Bayside Health
Bayside Health is a public health service delivering high-quality care across every stage of life for close to 1.2 million people living in metropolitan Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula, Koo Wee Rup, Bass Coast and Southern Gippsland. We have more than 15 main sites, including hospitals, centres and clinics that provide comprehensive care from welcoming newborns to supporting older people and a full range of services in between. More than 22,000 dedicated staff are focused on providing exceptional, equitable, and locally connected care through shared expertise, compassion, and a commitment to continuous growth. Education and training are central to staff development as we encourage all employees to strive and thrive. Bayside Health was formed following the merger of Alfred Health, Bass Coast Health, Gippsland Southern Health Service, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and Peninsula Health on 1 January 2026.
About the role
At Alfred ICYAMHWS (Infant, Child, Youth, Area Mental Health & Wellbeing Service) our Family/Carer Peer Workers are known as Family Peer Specialists. As one of our Family Peer Specialists, you will draw from your own lived experience in a purposeful manner to offer support, either face to face or over the telephone, to families, carers and supporters of children aged 0-11 attending Alfred ICYAMHWS. This role is an established role across the 0-11 teams which cover the bayside geographical area covered by Alfred ICYAMHWS. The Family Peer Specialist will be part of a supportive interdisciplinary team, reporting to the Manager Family / Carer Lived Experience Program - ICYAMHWS. Care is focused on the family/carers/supporters but as families are included from the first meeting, you are likely to cross paths with the child, as well as their family, support networks, and clinical staff. Please access the Position Description for more information or contact us to ask questions.
About you
We are looking for someone with Lived experience as a carer, family member, kin or supporter of a child with mental health issues (essential).
Along with the essential lived experience as a carer, you have an interest to support others who are supporting their children. Any experience in a prior direct family/carer lived experience role will be an advantage.
We are looking for someone who loves multi-tasking and is skilled at time management.
You'll also have to complete/provide evidence of a valid Victorian Working with Children Check, current Victorian Driver's Licence, be willing to undergo a background police check, and you'll require Australian working rights.
About us
Alfred Infant Child and Youth Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (ICYAMHWS) is friendly to infants, children, young people and their families/carers.
We provide accessible mental health services inclusive of family, friends and support networks.
We are a specialist, multi-disciplinary and intensive care mental health service incorporating the lived and living experience of family peer specialists and youth peer workers.
Our service is divided into two streams 0-11 and 12-26 years, and includes specialist services in the areas of perinatal care, neurodevelopmental presentations, eating disorders and outreach support.
Here at Alfred Care Group (Bayside Health) our staff share they are proud of the workplace at ICYAMHWS, including shared values and attitudes, inclusion of diversity, company culture, innovation and impact, and career growth. ICYAMHWS staff feel working at ICYAMHWS is meaningful as they experience a sense of connection in what they do, express feeling valued in the work they undertake, and that they are making a difference. We pride ourselves on taking care of their staff by providing support, supervision, reflective practice, education and professional development, whilst challenging them to grow.
Lived experience is prioritised at Alfred ICYAMHWS and you will be a valued member of your 0-11 team as well as a valued member of the family/carer lived experience team across ICYAMHWS and headspace Early Psychosis, and broader into the Alfred Care Group (formally Alfred Health) arm of Bayside Health.
Family Peer Support
The Family / Carer Peer Specialist program works in conjunction with our clinical teams to provide support to family members or other carers in the network of the young person. Family members and friends often provide the main safety net and support system for a young person. Evidence shows that when family and friends are involved with services, outcomes for young people improve.
The aim of Family Peer Support is to:
What's in it for you
If applicable, specify specific requirements that you require in the cover letter or CV.
Applications without a Cover Letter will not be accepted.
Applicants must have personal experience of living with a child with mental health challenges to be eligible for this position.
Any queries please contact Wendy McCulloch (Manager Family/Carer Lived Experience Peer Program) on ph: 0439 196 093 or via email: we.mcculloch@alfred.org.au (available before 8 July or from 20 July)
Applications Close: 11pm AEST, Monday 20th July 2026
We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, and people of all genders, sexualities, and cultural backgrounds.
If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application materials, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.
In accordance with the Health Services Amendment (Mandatory Vaccination of Healthcare Workers) Act 2020, health care workers in Category A or B roles (as determined by the department’s risk ratings) are required to be vaccinated against influenza or hold an acceptable medical exemption.
The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) has been providing outstanding care for Victoria's children and their families for over 147 years.
We are the major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria and our care extends to children from Tasmania, southern New South Wales and other states around Australia and overseas.
With a passionate, highly skilled and committed staff campus wide of over 5,000, we provide a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and young people.
We are the designated state-wide major trauma centre for paediatrics in Victoria and a Nationally Funded Centre for cardiac and liver transplantation.
When it comes to training and research we partner with the very best. Our campus partners, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) and The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, along with the RCH Foundation, are on site with the hospital in Parkville. Together, we are committed to improving the health outcomes for children today and in the future.
In 2016–17, more than 85,654 children attended our Emergency Department, 322,291 specialist clinic appointments were held which was almost 70,000 more than the previous year, more than 17,000 surgeries were performed and more than 48,552 children were admitted to our wards.
