• 0.7 FTE SCHADS Level 5 + salary packaging
• 12 months (may be extended subject to funding)
• LGBTIQA+ people and those with refugee lived experience are encouraged to apply.

Working in partnership with Many Coloured Sky and Queerspace Drummond Street, this role will advance the wellbeing, social connection, and service navigation for LGBTIQA+ refugees and asylum seekers under the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program.

Through the LGBTIQA+ Refugee Welcome Hub, eligible folk in Victoria will be supported with an individualised settlement plan, affirming sexual and gender diversity and recognising the impact of homophobic and transphobic discrimination on wellbeing, family and community relationships and access to services and opportunities.

Working as part of a small and dynamic team, the successful applicant will provide clients and members with; service navigation with an intersectional focus, linking to statewide service networks with shared understanding of LGBTIQA+ refugee needs, cross-program support with low-intensity casework, and facilitating connection to peer support and opportunities for leadership, participation and skills development within our queer refugee, lived experience led programs.

This project is a partnership between Many Coloured Sky and Drummond Street Services Queerspace, who will provide professional supervision and training. The role reports to Many Coloured Sky’s LGBTIQA+ Refugee and Asylum Seeker Program Manager.

About Many Coloured Sky

Many Coloured Sky works with vulnerable, intersectional LGBTIQ+ communities in Australia, Africa and the Asia Pacific, including a Victoria-wide, peer-led network of more than 700 LGBTIQ+ refugees/ asylum seekers. This program offers one-to-one and group peer support and navigation, multi-session programs addressing mental health, service referrals and material support.

Our work is to resource and build capacity in vulnerable and intersectional LGBTIQA+ communities, enabling lived-experience leadership and contributing to the vision of our partner communities.

In our small team, everyone has a role to play in advancing our vision and mission and creating a work environment that is productive, nurturing and cooperative.

The SETS Program

The SETS program, funded by the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs currently has the following yearly targets:

• Up to 120 intakes per year
• Support up to 40 medium intensity clients
• Support up to 80 low intensity clients
• Peer mentor up to 25 clients
• Provide up to 120 group sessions relating to key settlement themes
• Organise and deliver 12 community advisory meetings
• Facilitate 6 meetings for the LGBTIQA+ Settlement Network

Individual targets will be set in relation to EFT by Many Coloured Sky’s Executive Director with support from the Queerspace General Manager.

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery

• Conduct assessments of risk and protective factors including comprehensive risk assessments as appropriate. Include intake triage verbiage.
• Increase social and emotional wellbeing participation and support health outcomes of clients and members through community development practice
• Provide appropriate referral to both internal and external support services to meet identified needs of our eligible members
• Develop and facilitate group interventions relating to LGBTIQA+ refugees and other eligible people
• Utilise appropriate assessment tools and measures, as well as outcomes and evaluation tools
• Contribute to the achievement of individual, team and organisational program targets and KPI’s as per contractual agreements with funders and those determined by Many Coloured Sky
• Contribute to Operational Planning to assist in achieving individual, team and organisational program outcomes, targets and KPIs as per contractual agreements with funders and those determined by Many Coloured Sky

Community Capacity Building

• Support the coordination of a team of LGBTIQA+ refugees as a lived-experience advisory group, including co-design and co-delivery of training and support.
• Contribute to and support the development and maintenance of a member-based peer volunteer network
• Contribute to and support co-design and co-deliver comprehensive training and supervision for a team of LGBTIQA+ volunteers.
• Co-design and deliver comprehensive training and capacity building to mental health and allied sectors.
• Contribute to Many Coloured Sky’s collective impact approach to service provision for LGBTIQA+ communities.
• Represent the organisation positively with a range of external health, social services and other relevant providers for the purpose of making appropriate client referrals, providing conjoint support where required, and promotion of agency programs.
• Use community development approaches (social justice, equality and mutual respect) to increase self-efficacy and empowerment of LGBTIQ+ communities.

