HOPE Lived Experience Worker

Latrobe Regional Health is a leading provider of health care services across the Gippsland Region

Are you seeking a rewarding and diverse HOPE Lived Experience Worker Consumer role in a leading regional hospital? Join the Mental Health Services Team at Latrobe Regional Health, where we value our employees by providing a safe and supportive workplace culture that enables you to thrive. 

Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) is looking for a HOPE Lived Experience Worker Consumer to join our growing team on a permanent part-time basis. Our HOPE team provides non-clinical emotional and practical support to individuals following a suicidal crisis. As a lived experience worker, you will build hope, connection, and empowerment for people accessing mental health support in the community.

Working Together | We will respond to challenges together to create a safe, quality health service

About the Role

In this meaningful community-based role, you will:

• Purposefully and safely share your lived experience to build trust and connection.
• Provide empathetic emotional support that validates people’s feelings and experiences.
• Role-model hope, resilience, self-determination, and recovery.
• Advocate for individuals and help them strengthen their self-advocacy skills.
• Share information and guidance about community supports, lived experience networks, local mental health services, and safe self-help strategies.
• Support people to navigate the mental health system and access appropriate services.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate peer support groups (as applicable).
• Assist individuals in identifying personal wellbeing and recovery goals.
• Attend appointments in a supportive advocacy capacity when required.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, reflective practice, supervision, and training.
• Complete administrative tasks, documentation, and reports in line with LRH procedures.

This is a supportive, reflective, and collaborative role embedded within an engaged lived experience workforce.

About You

You will bring:

• Lived experience of suicidal distress, mental health challenges, and recovery.
• Compassion, empathy, integrity, and a commitment to power equality.
• The ability to use your lived experience in a purposeful, therapeutic way.
• Understanding of Human Rights and Recovery-Oriented frameworks.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work inclusively and non-judgmentally with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to manage your workload, practice self-care, and participate in supervision.
• Basic to intermediate digital literacy (Microsoft Office, email, internal systems).

Key Requirements

• Current Unrestricted Driver’s Licence and the qualification to transport others using a work vehicle
• Police Check
• Working with Children Check
• Intentional Peer Support (IPS) training—completed or willingness to complete
• Certificate IV in Peer Work or Mental Health—completed or willingness to undertake
• Experience navigating mental health and healthcare systems

Desirable:

• 6+ months experience in a designated lived experience peer role
• IPS training or Certificate IV in Peer Work already obtained

Latrobe Regional Health offers a range of benefits including:

• Salary packaging up to $9,000 per annum.
• Meals/Entertainment benefit up to $2,650 per annum.
• Encouragement for professional development and ongoing education.
• A range of social club activities, discounts and diverse workplace activities.
• Free access to our Staff Wellbeing Centre offering health education and wellbeing
• Access to discounted gym membership and fitness services through Fitness Passport Services.

Interested about this exciting opportunity, but want more information? We encourage you to contact Tyson Hill, Lived and Living Experience Consumer Lead & Consultant via email: Tyson.Hill@lrh.com.au for a confidential discussion.

Please click here for a copy of the Position Description

About us

Located in the picturesque region of Gippsland, Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) offers the perfect balance between career and lifestyle. Enjoy easy access to Melbourne, stunning beaches, majestic mountains, and serene lakes. With flexible working hours, you can make the most of what Gippsland has to offer.

LRH cares for a population of about 300,000 and is the regional provider of specialist services. Our catchment covers 42,000 square kilometres, from Phillip Island to Mallacoota in the far east of Victoria. LRH offers cardiac care, surgery, medical, renal, emergency care, aged care, women's and children's services, pharmacy, allied health and rehabilitation. Medical and radiation oncology are offered by the Gippsland Cancer Care Centre.

Now is an exciting time to join the LRH team, with the $223.5 million expansion completed in March 2024, offering improved maternity and paediatric facilities, larger intensive care unit, increased medical and surgical beds and additional operating theatres.

Diversity and inclusion

We embrace workforce diversity and actively encourage applications from across our community including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with linguistically diverse backgrounds, people of all genders and gender identities and people with disabilities. LRH's Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer is available to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent applicants and can be contacted via email: AboriginalHealthUnit@lrh.com.au 

How to apply

Join us in our mission to provide exceptional healthcare services to our community. Apply today and make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families. Please click the APPLY button to be directed to our Careers page for direct application. Applications should include a cover letter addressing the Key Selection Criteria and current resume.

Applications close: 28 December 2025

Explore all the great things happening at LRH by visiting our Careers and Training page of our website www.lrh.com.au/Careers-and-Training/ and take the next step in your career journey.

Before commencement, the successful applicant will

Provide evidence of an original and valid National Police Record Check, an employee Working with Children Check, and a current season influenza vaccine (if applicable to work area), unless a valid medical exemption applies.