Lived Experience Peer Worker, Aspire

Apply to Contribute Your Voice

Meli is inviting people with lived experience of family violence and homelessness to express their interest in a new Peer Worker role within our Aspire program.

We know that lived experience brings insight, empathy, and guidance that cannot be learned from textbooks. Your voice can help shape a service that truly understands what safety, stability, and recovery feel like in real life.

 

If you’re someone who feels ready to use your experience to support others, we would love to hear from you.

 

About the Role

Aspire supports young people aged 16 - 20 who are at risk of homelessness or are experiencing homelessness due to family violence.

You would work alongside youth family violence case workers, to support young people through a journey of healing.

You don’t need to have completed your qualifications; we welcome applicants who are currently studying in the field. What’s most important is having enough personal distance, stability, and readiness to draw on your lived experience in a safe and supported way.

Ongoing training, supervision, and mentoring will be provided.

• These positions are fixed term, part time positions until 30 June 2028
• The positions are 0.5 FTE working 19 hours per week
• Salary: $92,496 (pro-rata) p/a + Super + Salary Packaging
  

 What You Would Do in This Role

Below is a simple overview of the kinds of things a Peer Worker will do in Aspire:

• Build connection and trust: Help people feel safe, understood, and supported by gently drawing on your own lived experience when it’s helpful.
• Share concerns with the team: Notice and share any concerns you see, working with the team to help keep people safe.
• Support recovery and next steps: Work with people and their case manager to plan next steps that help them in their recovery and in their daily life.
• Help people find supports and services: Support people to find and connect with services, programs and community activities that might help them.
• Explain things clearly: Explain the Aspire program in simple, everyday language so people understand what to expect and what choices they have.
• Encourage healthy boundaries and self‑advocacy: Encourage healthy relationships and boundaries, and help people build confidence to speak up for their needs.
• Bring lived experience into team conversations: Share your lived experience in team discussions in a way that adds insight but still respects that everyone’s story is different.
• Maintain boundaries and self‑care: Know what’s part of the role (and what isn’t) and take care of yourself by using supervision and staying aware of your limits.
• Join supervision and training: Take part in regular support, training, and learning opportunities - no one is expected to know everything on day one.
• Help improve the program: Share your ideas about what’s working well and what could be better as Aspire continues to grow.
  

 Who We’re Hoping to Hear From

You may be a good fit for this role if you:

• have lived experience of homelessness and family violence, and feel ready to use that experience in a safe and intentional way
• can reflect on your own journey and understand that others’ experiences may be different
• bring empathy, patience, and a gentle approach
• value boundaries, honesty, and self‑awareness
• enjoy working with others and contributing to a team
• are open to learning and to participating in training

A relevant qualification is desirable, such as a Certificate in the community services sector (e.g. Community Services, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Mental Health).

Alternatively, candidates may be working towards a relevant qualification and/or have demonstrated experience in the sector.

People from diverse backgrounds are warmly encouraged to express interest — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally diverse, LGBTQIA+, those living with a disability, and people returning to work after time away.

If you’re reading this and feel a strong interest in the role, but aren’t sure you meet every expectation, we still encourage you to reach out or apply. We value diverse pathways and would welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

 

What Happens Next

If this opportunity feels like it might be right for you, we warmly invite you to apply. As part of the process, you’ll be asked to share a little about yourself, along with your resume and a cover letter.

 

A full Position Description is available at the bottom of this ad via the purple “Position Description” button.

We recognise that applying for a new role can feel both exciting and challenging, and we appreciate the time and effort involved in preparing an application. After reviewing applications, suitable applicants will be invited to have a phone conversation with the Hiring Manager.

While we genuinely value every application and would love to connect with everyone who applies, unfortunately we are unable to shortlist all applicants.
For those invited to the next stage, the conversation is an informal opportunity to explore the role together, share your experience, and ask any questions to help you decide whether the opportunity feels like the right fit for you.

If you choose to move forward, the next step is an interview with a small panel of three people, including a Team Leader, a Senior Caseworker & a Talent Pathways Advisor.

If you have any questions about this process or the position, you can contact Fiona Millard for a confidential chat:

📧 ••••@meli.org.au
📞 04•••••112

You only need to share your name and the best way to contact you.

 

Thank You

Thank you for considering sharing your lived experience to support young people in our community.
Your voice is powerful, and we would be honoured to speak with you.

 

Please note applications for this position close Thursday, 20th August 2026.