• Full time 1.0 FTE till June 2024 (with possibility of extension)
• First Nations People, LGBTIQA+ people, people with disability, people of colour, public housing residents or people with a lived experience are encouraged to apply
• DS is committed to child safety and strictly adheres to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for organisations. The safeguarding and wellbeing of our clients is our core focus. All staff must undergo thorough recruitment process including screening and providing evidence of current Working With Children Check and National Police Check.

About the role

Drummond Street Services (DS) is working in the Regional Care Partnership (RCP) with Neami National, Windana and Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative to deliver an exciting new service which provides the Geelong-Otway’s communities a service to attend when experiencing mental health and/or alcohol and other drug concerns. The Service is a contemporary solution to deliver on the compelling vision outlined through the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.  

Service delivery will reflect principals of Trauma Informed Care and Recovery Oriented practice. The service will provide a holistic approach to care, addressing a range of social, physical and emotional needs informed by Collaborative Relational Practice (CRP) and supported by best practice in evidence-based and evidence informed care to address co-occurring AOD and mental health support needs, as well as independent AOD and mental health support needs across western Victoria. The service will have a strong focus on lived experience and will support a high engagement, multi-disciplinary team model.

Drawing on your disciplinary skills, you will engage with consumers and their families to provide high quality assessments and interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes for consumers and help them recover from the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol. As a qualified Family Practitioner, you will draw on your discipline skills to engage with consumers, family/friends/carers, other practitioners, the consumer's treatment team and Lived Experience staff. You will play an active role in disciplinary knowledge sharing with your colleagues and creating reciprocal learning environment for staff.

Your responsibilities

• Engage and develop trusting and professional relationships with consumers and their families/friends/carers
• Provide brief and detailed whole of family assessment and collaborative care plans to consumers and their families. The objective of Exit Planning is to support families to help minimise the risk of relapse of the consumers following leaving
• Engage consumers and their families, using a strengths-based approach to complete a mental health status measurement and a needs assessment.
• Providing support through a range of means, including the provision of outreach and centre-based activities.
• Work within a holistic framework taking into account the needs of the consumers, family, carers and other members of the community in order to ensure tangible outcomes

About you 

• Demonstrated ability to provide counselling and therapeutic interventions with positive outcomes for individuals and families
• Highly skilled and experienced family counsellor/ practitioner
• Demonstrated capacity to work creatively, show initiative, contribute ideas and be active in a supportive team environment in an agency working to support individual and family relationships
• Cultural and diversity humility 

Essential

Selection Criteria, all of the following must be addressed in your application to be considered.

• Tertiary qualification in Social Work, Family Therapy or Psychology and further training in relation to families work
• Registration or eligibility for registration with a professional governing body such as AASW, AHPRA, APS.
• A minimum of three years’ experience in the family services and/or mental health sectors
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of a range of therapeutic approaches for individuals, couples, families
• Demonstrated experience with providing supportive counselling and case work that supports families with multiple and complex needs such as mental health, family violence, AOD issues
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs, issues and sensitivities of people from diverse backgrounds including Aboriginal, LGBTIQA+ and culturally and linguistically diverse people and communities
• A valid and current Victorian Driver’s License and access to personal vehicle (role specific).

Application process

Please click 'Apply Now' to submit your application.

All applications will be directed to our careers portal – Child & Family Practitioner –Geelong Otway.

All applicants must include a resume with a cover letter addressing all the key selection criteria for the position.

Suitable applicants that apply before the closing date will be offered an interview. 

Please contact Sonia Hernandez on 9663 6733 or [email protected] using the subject line: Child & Family Practitioner – Geelong Otway enquiry via EthicalJobs to discuss your application further.

A position description is attached.