• Opportunity to establish innovative service and lead a highly experienced and skilled peer workforce
• Fixed term 12 month role | Full time
• Geelong Location

Mind strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, people with a lived experience of mental ill health and recovery, and applicants from all cultures, genders, sexualities, bodies, abilities, spiritualities, ages and backgrounds.

Mind Australia is one of Australia’s largest providers of community-managed psychosocial services, supporting people experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges to find help, hope and purpose in their lives. Operating for more than 45 years and employing more than 1,300 staff around Australia, Mind is a leading employer of people with lived experience of mental health challenges, recognising their unique ability to connect with and motivate clients and guide recovery.

About the role

The Lived Experience Residential Service will provide free short-term support in a home-like setting for people experiencing mental health crisis and distress.

This innovative trial service is designed and run by a highly experienced and skilled peer workforce. Peer practitioners are trained to draw on the experience, knowledge and wisdom of their own mental health challenges to support others in their healing and recovery.

Lived Experience Residential Service will offer up to eight beds for anyone aged 18 and over experiencing high levels of distress.

We are seeking a compassionate Lived Experience Service Establishment Manager (LE-SEM) for a 12 month fixed term, fulltime opportunity in the Geelong area. You will lead and manage the day-to-day operations, whilst developing and guiding practice and culture holding lived experience values and principles at the heart of all decision making. The role will support and mentor an exclusively Lived Experience staffing team within an Intentional Peer Support frame.

Key responsibilities

• Have a publicly disclosed personal/consumer lived experience, along with demonstrated lived expertise and designated work experience that is equal to the level of the position.
• Lead an effective team ensuring that the requirements of the operating manual and service guidelines are met.
• Support the development and embedding of the operational model for Connection and Community.
• Work with the team to create and contribute to a collective culture based upon the vision of the service, holding the heart and intention at the centre.
• Be grounded in the discipline of Lived Expertise, drawing from your own lived experience, informed by a commitment to social change, human rights, dignity and choice.
• Operate within delegated authority and undertake a range of administrative tasks that support efficient and effective service delivery in a complex and demanding environment.
• Work and embed relationships with local community groups and organisations to support mutual understanding and effective engagement with the service.

What you’ll bring

• Completion of Intentional Peer Support Core and/ or Advanced Training.
• Completion of other relevant Consumer Discipline trainings are desired but not required eg: Consumer Perspective Supervision, Alt2Su, Hearing Voices etc
• Tertiary qualifications as relevant to the role are desired but not required.
• A trauma responsive, do no harm approach.
• Demonstrated understanding of Lived Experience approaches including lived experience workforce, co-design and Intentional Peer Support.
• Passion to direct change, initiatives and Lived Experience ideas throughout the organisation and community.

Benefits

• Salary packaging up to $15,899 p.a. allows you to allocate a portion of your pre-tax income to cover living expenses (e.g. rent, mortgage, child care, car leasing expenses etc.)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provided by Converge International, for you and your immediate family members.
• Fitness Passport - Access to our corporate health and fitness program, providing you and family with access to a wide choice of fitness facilities.

Interested?

To apply visit Mind Careers - reference number 498411. Online applications must be submitted by 11pm Wednesday 22 October 2025. We encourage you to apply early as the opportunity may close if a suitable applicant is sourced. Please contact the person below for more information.

Katie Larsen – Executive Director Lived Experience
[email protected]

To be eligible

To be eligible, applicants must submit a cover letter that speaks to the responsibilities and relevant experiences of the role (no longer than 2 pages).

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please contact us at [email protected]

Position Description

PD Lived Experience Service Establishment Manager (LERS, Geelong) 20250930.pdf

The successful applicant is required to complete comprehensive reference and background checking prior to employment, including a Working with Children Check and NDIS Workers Screening Check.