• For children and young people who need specialised care to recover from trauma
• Therapeutic lens - stronger clinical infrastructure - intensive carer support to improve outcomes
• Part time role - 0.7, 3.5 days per week - permanent - Based at Bendigo

About the Therapeutic Foster Care model

Anglicare Victoria’s Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) model provides a trauma-informed, relationship-based service for children and young people who present with complex emotional, behavioural, developmental, and cultural needs.

TFC aims to:

• Promote relational safety through strong, reparative caregiver-child relationships.
• Support trauma recovery through evidence-informed care and targeted therapeutic interventions.
• Improve placement stability and long-term wellbeing by providing consistent, emotionally attuned support.

About the Role

The Therapeutic Specialist (TS) is the clinical lead within each Therapeutic Foster Care team. Each Therapeutic Specialist supports up to 12 children (when full time) and plays a key role in embedding trauma-informed practice across the program.

You will be central to maintaining the therapeutic integrity of the model and ensuring children receive coordinated, developmentally appropriate care.

• Conduct therapeutic assessments, develop Therapeutic Plans, and deliver clinical consultations
• Coach carers and staff in CARE, TCI-F, and trauma-informed practice
• Lead reflective practice and contribute to care team planning
• Coordinate SDQ and HoNOSCA assessments and maintain clinical documentation
• Provide consultation and reflective supervision to carers and case managers

Our Evidence Based Approach:

The model integrates two core evidence-based frameworks:

• CARE, check out all the info here: https://www.cebc4cw.org/program/care-creating-conditions-for-change/
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families, check out this link for further info: https://rccp.cornell.edu/downloads/TCIF_SYSTEM%20DOCUMENT.pdf

Qualifications

Required:

• Master of Psychology, Bachelor or Master of Social Work, Masters Family therapy, Bachelor of Applied Science (OT), Bachelor or Master of Occupational Therapy and eligibility for registration with the applicable professional association.
• Victoria Driver’s License.

Who are we looking for:

• Experience developing intervention plans and mentoring and coaching staff in therapeutic responses.
• Experience conducting in depth, comprehensive, narrative assessments.
• Experience with trauma/mental health of children and young people.
• Experience providing secondary consults and training for clinical staff working with children and young people experiencing impacts of trauma.
• The skill to work with and alongside volunteer carers.

What makes this such a great role for you:

This is a great opportunity to join one of Victoria’s leading organisation’s that has led major change to the system through its services and impact, and is an opportunity for you to be a part of our continued journey in working and servicing the needs of vulnerable children youth and families.

As a Therapeutic Specialist at AV you’ll receive:

• SCHCADS level 8.3 which equates to $134,288 plus super at 12% at full time.
• Access to Salary Packaging of up to $15,900.
• Part time role, 0.7FTE, 3 1 days, permanent. Pro rata the above salary. ($67.96 per hour)
• Flex needed to work after 5pm when required. Time in lieu provided.
• Based at our office in Bendigo with outreach to carers homes.
• Access to discounted health insurance and other retail discounts.
• Access to AV’s suite of Health and Wellbeing benefits, such as our Well Worth It! Program, Fitness Passport, EIP and EAP.
• Supervision provided by our Principal Practitioner.

What our people say- “I feel really supported - probably the most supported I’ve ever felt in a workplace. This job can be really difficult, so if you’re supported, that’s half the battle for me. Knowing it's there means I can go out and do the work.”

Ready to take the next step:

You can download and review the full position description here: Out of Home Care (OOHC) Child and Family Therapeutic Specialist PD OOHC E AW8 052025 V1.1 (1).

All you need to do is click "Apply Now" wherever you see this advertisement or you can visit our careers where you can simply “apply for this job” over on the right-hand side.

To support your application, please provide us with a resume, along with a 1-page cover letter that describes you, your motivation to apply, your desire to work with Foster Carers, children and young people in foster care as well as anything else that you feel might add value to your application and set you apart.

We may reach out during the advertising period to discuss your application in more detail and ask some further questions. We would also invite you to do the same. Please contact Kerryn Seboa, Program Manager via email at [email protected] using the subject line: Therapeutic Specialist - Foster Care - Bendigo enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Anglicare Victoria acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate. We commit to working respectfully to honour their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this country.

Diversity and inclusivity are important to Anglicare Victoria and we are committed to ensuring our workplace and services reflect this. Everyone is welcome at Anglicare Victoria, regardless of age, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and physical ability.