Senior Peer Support Specialist

Senior Peer Support Specialist

• Permanent, Full-time (40 hours per week)
• Located at Waikato Hospital ED
• Working Monday to Friday (some Saturday work may be required)

Ember Korowai Takitini | Nga Matapono

Ember Korowai Takitini blends professional expertise and lived experience to offer a range of services and supports for anyone with mental health, addiction, or intellectual disability needs.

We are leaders in the Peer & Lived Experience mental health and addiction sector, dedicated to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to individuals experiencing mental health challenges.

At Ember we support people to live the lives they choose, and we challenge the systems that hold them back.

We desire a society that better understands and responds to mental distress, addiction, and intellectual disability

Ember offers:

• Additional leave, including recreation days and study leave
• A comprehensive Health & Wellbeing programme, including health checks, flu vaccinations, and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and more
• Training opportunities for upskilling, personal & professional development, and career progression.
• Supportive and inclusive work environment, fostering personal growth and work-life balance

The Service | Ko Te Whare O Waikato ED

Our Peer Support Specialist service in the Waikato Hospital Emergency Department provides compassionate, non‑clinical support for people arriving in ED during a mental health or substance‑use crisis. Senior Peer Support Specialists work alongside ED staff to offer emotional support, guidance, and reassurance during stressful and overwhelming times, ensuring that people feel understood and supported at a critical point in their recovery journey.

For many, arriving at ED in mental health crisis can be an intense and disorienting experience. Having someone with lived experience beside them who truly understands what they’re going through can make a real difference. Through genuine connection, advocacy, and a strong recovery focus, the service helps create a calmer, more supportive environment for individuals and their whānau.

The Role | Nga Mahi

Senior Peer Support Specialists provide non-clinical support, guidance, and resources to patients and families experiencing mental health or substance use crises. They work as an integrated member of the ED team and contribute to a recovery‑oriented environment by:

• Leveraging personal lived experiences to build trust, provide emotional support, and advocate for patient needs within the emergency setting
• Providing hope and encouragement through genuine connection and shared experience
• Walking alongside patients in their immediate recovery journey, helping them navigate uncertainty
• Supporting families and whānau, offering information, reassurance, and understanding
• Modelling recovery and reinforcing that wellness is achievable

By bridging clinical care with lived experience, Peer Support Specialists play a vital role in enhancing patient wellbeing, improving the ED experience, and creating a more compassionate, person‑centred emergency response.

You will have | Nga Pukenga

• Lived experience of mental health and/or addiction challenges, and meaningful experience of recovery, including relevant lived experience of going through an Emergency Department as a tangata whaiora
• New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) or equivalent (preferred), or willingness to complete within 12 months of employment
• Experience working in mental health or addiction support roles
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to connect and empathize with diverse individuals.
• Full NZ Driver’s License
• Valid/Current work visa, residency, or citizenship

When applying please provide | Kia Whakauru

• An up-to-date CV
• A Cover Letter detailing
  • Why you’re interested in the role?
  • What skills, competencies and experience you would bring to the role?

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Maku e ki atu, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata”

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Ember is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace and are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all. We particularly welcome applications from our Māori, Pacific and Rainbow communities.

We will interview candidates as applications come through rather than waiting until the advertisement closes. The vacancy may be filled earlier if a suitable candidate is identified.