Here’s a list of the most common questions we receive from potential applicants applying for community mental health work.
Do you contact all applicants?
Please understand that we receive a very high level of interest in joining our team of Community Mental Health Support Workers, this means we can only contact candidates whose applications we are interested in.
What’s the pay rate for the Community Mental Health Support Worker role?
The Community Mental Health Support Worker role is paid at a level 2.1 on the SCHADS award. If you hold a relevant qualification e.g., Certificate 4 or Diploma in Mental Health, Community Services, Peer Work, Bachelor of Psychology, Community Services etc., the pay rate is a level 2.2 on the SCHADS award.
More about the SCHADS award on the Fair Work website.
Currently (1 July, 2024):
- 2.1 = $33.41
- 2.2 = $34.46
How many hours are on offer? Is this a casual role?
The Community Mental Health Support Worker role is permanent part-time (minimum commitment of 5 hours per week). We develop our Support Workers rosters based on their availability to work and appropriate matching of participants seeking support. For example, if you are available to work for 2 full days per week, we will aim to develop a consistent, ongoing roster within that availability. The support times are scheduled on an ongoing basis with the intention of building long-term, meaningful relationships between the support worker and participant.
What does a day in the life of a Community Mental Health Support Worker look like?
Although the Support Worker will be scheduled for recurring visits, no 2 days will be the same. One of the great things about this role is the diversity each day holds. A support session could be anywhere from 1-5 hours long (2-3 hours being the most common) and depending on your availability, you might see 2-3 participants per day. The support we provide aligns to the participants individual goals set out in their NDIS plan.
NDIS goals might include building capacity at home and in the community, planning for the future, learning new skills at home, or implementing recommendations set out by clinical teams and improving all aspects of mental and physical health. You could be doing anything from assisting with cooking, shopping, attending appointments, light exercise, going for a walk or swim, social activities, meeting new people and joining groups, or supporting someone to gain meaningful employment, or volunteering. Connecting our participants to the support workers of their choosing is important to us to ensure that our participants are getting the most out of their support sessions.
How much travel is involved? Do we get paid for the kilometres we drive?
This can depend on a few factors, such as your location, how far you are willing to travel, and which area you would prefer to work in. A Community Mental Health Support Worker would start their day by meeting their first participant at the participant’s home or in the community and travelling during and between support times. We usually set limitations on how many KMs can be driven during a support, (e.g., max 25 kms) which depends on the participants travel funding allocated in their NDIS plan.
There is a kilometre allowance of 96 cents per kilometre driven. You can claim the KM’s driven during a support, and between supports. You cannot claim the kilometres you drive to your first support of the day (going to work), or from the last support to home (driving home from work).
What areas will I be working in?
Depending on where you live, we will try and match you with participants who are within a 30-minute drive from your home. Our Team Leaders will work with you to build your roster in a way that is as logical as possible to minimize the travel during the day, however in some teams this is not always possible. We also take into consideration that some people do not want to work in the area that they live in, which is OK.
Is this role still available? When do you need someone to start?
We have an open recruitment process for our Community Mental Health Support Workers, so there is no immediate timeframe that we need to fill this position in. We are growing, and always on the lookout for awesome team members. We are not in a rush, and happy to wait for the right person if they have a notice period or other commitments that might delay their start date.
What are the requirements of the role?
- A valid WA Drivers license
- An NDIS Workers Screening check. If you do not currently have a NDIS screening check, we will still consider your application if you are willing to apply for one if you are successful in our recruitment process
- Completion of the NDIS Workers Orientation module (free online module)
- No qualifications required
How come you don’t need a qualification to be a Community Mental Health Support Worker?
Community Mental Health Support Workers provide practical support in the community, not clinical support. They are not counsellors, psychologists, or clinical mental health workers, and as such there is not an expectation to hold a qualification in that discipline. Having a qualification can be beneficial to strengthen the understanding of mental health, however we provide in-house training to equip you with the skills you need to succeed.
How do I apply?
Follow the link below, or email recruitment@mifwa.org.au if you need any further information or have queries.