Pathways to peer work

Peer workers use lived and living expertise to support people who access our services. A peer worker may provide support through individual sessions or running groups.

Sections on this page

What is a peer worker?
Knowledge and skills
Formal training courses and qualifications
Other Programs
Other training and learning
Volunteering

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What is a peer worker?

A peer worker has personal lived experience with significant distress or has cared for someone with these experiences. These experiences may be:

mental health challenges
suicidal crisis
alcohol and other drug use (AOD)
homelessness or rough sleeping

Lived Experience (Peer) workers use the insights gained from lived and living experience to provide support that is useful and purposeful for someone else. They provide practical, emotional, social, and service access support. This work explores and responds to people’s needs through a mutual process.

A peer worker may provide support through individual sessions or running groups.

Peer workers may have other skills or training, but the main criterion is a lived or living experience of significant distress and using this as the foundation of their discipline.

Knowledge and skills

Peer workers will have lived or living experience of mental health challenges. They may also have experience caring for someone with mental health challenges. They will offer support to consumers and carers.

Other desirable skills to have as a peer worker include:

Good communication – being able to draw from your own experiences
Active listening – listening for the untold story with empathy
Self-care – knowing how to take care of your own wellbeing
Maintaining consumer privacy
Being comfortable following policies and procedures
Maintaining boundaries – Only talking with people you are supporting in work time, in an appropriate and safe way
Basic literacy and computer skills – to be able to manage emails, case notes, and other programs

Essential requirement

Lived or living experience of mental health challenges. Or caring for someone with mental health challenges. Personal experience of mental health challenges and recovery. And an awareness of how to draw on these learnings when connecting with others.

Beneficial training:

Certificate IV Mental Health Peer Work
Intentional Peer Support training
Volunteering
Previous relevant work experience

Formal training courses and qualifications

Not all organisations need employees to have formal training to become a Peer Worker. But some specific positions need certain qualifications and experience for you to take on the role. We have outlined some training and qualifications below:

Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work

Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work is built to harness your lived or living experience of mental health challenges as either a consumer or carer. It allows you to support consumer or carer peers. It is available from many providers around the country. Certificate IV in Mental Health is recommended in states where the peer work certificate is not available. Below are some links to providers in each state.

Other Programs

Some states have programs to encourage people to enter the peer-work space. Some of them are below.

Northern Territory:

Top End Mental Health Consumers Organisation (TEMHCO)

TEMHCO provides the NT Peer Workforce Project which is working with people to complete their Certificate IV in Mental Health.

South Australia:

Lived Experience Workforce Program (LEWP)

LEWP offers a free Orientation to Mental Health Peer Work Program for people who may be thinking about a career in mental health Peer work within SA.

Victoria:

The Victorian Peer Cadet Program

This paid 10-month program is delivered in partnership with nine community organisations across Victoria. As a Peer Cadet, you’ll take part in two days of work placement and one day of paid study leave each week. The program includes orientation, training, and opportunities to build your peer work skills in a supportive team environment.

To learn more about the state-wide program, visit the Mind Australia website or email LECC@mindaustralia.org.au

For information about Peer Cadet opportunities at Neami, please contact Lauren Naismith at lauren.naismith@neaminational.org.au.

Pilot Placement Support Program

This newly developed program provides students who are studying the Peer Work Certificate IV in Peer Work with the opportunity to apply for a student placement with Neami National or the other four program partner organisations.

The program provides unpaid opportunities to complete student placement hours and learning activities as prescribed by the training organisation where an individual is completing the Peer Work Certificate IV.

For more information on the program and the application process, please visit the Mind Australia website.

And for Neami enquiries, please contact peerstudentplacements@neaminational.org.au

Western Australia:

WA Peer Supporter’s Network

The WA Peer Supporters’ Network (WAPSN) is a forum led by Peer Supporters to advance Peer Support and the Peer Support Workforce in Western Australia.

Other training and learning

If you’re interested in becoming a peer worker, the below training opportunities may be of interest.

Intentional Peer Support

Intentional Peer Support is a course recommended by many in the peer space. Intentional Peer Support provides a powerful framework for creating relationships where both people learn and grow together.

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid training equips participants with the skills, and confidence to recognise and respond to those experiencing a mental health problem or crisis.

NDIS Psychosocial Recovery Coaching

Specific roles within the NDIS space, such as a psychosocial recovery coach, can be lived or living experience roles. A psychosocial recovery coach helps people with a psychosocial disability take more control of their lives. Several training programs are available to enter these roles, including Team DSC.

Lifeline – Workplace and Community Training

Lifeline offers training in peer support and self-care which may be of interest.

Other

Mental Health Victoria and Blue Knot run various training events that may benefit someone looking to enter the peer worker space.

Volunteering

Taking part in volunteering opportunities can provide you with experience in the mental health space. It can be a great first step into the lived experience space.

Lived Experience Opportunities

Visit our webpage to see opportunities and take part in improving Neami’s services.

VMIAC Consumer Register

VMIAC Consumer Register is a space where Victoria consumers can take part in paid events to give feedback on the Victorian mental health system. People on the register are also offered training events to develop their skills.