• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Identified Role
• Provide Safe Legal Advocacy, Support & Referral Services Living With Mental Health Conditions

Primary Purpose of the role

The purpose of this role is to provide culturally safe advocacy, support and referral services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with mental health conditions and/or cognitive impairments who are in contact with the criminal legal system.

This is a critical role in the new ALS Mental Health Advocacy and Referral Service program, which aims to minimise client contact with, and divert clients away from, the criminal process, while supporting their health and wellbeing.

Why join the ALS team?

At the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) you can make an impact. You will join a strong movement fighting for social justice and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities.

Our focus is our people: the people we support and the people we employ. We offer a career you can be proud of and a place where you feel safe to be yourself. We invest in our people and appreciate the rich diversity of lived experiences, languages, and culture.

Born out of a protest movement over 50 years ago, the ALS is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation delivering high-quality, culturally safe legal and support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW and the ACT. It’s an exciting time to be joining us. We recently received additional funding to deliver a range of new programs aimed at addressing systemic issues and driving structural reforms. This is creating significant opportunities for the ALS, our staff and communities.

As well as the satisfaction of working in a job that really matters, we offer our staff benefits including:

• Not-for-profit salary packaging to reduce your tax liability and maximise take-home pay
• Annual leave loading of 17.5%
• Career and professional development opportunities
• Access to personal counselling for you and your family
• Additional paid leave of up to 6 days per year, paid parental and study leave
• Flexible work options – talk to us about how we can make this role work for you

About the Role

The Mental Health Officer is part of the Justice Projects, Policy & Practice within the Criminal Law Practice.

The Mental Health Officer will be responsible for:

• Liaise with ALS solicitors to support legal advocacy for appropriate court outcomes, including by:
  • Providing court support for clients with mental health and/or cognitive impairments;
  • Obtaining health and other records from clients and their families, medical and mental health services, support services, and government agencies;
  • Obtaining medical, psychological, neuropsychological, psychiatric and/or social work reports, including by facilitating client attendance at in-person or telehealth appointments where necessary; and
  • Working closely with solicitors to collate supporting material and prepare written documents for use in court.
• Make appropriate referrals for treatment and/or support, follow up referrals, and support client engagement with service providers
• Support connection to culture, including by prioritising referrals to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers (including psychologists and other counselling services or programs) and community-led and culturally safe supports

About You

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• Qualifications in human services, mental health or relevant field, and/or relevant work experience
• Demonstrated experience working with people with mental health conditions or cognitive impairments
• Awareness of relevant local mental health and other support services
• Ability to advocate for clients while ensuring self-care, personal boundaries and own family/community support
• Computer literacy with the ability to adapt to and learn new systems and technology
• Current NSW driver’s licence with the ability to travel independently and with passengers

Pre-Employment Requirements

ALS is committed to implementing safe recruitment practices. Your application may be subject to pre-employment checks such as reference checks, Working with Children (NSW) or Working with Vulnerable People (ACT) check, Right to work in Australia, COVID-19 vaccinations and National Police History check.

Please click "Apply Now". Before you begin, make sure you have an up-to-date CV and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role.

If you have questions about this role, please email [email protected] using the subject line: Mental Health Officer (Identified Position) enquiry via EthicalJobs.