At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we’re looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

We’re proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?

About the role

An exciting new opportunity exists for an Occupational Therapist (OT) on an ongoing, full time basis at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre within the North West Metropolitan Area.

About us

The Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC) is a 540 bed medium to maximum-security facility for female prisoners located within the West Metropolitan Region, Department of Justice and Community Safety.

About the role

You will be an integral part of a multidisciplinary case management approach that integrates clinical risks and needs assessment to provide case management of prisoners at DPFC. The role identifies needs and strategies for managing complex and vulnerable female prisoners to assist in addressing the medical and mental health needs of the women.

You will focus on improving service responses for this diverse cohort and assist in developing and implementing strategies for women in prison with a disability, for them to develop skills and techniques to address independent living skills and their risk of re-offending.

In line with DPFC's objective of providing a trauma informed response to the management of women, you will also contribute to the provision of staff awareness training and the development of effective Intensive Case Management Plans to aid the location's response to managing challenging behaviours and complex needs.

As OT, you will be required to travel to various regional locations and a current drivers' licence would be highly desirable.

About you

As our ideal candidate, you will have experience in:

• knowledge and commitment to best practice principles of occupational therapy in a forensic setting
• conducting assessments, developing plans and writing reports including recommendations for service delivery
• working with and assessing vulnerable groups and challenging behaviours to affect behaviour change
• working in a process driven and legislated environment.

What's in it for you

The major reward of taking on this important role will be seeing the positive impact of your hard work up-close. You will be joining a high performing team within a supportive working environment to facilitate interventions to enhance independence of prisoners with their everyday activities.

There are many other advantages in working for the Department of Justice Community Safety at large, as well, including:

• A fair salary – enjoy great work conditions and salary sacrificing options.
• Opportunities for flexible working arrangements – to support a work/life balance.
• Transparent performance framework - approach your work with confidence in how you're tracking.
• Generous leave entitlements – including provisions for many forms of leave; including personal, parental, carers, study, cultural, compassionate and sick leave.
• Employee Assistance Program support – you are encouraged to use this short-term, confidential counselling service if you're experiencing emotional stress, relationship problems, conflict with others or personal issues
• The social club – option to join this lively group, which gives you access to discounted gift cards, films, travel and online shopping.

Qualifications

There are some essential qualifications that candidates need to have to take on this role. You must hold a degree approved for membership of ‘OT Australia – Australian Association of Occupational Therapists'. You must also be registered as an occupational therapist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Specialist training and/or postgraduate qualifications in a clinical or forensic field is also desirable, though not essential.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers.

For more information on the important work the occupational therapist will be doing at DPFC, please read the position description on our careers page.