Senior Peer Support Specialist in Waikato Hospital ED

• Permanent, Full-time (40 hours per week)

• Located at Waikato Hospital ED

• Working hours are Monday to Friday (some Saturday work may be required)

• Competitive payrate (pay is above Support Worker pay equity)

• We are seeking Peer Support Specialists who bring lived experience, a strong recovery foundation, and proven capability in supporting adults experiencing mental health and/or addiction distress.

• Working as a Senior Peer Support Specialist in ED means being present with people during some of their most challenging moments. The Emergency Department is a dynamic and sometimes intense environment, requiring you to stay grounded, adaptable, and reflective in your peer practice. You’ll need to feel comfortable working independently in the ED while building strong relationships with clinical staff and drawing on supervision and team support to sustain your wellbeing.

The Service | Ko Te Whare O Waikato ED

Our Peer Support Specialist service in the Waikato Hospital Emergency Department provides compassionate, non‑clinical, peer‑led support for people arriving in ED during times of mental health or substance‑use distress. Grounded in lived experience and recovery principles, the service focuses on building authentic connection, fostering hope, and supporting people to feel seen, heard, and respected at a critical point in their recovery journey. Senior Peer Support Specialists work alongside ED staff while maintaining a clear peer role, offering emotional support, guidance, and reassurance in ways that are intentional, reflective, and recovery‑oriented.

The Role | Nga Mahi

For many people, arriving in ED during a mental health crisis can be intense, disorienting, and overwhelming. Our Peer Support Specialists are there to help reduce distress and create a sense of safety and calm. As a Senior Peer Support Specialist, you will:

• Use your lived experience to build authentic connection, trust, and hope with people experiencing mental health or substance‑use crises

• Provide emotional support, reassurance, and practical guidance in a busy ED environment

• Walk alongside people in their immediate recovery journey, supporting them through uncertainty and distress

• Support families and whānau with information, understanding, and reassurance

• Advocate for tangata whaiora within the ED setting, helping their voices be heard

• Model recovery and wellbeing, reinforcing that healing and wellness are possible

• Contribute to a recovery‑oriented, person‑centred ED environment

This is a non‑clinical role that requires strong boundaries, emotional awareness, and a clear understanding of peer support principles.

At Ember, we are committed to supporting the wellbeing and sustainability of our peer workforce.

To support you and your wellbeing, we will provide:

• Regular, structured peer and professional supervision

• Reflective practice spaces to process experience and strengthen peer practice

• Opportunities for debriefing following critical or challenging incidents

• A strong team culture that encourages help‑seeking, self‑awareness, and shared responsibility

• Access to Ember’s comprehensive Health & Wellbeing programme, including EAP, $250 per year on an Extraordinary card to spend on your Health and Wellbeing, and additional leave (including Study Leave and recreation days)

You will have | Nga Pukenga

• Lived experience of mental health and/or addiction challenges, and be well‑established in your recovery journey (essential)

• The ability to reflect on your lived experience and peer practice, using this insight safely and intentionally in your work (essential)

• Experience working in a peer support or lived‑experience role, or in closely related recovery‑oriented support settings (e.g. community mental health, crisis support, helplines, inpatient or ED‑adjacent services) (strongly desired)

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds (essential)

• New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) or equivalent (desired), or willingness to obtain this qualification with Ember's support

• 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?

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

“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.