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Aboriginal Health Specialist

NSW Users & AIDS Association Inc
  • Fixed-term part time (up to 0.8 FTE) for one year with possibility of extension
  • SHCHADS Level 5 (starting at $41.8 per hour) depending on skills and experience
  • 414 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010; and other locations as specified
  • REPORTS TO: NUAA (NSW Users & AIDS Association) Executive and Program Lead

This job is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant community organisation. NUAA’s staff are committed and passionate workers and work to further the health, human rights and dignity of people who use drugs in NSW. The successful applicant will work across the organisation within the Aboriginal Community developing NUAA programs.

Aboriginal Health Workers enable organisations to bridge the cultural gap and communicate to service providers and other stakeholders: local community values, the role of traditional healers in the community, beliefs and gender roles to service providers as required and ways of providing cultural respect in service provision. This may be achieved in various ways, for example through individual relationships, formal and non-formal education programs, or participation in organised forums.

About NUAA

NUAA is a peer-led organisation aimed at promoting the health, human rights and dignity of people who use or have used drugs. NUAA’s core funding comes from the NSW Ministry of Health and our primary work is in blood borne viruses and alcohol and other drugs.

NUAA’s work is based on Ottawa Charter principles: building healthy public policy, creating supportive environments for health, strengthening community action for health, developing personal skills, and re-orienting health services. We aim to build healthier communities by utilising trained and skilled peers working in partnership with NSW health and related services.

OVERALL

This position will focus on improving harm reduction health knowledge and literacy of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people in regard to illicit drug use and other risk-taking behaviour e.g., sexually transmitted infections.

ESSENTIAL

  • Must be a person of Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) descent – an applicant's race is a genuine occupational qualification and is authorised under Section 14 of the Discrimination Act 1997 NSW.
  • Must either possess a valid and unrestricted NSW Drivers license or be willing to obtain one and the willingness to travel across NSW (as necessary).
  • The successful applicant will be able to work independently with a broad cross-section of community members and produce high quality output and documentation.
  • NUAA is a peer-based drug user organisation and all employees are expected to draw on their lived experience of drug use to provide the empathy, trust and connection required to operate effectively as peer workers. You will bring to NUAA your lived and/ or living experience of illicit injecting drug use and be prepared to take a leadership role in promoting NUAA’s harm reduction, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach to drug use and people who inject and/ or use drugs.
  • If you are a capable and committed peer with demonstrated work skills, you are what we want and we offer further training if necessary. NUAA acknowledges the special challenges that Aboriginal Peers are sometimes faced with and are committed to supporting the employee in their challenges.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Qualifications:

  • Degree or a Diploma
  • Less formal qualifications with specialised skills
  • Demonstrated equivalent experience

Experience:

Experience at Level 5 in the role will include at least two years' work in the harm reduction and/or AOD (Alcohol and Other Drug) or related sectors and demonstrated previous success in project management.

KEY TASKS

  • Lead the development and delivery of Aboriginal Projects within NUAA’s Aboriginal Framework, including leading the update on our Reconciliation Action Plan and state-wide community consultation.
  • Working with the Blood Borne Viruses Team to establish and support an Aboriginal-led peer worker network in Nepean Blue Mountains LHD (Local Health Districts).
  • Provide guidance to NUAA in how to effectively support Aboriginal Peer Workers and Aboriginal People who use or have used drugs.
  • Plan, co-ordinate, implement and administer moderately complex projects within our Aboriginal-connected work (or within specific phases).
  • Supervise Aboriginal peer and other peer workers to ensure compliance with role requirements and agreed outputs

SELECTION CRITERIA

Please address these selection criteria in your application and give examples from your recent work experience in how you meet these criteria.

Essential:

  • Understanding of the issues and stigma facing people who inject and/or use drugs
  • Experience in harm reduction knowledge and literacy within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts
  • Demonstrated or developing skills in leadership and staff supervision or mentoring
  • Experience in project management, or a demonstrated ability to manage a project including planning, time management, interpersonal and communication skills
  • Proven ability to work independently and productively as a team member, contributing to a respectful and cohesive office environment
  • Lived and/or living experience of drug use
  • Must either possess a valid and unrestricted NSW Drivers licence or be willing to obtain one and the willingness to travel across NSW (as necessary)

Desirable:

  • Relevant experience in harm reduction or peer-based or peer-led services
  • Formal qualifications and/or demonstrated equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrated computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite and an ability/ understanding of other IT platforms/ systems.

For further information, please contact Anntonia Golovataia on (02) 8354 7300 or [email protected] using the subject line: Aboriginal Health Specialist enquiry via EthicalJobs.

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