Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

@ShiningStar

Thank you for your support xx

I'm doing ok. Have tried to let it go. I just cannot believe they would bluntly lie like this. To the Health Care Commission!!

And gas light a patient.

I've been knitting.

I finished my shawl 😎

Hello everyone ^_^

I am new here and wanted to make my first contribution to the forum. I am thinking about making a discussion post about some challenges I've been having on my recovery journey. I'm interested in sharing my story, supporting and listening to others where I can, learning about recovery and trying to recover, and I also would love to learn more about peer work as I think I would like to become a peer worker one day.

Cheers! 🌻

Hi there

@june23

Hi @hanami 😊

Thanks for your reply!

I was inspired because I had a great peer worker this year and it really made such a big difference. Before this year I didn't really know peer work was an option. I asked my peer worker if she thinks it would be good for me and she did recommend it, however she did recommend waiting until I have some experience with recovery. I know there is a certificate in mental health that peer workers need but when I looked online it said that a requirement was employment in peer work, so from that I just assumed you can land a job as a peer worker without the qualification but your employer will expect you to get it eventually. Is that correct?

In terms of getting into peer work while I'm recovering, I'd like to do some volunteering in my community if I am able to. My community mental health worker suggested the local soup kitchen and she introduced me to the local safe haven so I could also talk to the peer workers there and let them know I'm interested in peer work and hopefully they could help me see if it's something I would be suited to.

Hi June, in regards to information about peer support the way I went about getting a position was to first do volunteer work in an organisation that offered support and advocacy to family members of people with mental illness. I started by doing general cleaning , office duties and brochure folding and organising. After doing that for 6 months I got a volunteer job working one afternoon a week supporting a young woman who had a disability. I would take her swimming and do crafts and other activities. This helped me get familiar with a supporting role and also keeping case notes which is a requirement of support work. I then got a paid position as a peer support worker. So my advice to you is if you start out volunteering try to volunteer somewhere that will give you relevant experience to what you want to do. Good luck. 😊

G’day all.
New here and new to all this amd not really sure what to do, say or write here. Not even sure it’s right for me at this point but hey you never know if you don’t give it a go right? Be good and be happy all

Hi again @june23

Yes that's right - you can often get a job as a peer worker without the certificate as long as you say you will work towards it once you're employed. That's the way it was for me with NSW Health. I got the job and then got the certificate while working. I did mine through here https://mhcc.org.au/training/courses/

@KyleeGabby has excellent advice too (thankyou!) - volunteer work is a a great idea. And it sounds like you're onto that.

Looking forward to seeing you around the forums

Hanami

PS. Ask any more questions re peer work. One of use will be happy to respond 🙂

Hey there @KyleeGabby

I just noticed you are new around here too and wanted to welcome you!

I will look forward to seeing you around.

Warmest wishes

Hanami

Hi @KyleeGabby!

Thank you for your advice. I think volunteer work is a great idea. I need to know if I'm suited to it and volunteering is a great way. I hope there are some organizations in my community that accept volunteers. Did the place you volunteered at ask for volunteers or did you ask them?