Department of Trade, Employment and Training
Contact information
Queensland Government
Queensland Training Information Service (QTIS)

Mental Health Peer Worker (Consumer)

Traineeship
This course is for people who have a lived experience of mental health challenges who wish to support others. The Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work will provide you with a knowledge base and evidence-based practices that will enable you to work alongside and be of support to people who are on their recovery journey. Recognition of the value of your own lived experience of mental health challenges, are the cornerstones of peer work practice. As you progress through the course, you will learn the concepts and theory of peer work. You will use the knowledge and skills you have learnt to develop your craft to become a truly effective mental health peer worker.

Workers are employed in the mental health sector in government, public, private or community managed services.
Contract mode
Full Time
Nominal term
24 months
Probation period
60 days
Implementation date
01/04/2024
ANZSCO
Disabilities Services Officer
Qld declaration date
04/03/2024
Duration & probation details
Nominal Term - all apprenticeships have this timeframe on the contract.
Expected Duration - some apprenticeships include this amount of time it's reasonably expected someone could become competent and complete their Apprenticeship.
Apprentice's Training Plans are developed using the Expected Duration timeframe rather than the contract's Nominal Term.
Full-time
Yes
Part-time
Yes
Casual
No
School-based
No
  • Full-time

    • The lodgment of a second training contract where one of the training contracts is full-time will be reviewed by the Department to determine if each of the parties to each training contract can meet their obligations. There must be a clear separation between the training and employment requirements for each training contract and must not be replicated through the one occupation only.

  • Part-time

    • Minimum of 15 hours per week over each 4 week period throughout duration of apprenticeship/traineeship.

  • Casual NOT PERMITTED in Queensland
  • School-based

    • NO school-based arrangements are available.
    Not appropriate for a SAT due to age requirements.

Apprentices/trainees with a disability are entitled to work less than 15 hours per week when averaged over a 4 week cycle. They must be a holder of a disability pension and Pension concession card to be approved.
Funded Apprenticeship or Traineeship
Yes
Catalogue item
22985
Delta ID
4166
Priority
1
The Queensland Government funds Skills Assure suppliers (SRTOs) for the provision of services to eligible apprentices and trainees.
For more information, please visit the department's Apprenticeships and Traineeships website.
Full Price - Priority Population Groups
$4,900.00
Queensland Government Contribution - All Other Students including SATs
$0.00
Number of funded units of competency
15
Funding restrictions
N/A
Funding not available for new commencements from
N/A
Minimum education standard
Nil
Minimum entry age
17
17. Peer Work requires maturity and life experience. Federally funded Peer Work Scholarships currently require applicants to be 17 years or older and no longer in school.
Entry requirements
Must have a lived experience of mental illness and/or suicidality as a consumer.

As a general rule, only Australian citizens and New Zealand citizens who have entered Australia on a valid passport have unrestricted rights to employment in Australia.

Visa holders may engage in apprenticeships or traineeships provided their work rights allows this, based on information and advice provided by the Australian Government.
Supervision requirements
Please refer to the Declaration policy, table 15 for the requirements on supervision.

Modified supervision arrangements available: YES

Adequate Training Arrangements - Specified Community Care Qualifications

Employers are required to provide, or arrange to provide the facilities, range of work, supervision and training as detailed in the training plan.

Qualified person for traineeships
1. A person who has satisfactorily completed a traineeship in the trainee's calling, and is the holder of a completion certificate issued under an Act, or
2. A person who holds a certificate of recognition issued under an Act, certifying the person has the necessary skills and knowledge in the calling, or
3. A tradesperson in the trainee's calling, as defined under a specific industrial instrument, or
4. A person who holds a relevant qualification in the traineeship calling, or
5. A person individually, or persons collectively, who has/have documented competence (achieved through an RPL or training pathway) or demonstrated competence in all the competencies the employer is required to provide training for under the trainee's training plan (note - cannot be a person or persons currently undertaking the same traineeship), or
6. A person undertaking a traineeship, at a higher level than the trainee's, whose traineeship incorporates supervisory or coordinating skills and who has documented competence (achieved through an RPL or training pathway) in at least one of the competencies the employer is required to provide to the trainee under the training plan and who is supervised by a person who qualifies under (1), and/or (4) and/or (5).

And, where a worker is required to have a licence to practice the calling/occupation, the qualified person holds a current workers licence.

Adequate supervision of apprentices and trainees cannot solely be provided from an offsite location by electronic means. Electronic means include, but are not limited to, telephones, radios and webcams.

The level of supervision will normally range between direct, general and broad as per the below guidelines:
- Direct - Close monitoring of work ensuring understanding and identifying potential risks and/or hazards
- General - Occasional monitoring to ensure progress is occurring
- Broad - Quality checking of completed tasks.

Licensing requirements - NIL
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Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work
CHC43515
Current
CHC - Community Services
3 SRTOs

Declaration Policy

This Policy outlines the regulatory requirements for parties involved in the training to ensure that the apprentice or trainee receives quality training as agreed under the training plan.

Norfolk Island Policy

Specific amendments to the Declaration Policy for apprenticeships and Traineeships on Norfolk Island.

School-based Policy

This policy sets out the requirements specific to school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs) in Queensland and on Norfolk Island.

Last Updated: May 2026