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PEER SUPPORT WORKER

Gender Representation

70% Female

Median Age

43

Median Weekly Earnings

$1407

Average Weekly Hours

28 Hours

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

A Peer Support Worker uses their own lived experience of mental health, disability, substance recovery, or other life challenges to provide support to others on a similar journey. Their role is to offer understanding, share insights, and foster hope and empowerment in a way that complements clinical and professional support.

Peer Workers may support individuals one-on-one or facilitate group sessions, helping people navigate services, build resilience, and feel more connected. They work in mental health services, disability programs, youth services, or community recovery centres. This role is unique in its authenticity—peer workers draw on their own experiences to relate to clients in a way that builds trust and reduces stigma. They must have excellent self-awareness, boundaries, and the ability to reflect and share appropriately. Training is important to ensure peer work is safe, ethical, and effective. Many employers require or prefer a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, along with support from supervisors and ongoing peer supervision.

MARKET SIZE & ECONOMIC IMPACT

Australia’s community services industry is one of the largest and most essential sectors in the country’s social and economic landscape. Employing over 1.7 million workers, the industry spans a wide range of support roles across youth work, family services, homelessness support, community development, and crisis response. Its size continues to grow in response to rising demand for wraparound support services in both metropolitan and regional areas.
 

The community services sector plays a pivotal role in social cohesion, early intervention, and long-term wellbeing—helping individuals and families overcome barriers such as housing instability, unemployment, mental health challenges, and family violence. It is a significant contributor to national employment and supports many government-led programs and non-profit initiatives across Australia.
 

Sustained government investment through the NDIS, child protection services, mental health reform, and homelessness strategies continues to fuel growth across the sector. As Australia shifts further towards preventative, person-centred, and trauma-informed care models, the need for qualified community services professionals is expected to rise—making it a resilient, purpose-driven career path with a strong future outlook.

EMERGING TRENDS & FUTURE OUTLOOK

Australia’s community services industry is undergoing significant transformation as the country responds to increasing social complexity, population growth, and a renewed focus on early intervention, prevention, and long-term social impact. As support systems shift away from reactive models, community services professionals are becoming central to coordinated care, advocacy, and holistic wellbeing.
 

One of the most notable trends is the integration of community services into cross-sector teams, where youth workers, case managers, community development officers, and support coordinators collaborate with health, housing, and justice systems to deliver wraparound care. This multidisciplinary approach ensures more responsive and individualised support for vulnerable groups. There is also a strong emphasis on trauma-informed, culturally safe, and strengths-based practice—particularly when working with First Nations peoples, refugees, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Community services workers are expected to foster empowerment, inclusion, and resilience by tailoring supports to each person’s lived experience and cultural background.
 

Technology is reshaping service delivery, with a growing use of case management software, digital intake tools, and virtual support options. Online platforms are making it easier to connect clients with services, monitor engagement, and support individuals in remote or under-served areas through virtual outreach, tele-counselling, and digital goal tracking.
 

Looking ahead, the demand for skilled professionals in community services is projected to increase—especially in areas such as youth justice, homelessness, mental health, and family violence prevention. There is also strong potential for leadership roles as organisations adapt to reforms, expand services, and prioritise community-led solutions. Overall, the future of the community services industry is centred on compassion, adaptability, and empowerment—offering purposeful, people-focused careers for those committed to building a more inclusive and resilient Australia.

CURRENT & EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Specialise in Lived Experience-Focused Areas of Care

As services grow more person-centred, Peer Workers are increasingly being trained to work in specialist support settings:

  • Mental Health Recovery & Suicide Prevention – Work in crisis response, safe havens, or recovery colleges supporting clients through early intervention and relapse prevention.

  • Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) Peer Work – Provide harm minimisation support and lived experience advocacy for people navigating substance use recovery.

  • LGBTQIA+ or CALD Mental Health Support – Offer culturally safe, inclusive support through peer-led programs.

  • Dementia & Aged Mental Health Support – Use lived experience to support older adults facing cognitive decline, social isolation, or aged care transitions.

  • Palliative or End-of-Life Peer Support – Provide emotional and psychosocial support in hospice, aged care, or community settings.

Pathways to Senior Peer Roles or Broader Human Services Work

Many Peer Workers progress into leadership, training, or formalised support roles:

  • Advance into positions such as:

    • Senior Peer Worker / Lived Experience Lead

    • Peer Program Coordinator

    • Mental Health Support Worker or Community Connector

    • Peer Trainer or Mentor

    • NDIS Psychosocial Recovery Coach

Upskill to Strengthen Impact & Credibility

Peer Workers are highly valued when they combine lived experience with professional development:

  • Popular PD topics include:

    • Boundaries & Safe Practice

    • Cultural Competency

    • Wellbeing Coaching

    • Motivational Interviewing

    • Recovery-Oriented Practice & Systems Navigation

These skills not only improve your ability to support others—they also open doors to program development, policy contribution, and peer workforce leadership.

Grow with the Sector

  • Be part of a growing peer workforce integrated into public health, community services, and non-profit organisations.

  • Help shape how services are delivered and ensure the voice of lived experience stays central to support models.

  • Influence outcomes by advocating from a place of insight, empathy, and real-world understanding.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

CORE SKILLS YOU NEED

Lived Experience & Empathy

Non-Judgemental Support

Self-Awareness & Boundaries

Communication & Collaboration

Hope-Inspired Goal Setting

Do you want to use your lived experience to support others in their mental health or recovery journey? Becoming a Peer Support Worker is a meaningful and empowering way to turn your personal story into professional impact—without needing a university degree.
 

You don’t need prior experience—just a willingness to share your story, strong self-awareness, and a passion for walking alongside others. With the right training, you’ll be ready to support individuals in mental health, disability, youth, and community programs. To become a Peer Support Worker, you’ll typically need to complete a nationally recognised course such as:

  • Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work

  • Certificate IV in Community Services

  • Certificate IV in Mental Health

  • Certificate IV in Disability

  • First Aid & CPR (HLTAID011)

  • Short Courses in Trauma-Informed Practice, Cultural Competency, Suicide Prevention, or Mental Health First Aid

GET QUALIFIED TO START YOUR CAREER

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