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Therapeutic Specialist - Launceston

Australian Childhood Foundation

The Australian Childhood Foundation has a strong reputation for delivery of therapeutic services, professional training and secondary consultation built upon up-to-date evidence based theoretical frameworks including the neurobiology of trauma, attachment and relational theories and child development. This theoretical framework provides the foundation upon which all elements of care and intervention are provided by the Foundations Therapeutic Services.

The Foundation currently provides a range of therapeutic care programs in foster care and residential care in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. The Foundation is responsible for delivering the specialist therapeutic services within these programs which are delivered in partnership with a range of foster and residential care providers.

The Foundation currently provides a Tasmania wide therapeutic out of home care service program to carers and children/young people in foster care, kinship or family group home care and specialised packages of support to children and young people in out of home care with complex needs. The Foundation has secured the statewide contract to deliver counselling services to children and young people affected by family violence.

ACF currently has an exciting vacancy for a Therapeutic Specialist based in Launceston full time to provide counselling to children, young people and their carers, clinical leadership with regard to the development and implementation of appropriate therapeutic support for children and young people in out of home care and training for professionals and carers in trauma-informed therapeutic approaches to out of home care.

Your primary responsibilities:

  • Provide counselling to children and young people in out of home care as identified and referred by Child Safety Service (CSS). This work can be individual or group based and may include the child, carers, family or other parties identified as part of the therapeutic plan.
  • Deliver individual case consultation to CSS staff.
  • Use a trauma-informed approach to provide secondary consultation concerning the needs of children referred to the program to members of each child’s care team, network and others involved in the child’s life as appropriate.
  • Design and deliver training programs to increase awareness and understanding of the impact of abuse, family violence and trauma on children and young people for parents/carers, CSS staff and families to build the capacity to implement a therapeutic environment for children.
  • Build parent/carer trust to talk about the impact of trauma and family violence on the child, and provide ongoing support to parents/carers and the care team to consistently meet the needs of the child.
  • 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 care team members as agreed with regard to the needs of the child, care family and other key stakeholders when providing direct services to clients.
  • Engage in intake and risk assessment procedures in accordance with organisational and program processes.
  • Undertake specialised trauma assessments for children and young people referred into the program addressing both the trauma and attachment dimensions in addition to other critical issues and developmental vulnerabilities.
  • Provide specialist individual, and parent/child therapeutic support to children within the program to promote their recovery from the effects of their abuse or experiences of family violence.

About you - Key Selection Criteria:

  • An appropriate tertiary qualification in Psychology, Social Work or a related discipline.
  • 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, 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 Tasmanian driver’s license and Working with Vulnerable People Check or equivalent.

Remuneration & Benefits:

This position attracts a competitive base salary + 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:

  • Generous Professional Development Allowance
  • Employee Assistance Program

Or for more information about the role or a copy of the position description please email [email protected] using the subject line: Therapeutic Specialist - Launceston enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) is committed to protecting children and young people from harm. We require all applicants to undergo an extensive screening process prior to appointment.

ACF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with a disability are encouraged to apply.

How to apply

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