North Richmond Community Health (NRCH) is committed to making healthcare more accessible and culturally relevant. It works with community members to support social justice principles which afford all people the right to dignity, respect, and the highest quality of care. With the recent addition of Victoria’s first Medically Supervised Injecting Room, NRCH is dedicated to combating stigma and discrimination experienced by people who use drugs, and improving their quality of life.

NRCH provides a range of medical, allied health, dental and community services to clients from all backgrounds. We also provide specialist health services in other parts of Victoria, and work with health, government and community services around the country.

Community Health Centres across Victoria provide counselling and casework services that focus on people with chronic ill health, young people and their families and people with complex and multiple problems, including mild to moderate mental health problems. The Counselling & Casework Program offers low-income individuals and families living in the City of Yarra 3- 6 months of counselling and casework services and offers a number of group activities to address community need. Counselling and casework services can be reviewed and extended dependent on need. This position is being funded to support the increased challenges that individuals and families may face due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, who access services or are identified by NRCH as requiring support.

The key roles of the clinician are:

• To provide relevant counselling and casework services to clients according to individual or family need;
• Work with the High Risk Accommodation Response (HRAR) Project team to identify any vulnerable individuals, families or communities who may require increased support during the COVID-19 Pandemic;
• To offer a number of ‘Duty Social’ appointments each week in order to deal with short term or one-off client issues.
• To take responsibility for the design and delivery of group work that may be necessary in response to issues identified within the wider community and funding arrangements.
• Provide Supervision to Community members working with the HRAR project.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• • Carry a caseload of approximately 10 – 15 active clients depending on intensity of the required work and provide a minimum of four ‘Duty Social’ appointments per week. Caseloads will be renegotiated when undertaking group work;
  • Provide client assessment and develop targeted case plans for intervention;
  • Provide counselling interventions using a number of evidence-based techniques in line with experience and competence;
  • Provide clients with targeted case work including advocacy, case conferencing and case co-ordination where needed using a strengths based practice model;
  • Via casework build client capacity to access housing, vocational training and employment, education, income support, social and recreational activities, health promotion, and immigration services.
  • Provide information and referral, supported if needed, to appropriate internal and external services and agencies;
  • Identify new needs within the community and design and deliver group work solutions in accordance with funding arrangements;
  • Build and maintain external relationships by attending meetings, committees, forums and events;
  • Liaise with relevant internal and external organisations to advocate for improved access to services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
  • Build positive and cohesive working relationships with all team members, management and colleagues at NRCH.
  • Partake in clinical supervision to ensure best client outcomes and to monitor clinician performance against objectives;
  • Maintain current, comprehensive and accurate client case files, care plans and statistical data as required, ensuring client confidentiality;
  • Maintain registration with appropriate professional bodies;
  • Adhere to professional Codes of Ethics and uphold organisational standards of client care.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Relevant Tertiary Qualifications; Social Work, Counselling, Psychology, Social Sciences.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

• • Demonstrated experience in practicing a range of counselling interventions particularly with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct assessment, develop case plans and provide advocacy and case work interventions particularly with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
  • Demonstrated understanding of a range of complex client issues including family issues, high prevalence mental health disorders, family violence and issues pertaining to newly arrived and emerging communities including refugees and asylum seekers.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional networks and relationships with other service providers and agencies in the wider community;
  • To be able to conduct client work to a highly ethical and professional standard and to work with minimum supervision.
  • Experience in developing and delivering group work interventions
  • Experience in delivering Supervision
  • A community language will be highly regarded.
  • Excellent written, communication, time management and organisational skills;
  • Experience in using client databases and IT proficiency and the ability to maintain professional standards in case noting and client records.

The preferred candidate will be required to undergo a Police Check and supply a valid Working With Children Check prior to any offer of employment being made.

Please note, interviews may commence prior to the closing date and only successful candidates will be notified.

A position description is attached.