• Do you want the opportunity to work for justice, choice and self-determination for people with disability?
• First Nations People and people from Culturally Diverse Communities, LGBTIQ+ people and people with disability are encouraged to apply
• Committed to prioritising child safety and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for organisations.

Drummond Street Services provides a state-wide, trauma responsive, recovery-oriented counselling, case work and advocacy service to people with disability, their families and supports, with a focus on their experiences of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Called Your Way Through, the service works to ensure people with disability, their families and supports can safely share their stories with the Disability Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. 

We know that people with disability, their families and supports have felt a disproportionate impact of COVID 19. Drummond Street Services plays a critical role in ensuring that people with disability, their families and supports can safely connect to a unique counselling and support service that can also assist with making submissions to the Royal Commission. 

About the role

Drummond Street Services is seeking:

• A Peer Practitioner with lived experience of disability, trauma experience and ongoing recovery to join Your Way Through
• Part-time role, Contract basis until the 31 December 2023. 
• Based in Northern region (Carlton & Coburg locations), with occasional travel in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria required
• Reports to the Senior Complex Trauma Practitioner
• Collaborate with a trans-disciplinary, trauma informed team  

The Peer Practitioner will provide practical and emotional support for clients. They will bring a personal understanding of how to develop healthy resilience and the process of healing and recovery from trauma. The scope includes working with individuals and groups, supporting clients to make submissions to the Disability Royal Commission, engaging local communities and contributing to important policy development and service evaluation. 

About Drummond Street Services & Your Way Through

Drummond Street Services (DS) is a not-for-profit, non-denominational agency that has over 130 years in the development and delivery of innovative services that strengthen families and communities with a strong focus on evidence-based/informed practice and across the prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery spectrum of universal and targeted support. We supported survivors to tell their story to the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and continue to support survivors to seek justice through the National Redress Scheme and Restore-Victorian Redress Counselling Service.

Following years of sustained advocacy by people with disabilities, in 2019 the Commonwealth Government established the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Learnings from the Royal Commission will help to inform Australian governments, institutions and the wider community on how to prevent, and better protect, people with disability from experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in the future.

Your Way Through provides services that are accessible, client-focused and meet the needs of people with disability, their families, carers, support workers and advocates. The service offers a model of support and advocacy that is flexible, compassionate, respectful, empowering and holistic with the aim of addressing individual client needs and undertaking systematic advocacy. The service centREs a human rights model of disability and employs a number of staff who have disabilities and are also members of the LGBTIQA+ communities.

Our services assertively engage those experiencing marginalisation and/or discrimination, prioritising First Nations people, people of colour, and/or those identifying as LGBTQIA+, with a specific focus on public housing residents.

About you

The following will be essential in this position:

• A lived experience with disability, trauma experience and ongoing recovery
• An understanding of the experience of being a family member and/or carer of a person with disability
• Involved and actively participating in community
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a trans-disciplinary team
• A genuine interest and commitment to collaborating with LGBTQIA+, First Nations, people of colour and public housing residents in a way that is affirming.

We are committed to affirmative employment practices and are open to exploring relevant supports for our employees to further develop their career in this field. 

You will be offered additional training and professional development opportunities to enhance your capabilities to work with your clients and their associated access needs. Salary packaging options (up to $15,900 per FBT year) are also available. 

next steps

To discuss your application contact Vicki Khouri, Manager Your Way Through on 03 9663 6733 or [email protected], using the subject line: Peer Practitioner enquiry via EthicalJobs. 

A position description is attached.

To submit your application, click Apply Now.