Centre 360 Youth and Family Service

Centre 360 Youth and Family Service is looking for a Senior Counsellor and supervisor to join our growing counselling and case management team. People from diverse cultural background in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.

The role aims to provide counselling, flexible and family-inclusive casework and/or a range of other counselling interventions to young people and families, to help them reach their goals, improve their wellbeing, and strengthen their relationships.

The applicant will supervise counsellors in developing their practice as well as contribute to the effective and cohesive running of the Centre.

The Centre 360 team is a group of passionate adolescent and family counsellors, who believe in the value and potential of all young people. We’re committed to delivering high-quality therapeutic services to young people and their families and value systemic, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and evidence-based approaches to practice. We also emphasise the importance of therapeutic engagement and cultural competence in our work, and believe in the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle for change.

The Centre values flexible and creative ways of working with young people and their families, including outreach. We work to strengthen young people’s connection to their families and communities, enhance their wellbeing and resilience, and to help them achieve positive life outcomes such as good physical and mental health, healthy relationship skills, strong support networks, stable housing, employment, education, and training.

In addition, the Centre places great value on its staff. We’re committed to fostering the wellbeing of all team members and offer flexible working hours to support work/life balance. We also believe in social justice and ensure our practices are inclusive of diverse cultures, genders, sexualities, family structures, and belief systems. The Centre cultivates a safe, just, and engaging workplace where professionals can do their best work and grow their skills and knowledge.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Essential Criteria:

1. Minimum 5 years post graduate experience in counselling, case management, psychology
2. Must have post-graduation qualification in Social work, Psychology or Counselling/Psychotherapy
3. Eligible for membership with PACFA, AASW, or the APS (membership itself not required)
4. Demonstrated ability to engage and work with diverse young people and their families
5. Experience in intake and client assessment
6. Proven skills and experience in providing supervision
7. Demonstration of knowledge about related clinical policies, legislations and implementation of mandatory reporting/responsibilities
8. Full driver’s license

Desirable Criteria:

1. Experience working flexibly with clients and their families
2. Demonstrated skills in facilitating therapeutic group work

Immediate Start Preferred.

Successful applicants must undergo a Working with Children Check and National Criminal History Check.

SALARY:

SCHADS Level 6 Paypoint 1 + Super

Full Time. Permanent.

4 Weeks annual leave.

Generous benevolent institution salary packaging available.

ABOUT CENTRE 360 YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICE:

Centre 360 Youth and Family Service (the Centre) is a community-based adolescent counselling and support service at Paddington, and is part of St Francis Social Services. The service has been operating since 1978 and has provided individual and family counselling, advocacy, practical assistance, group work and mentoring programs to highly disadvantaged young people aged 12-24 years and their families who either reside in or move through the Centre catchment areas.

The Centre commonly works in the areas of trauma and loss, adolescent mental health, the emotional difficulties associated with family dysfunction and breakdown, substance abuse, homelessness, and juvenile and young adult offending. The Centre operates a number of integrated projects:

• Adolescent and Family counselling and support: Individual counselling, case management parenting programs and family therapy, with a focus on early intervention. We use a trauma informed and strengths based approach to our work with all our clients. We also draw on several other therapeutic frameworks, depending on the needs of the individual client and skills of the counsellor, including Art therapy, Attachment Theory, Narrative Therapy, CBT, Mindfulness, Psychodynamic theory, and Family Systemic Therapy.
• Group Based Programs: a range of therapeutic and psycho-educational groups for adolescents and Tuning into Teens and Circle of Security for parents. Existing groups are facilitated with a range of external providers, including educational institutions and residential services.
• Mentoring Programs:
• A social and wellbeing mentoring Program for disadvantaged young people aged 15-21.
• Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) partnership: Young people are partnered with employees from the HSF law firm for group social and recreational mentoring activities. They also receive a scholarship to put towards their education.

We often combine counselling with casework, enabling our team to assist young people and their families with their internal needs (mental health) at the same time as improving their relationships in their external world (family, school and community.) We also create a safe, supportive environment or go to places young people and families feel safe, to remove barriers that may prevent young people from attending therapeutic sessions.

A position description is attached.