• Full time ongoing Lead Social Work SW4
• Based at Ravenhall Correctional Centre, will be required to work across other sites
• Great salary packaging conditions and leave entitlements
• Free onsite parking

About Prison Services at Forensicare

Ravenhall - Forensicare is the statutory agency responsible for the provision of adult forensic mental health services across Victoria. Completed in 2017, the new medium-security men's prison is located in Ravenhall Correctional Centre in Melbourne's west, providing world-class forensic mental health services in Victoria in a purpose-built state of the art facility developed to international best practice standards.

MobileFMHS - Metropolitan Remand Centre/Karreenga/Marngoneet - Forensic mental health is a specialist area within the mental health service system. The services provided by Forensicare address the needs of offenders experiencing mental health issues, the mental health sector, the justice sector and the general community. The Mobile Forensic Mental Health Service (MobileFMHS) is a multidisciplinary team that provides specialist mental health assessment and treatment services to prisoners. This position is based at the Metropolitan Remand Centre, Ravenhall/Karreenga Prison, Lara/Marngoneet Correctional Centre, Lara.

Marrmak (Dame Phyllis Frost Centre) - Forensicare provides specialist mental health services at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in the Marrmak Unit, a 20-bed residential program for women prisoners with an intensive outreach program and a therapeutic day program.

There is a strong focus on providing a healing environment not only for the prisoners, but importantly also one that supports the well-being and safety of all staff involved. This approach recognises that many women who are imprisoned are indeed themselves victims of crime and have challenging mental health conditions as a result. The word Marrmak is from the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people meaning ‘safe’.

Port Phillip Prison - Forensicare is the statutory agency responsible for the provision of adult forensic mental health services across Victoria, including specialist Forensic Mental Health (FMH) Services at Port Phillip Prison in St Paul's Unit. St Paul’s Unit is a 30-bed psychosocial rehabilitation service that provides specialist, voluntary mental health care, treatment and therapeutic programs to prisoners with a diagnosed mental illness. Participants selected for the program require psychosocial rehabilitation to minimise risk of relapse and enhance their social functioning in preparation for returning to general prison environment or release to community.

Melbourne Assessment Prison - Forensicare provides a detailed reception mental health screening assessment for every prisoner received into custody at the Melbourne Assessment Prison (MAP) in Spencer Street West Melbourne; outpatient clinics to mentally ill prisoners within the prison; a 16 bed Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) which provides initial assessment and treatment to seriously mentally ill prisoners; an after- hours mental health crisis intervention service and consultancy and training services for prison and service staff on the treatment and management of male prisoners with mental health issues.

About the role

The role of the Lead Social Worker, Prisons is to oversee and provide operational support and leadership to social work service delivery at Forensicare Prison based services.

This position will contribute to the ongoing development and strategic planning of social work services within the Prisons directorate and across the broader Forensicare service system.

Duties:

• Ensures the successful delivery of social work services across Prisons and Forensicare
• Contribute to the development, maintenance and evaluation of the social work service priorities and goals; taking a lead role in the areas which directly relate to the prison based services
• Using a strengths based approach, support consumer and carer involvement in the design and delivery of treatment

Skills and experience:

• Hold a social work degree and be eligible for AASW membership
• Extensive clinical knowledge and experience in social work
• Demonstrated commitment to mental health consumer recovery
• Staff management and supervision experience
• Demonstrated skills in the mental health and/or forensic field, knowledge and understanding of the needs of mentally ill people and of the issues of care delivery in forensic mental health

Mandatory qualifications & registrations:

• Approved degree in Social Work and eligibility for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers

This position is subject to a Police Check.

Benefits

We value our staff and provide a range of employee benefits including:

• Great salary packaging conditions
• Excellent leave entitlements
• Post-graduate scholarship programs
• Ongoing training and full orientation
• Comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Programs including Employee Assistance Programs

Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to attracting and developing a diverse workforce which reflects the community we serve. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people who identify as LGBTQI, people with a lived experience of disability, as well as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Forensicare promotes the following values: responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect and leadership; and promotes behaviours that are consistent with these values at all times. Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and offers a smoke free environment.