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Therapeutic Specialist

Australian Childhood Foundation
  • Make a difference in the lives of children
  • Competitive salary and excellent benefits package including vehicle, phone, tablet and salary packaging
  • Canberra location full time role available

The Australian Childhood Foundation forms part of the ACT Together consortium that aims to bring a trauma-informed, integrated and coherent service response to improve outcomes for children in the Out of Home Care system. In collaboration with CYPS, and carers we will create a holistic, dependable, and predictable therapeutic environments for children and young people who have experienced abuse and trauma in their lives within which they can recover from the bio-psycho-social-cultural effects of their experiences. The Foundation and the other consortium members believe that interventions are most successful when carers, support networks and professionals enact collaborative and intersecting functions that can achieve protective, reparative and restorative objectives for children and young people.

The key role of the Therapeutic Specialist is to act as a specialist therapeutic consultant and practitioner within the ACT Together programs. This position is a key member of the care team developed for each child referred for long term work. The Therapeutic Specialist is primarily responsible for the provision of specialist therapeutic support to the carers and other members of the child’s care team, the delivery of specialised training about trauma and therapeutic care to carers and key stakeholders of the ACT Together consortium, and direct therapeutic work with children. The position has a clinical leadership role with regard to the development and implementation of appropriate therapeutic support for children and young people for whom ACT Together is responsible.

The primary objectives of the therapeutic service are to:

  • Deliver individual case consultation to ACT Together staff and carers.
  • Provide secondary consultation concerning the mental health needs of children referred to the ACT Together program to all members of each child’s care team, network and others involved in the child’s life as appropriate.
  • Work in partnership with ACT Together members to ensure a coordinated, effective and timely response to children, carers and families of origin providing clinical leadership when proving direct services to children and families.
  • Participate as an active member of the care team in all relevant care team meetings, operational groups and panels and maintain regular planned telephone consultation with ACT Together team members as agreed with regard to the needs of the child, care family and other key stakeholders when providing direct services to clients.
  • Deliver direct service provision to ACT Together children, young people, carers and families as identified and referred by the ACT Together therapeutic manager. This work can include short-term interventions or long-term work and may include the child, carers, family or other parties identified as part of the therapeutic plan.
  • Contribute to the collaborative development and delivery of specialist trauma-based training to carers, ACT Together staff to promote a shared understanding and approach to the therapeutic care and support needs of the child.
  • Participate in program development, implementation and review of the ACT Together programs working collaboratively to contribute to the successful development and implementation of the ACT Together initiative.
  • Provide two additional full day training workshops on topics developed jointly with the Foundations Professional Education Programs.

About you - Key Selection Criteria:

  • An appropriate tertiary qualification in Psychology, Social Work or a related discipline.
  • Eligibility for membership of the relevant professional association.
  • Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and direct service in the clinical assessment and treatment of children, young people and families.
  • Highly developed ability to provide secondary consultation and advice to clinicians and other professionals.
  • Demonstrated capacity to lead and manage in an area of challenging and complex practice.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of trauma, attachment and neurobiology frameworks and theories.
  • Substantial experience in the area of child abuse and/or in working with traumatised children and young people.
  • Demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively and the capacity to negotiate and liaise with volunteers, including carers, child protection services, other agencies and the community.
  • A sophisticated understanding of the complexity of the service system and the issues involved in providing services to statutory clients.
  • A current ACT driver’s license or equivalent.

Remuneration & Benefits:

This position attracts a competitive base salary + vehicle + phone + tablet + superannuation + salary packaging. The salary is determined on the basis of the employee’s experience and qualifications. In joining a strong, values based organisation, you will also have access to:

  • Professional Development (up to $1000 (pro-rata) per year)
  • Employee Assistance Program

How to apply

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