Experienced Mental Health / Disability Support Worker

Experienced Mental Health / Disability Support Worker – Complex Psychosocial Support

Location: Mareeba, QLD
Employment: Casual / Part-Time
Organisation: Hugo Care

Hugo Care is seeking an experienced, mature and emotionally resilient Disability Support Worker to provide individualised community-based support to an NDIS participant in the Mareeba area.

This position is particularly suited to a support worker with experience in mental health, psychosocial disability, trauma-informed care and behaviours of concern.

The participant requires a worker who can remain calm and professional during periods of heightened anxiety, emotional distress or verbal escalation while maintaining clear and respectful professional boundaries.

This is not an entry-level support role. Previous experience supporting people with complex psychosocial needs is highly desirable.

You will:

• Provide respectful, person-centred one-to-one support
• Support community access, appointments and daily activities
• Assist the participant with organisation, technology and everyday tasks within the support-worker scope of practice
• Use trauma-informed and person-centred communication approaches
• Recognise early signs of emotional escalation and respond appropriately
• Apply calm and appropriate de-escalation strategies
• Maintain clear professional boundaries
• Validate the participant's feelings and concerns without reinforcing unverified beliefs
• Safely redirect conversations and activities when appropriate
• Maintain safety during community access and transport
• Complete clear, factual and objective progress notes and behaviour observations
• Report incidents and significant changes promptly to the RN/management team
• Follow Hugo Care's Behaviour Management, Risk Management and Emergency/Crisis Plans.

The ideal candidate will be:

• Calm, patient and emotionally resilient
• Confident working independently
• An excellent listener and communicator
• Non-confrontational but able to maintain firm professional boundaries
• Able to remain composed when challenged or criticised
• Experienced in supporting people experiencing significant anxiety or emotional dysregulation
• Comfortable supporting people who may experience suspiciousness, fixed beliefs or altered perceptions
• Skilled in de-escalation and trauma-informed support
• Able to recognise when a situation is becoming unsafe and follow escalation procedures
• Reliable, punctual and consistent
• Excellent at objective clinical/support documentation
• Able to work collaboratively with an RN, management and allied health professionals.

Previous experience in one or more of the following areas will be highly regarded:

• Mental health or psychosocial disability
• Trauma-informed care
• Complex behaviours / behaviours of concern
• Emotional dysregulation
• De-escalation and crisis prevention
• Community mental health
• Acquired brain injury or complex disability
• Mental health nursing, support work or similar environments.

Applicants should have:

• Current NDIS Worker Screening clearance
• Current First Aid and CPR
• Current Australian driver's licence
• Relevant qualification in Disability, Individual Support, Mental Health, Community Services or a related field, OR substantial relevant experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to complete accurate progress notes and incident documentation.

• Support from an experienced RN/management team
• Participant-specific orientation before commencing independently
• Behaviour and risk-management guidance
• Clear escalation procedures
• Ongoing communication with the care team
• Opportunity to provide meaningful, consistent one-to-one support.

This role requires a worker who understands that good psychosocial support involves both compassion and professional boundaries.

We are particularly interested in applicants who can remain calm when a participant is distressed, avoid power struggles, communicate respectfully, and consistently follow an agreed support plan.

To Apply

Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter describing your experience supporting people with psychosocial disability, mental health needs, trauma or behaviours of concern.

In your application, please provide an example of how you have safely de-escalated a challenging situation while maintaining professional boundaries.