Accountability

• Participate in the ongoing development of the service to ensure it is meeting community and client needs.
• Comply with funded service standards, practice manual, and contract guidelines.
• Comply with Child Safe Standards and obligations under the Reportable Conduct Scheme and collaborate with others to ensure or workplace and programs are culturally safe and affirmative for employees, children and families.
• Ensure program case notes and other client information is recorded according to service standards and practice.
• Ensure reporting requirements for the program are undertaken.
• Work within risk management, quality standards and continuous improvement frameworks.

Professional Development

• Opportunity to engage in settlement network meetings, coordination, training,
• Opportunity for LGBTIA+ competency training for external orgs
• Participate in relevant agency partnerships and community stakeholder groups where required.

Research and Evaluation

• Contribute to evaluation activities, and assist with data collection, recording and analysis and report writing as required under the guidance of the Senior SETS Social Worker and LGBTIQA+ Refugee and Asylum Seeker Program Manager

• Participate in regular program reviews and contribute to the design and delivery of this project.

Risk & Safety

• Actively identify, monitor and manage areas of key risk and lead appropriate escalation and response.

• Actively monitor and act to improve the quality and safety of client services.

• Commit to prioritising child safety and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for organisations.

OH&S

• Identify, report and record all safety hazards, incidents and injuries.
• Take reasonable care for the health and safety of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions and comply with the requirements of Victorian Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 2004 and related ds OHS procedures and Safe Operating Procedures.

Quality Assurance & Improvement

• Contribute to the development of Many Coloured Sky as a small, dynamic organisation.
• Be proactive, engaged in and committed to creating great experiences for each client.
• Be open to new ways of doing things and respond to challenges with innovative ideas and solutions.

Social Differences

• Role model, demonstrate and promote respect for and value social differences.
• Interact with Many Coloured Sky clients, staff and other stakeholders in a manner that is inclusive, respectful and non-discriminatory.

The successful Candidate will...

• Be person centred, including culturally and LGBTIQA+ sensitive
• Promote productive, competent work practices
• Have an organisational & quality focus
• Be creative, flexible and solution focused under pressure
• Have a high level of self-awareness, professionalism
• Have a strong alliance with social justice values
• Utilise strong communication skills
• Possess cultural and diversity humility
• Be able to work independently and as part of a team
• Have highly developed interpersonal, oral and written skills
• Be experienced in working in trauma counselling and recovery
• Have sound group facilitation skills
• Use their highly developed administration and information technology skills
• Have high level skills in mental health care coordination, counselling, and peer support frameworks to identify risk, and provide internal and external referrals for support – and escalate in line with critical incident policy.
• Possess sound knowledge of public health approaches to LGBTIQA+ people with disabilities, mental health and well-being and the social determinants of health

Key Selection Criteria

• Tertiary qualifications in social work or equivalent
• Current or willingness to obtain a Working With Children Check and National Police Check prior to commencing
• Minimum two years' experience in providing interventions to individuals and groups in the settlement, LGBTIQA+, mental health or related sector
• Demonstrated understanding of care coordination and case management
• Demonstrated ability to provide counselling and peer group facilitated therapeutic interventions with positive client outcomes
• Experience facilitating group programs and workshops
• A commitment to and experience in working with people from LGBTIQA+ and refugee communities understanding of the needs, risks, and protective factors of people from diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated experience of working with people with complex needs such as family violence, housing insecurity, financial and mental health issues.
• Demonstrated organisational skills including the ability to meet deadlines and prioritise work tasks
• Demonstrated capacity to work creatively, show initiative, contribute ideas and be active in a team environment
• Highly developed interpersonal, oral and written skills
• Highly developed administration and information technology skills, particularly CRM software (Salesforce or other client management software)
• Sound knowledge of public health approaches to LGBTIQA+ people with disabilities, mental health and well-being and the social determinants of health

Next Steps

Please click 'Apply Now' by the closing date to submit your application.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Michael Whelan, LGBTIQA+ Refugee Asylum Seeker Program Manager

[email protected] using the subject line: Social Worker - LGBTIQA+ Settlement Engagement and Transition Support Program enquiry via EthicalJobs

MOB: 0428783675

A position description is attached.