Scholarships are available to support people to study a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work to address peer workforce shortages and provide a formalised career pathway.
Why this is important
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is working to expand, strengthen and upskill the mental health workforce.
This includes funding for up to 390 scholarships nationally to support peer workers to undertake vocational training (Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work) for work in the mental health and suicide prevention sector.
This measure contributes to the Australian Government’s response to the Productivity Inquiry into Mental Health and aligns with the intent to grow and upskill the peer workforce, so that they may continue to deliver services to Australians who need them.
This initiative will help increase the numbers of people with a lived experience of mental health challenges or mental ill-health (as a consumer, or as a carer, family member or kin) working in the mental health and suicide prevention sectors.
Queensland scholarships
Up to 178 scholarships over two years available for students studying a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work have been made available in Queensland through the Australian Government funding.
The Commission has partnered with the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health to administer these scholarships in line with the requirements outlined below.
Scholarship details
The scholarship funds each full- or part-time scholarship recipient up to $4,000 towards course fees, and $1,000 to support attendance and study material for the full duration of course.
Scholarship applicants must:
- be 17 years or older;
- be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or hold a permanent residence visa, or be a migrant, refugee or asylum seeker holding a temporary or bridging visa providing work and/or study rights;
- be no longer in school, in accordance with the relevant state’s school leaving requirements (unless training is part of agreed VET/RTO delivered to secondary school students’ activity);
- either:
- have a lived experience of mental ill-health as a consumer, carer, family member or be employed with a mental health service provider in a peer role supporting people with mental illness; and/or
- have lived experience of suicide and/or be employed in a peer role with a suicide prevention service provider.
- be able to meet the attendance and study requirements to complete the peer work course.
Preference will be given to:
- those not employed by the Australian or a State/Territory Government; and
- students who, at the time of application, are not receiving another Australian or State/Territory Government bursary or scholarship.
However, all decisions will be at the discretion of the assessment panel.
Priority will be given to:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
- applicants who live and/or work in areas classified under the Modified Monash Model 2019 (MMM) classification system as MM3–7 (rural and remote).
For more information and progress of the program, please visit the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health website.
