding of duty of care, confidentiality, privacy and professional boundaries within a peer support context, with sensitivity to the dynamics of small and regional communities where privacy and discretion are especially important.
• Commitment to ongoing training, supervision and reflective practice, including suicide prevention and Safe Storytelling frameworks.
• Basic digital literacy including case noting, data entry and electronic record keeping; competence with Microsoft Office.
• Current Driver's Licence and willingness to undertake community-based outreach.

Stride is committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people. All applicants applying for roles within Stride must undergo required screening processes prior to their successful appointment.

Stride is an inclusive workplace and we encourage applications from diverse backgrounds in order to enhance the depth of cultural diversity and insight within our workforce.

This includes but is not limited to people with a lived-experience of mental health recovery, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities.

Apply now!

Not sure you meet 100% of the criteria? We still highly encourage you to apply. We value potential and transferable skills just as much as experience.

If you are passionate about our mission and believe you can excel in this role, we would love to hear from you!

To apply complete the online application form, attach a copy of your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the available role.

Applications will be viewed and actioned upon receipt, with a final closing date of: 15 July 2026.