• Permanent, full time 38 hours per week
• Involves occasional out of office hours work to meet with working tenants
• Base location - Bowral; travel to a range of locations within the Wingecaribee and Wollondily LGAs
• SCHCADS Award - Level 5

What we do

The St Vincent de Paul Society is a leading provider of community support services and has been assisting people experiencing disadvantage in NSW for more than 130 years. Our people reach out to the most vulnerable in our community through our Conferences, Special Works and Vinnies shops. The Society's mission is to shape a more just and compassionate society by offering a 'hands up' approach to people in need respecting their dignity, sharing our hope and encouraging them to take control of their own destiny.

Directorate overview

This position is in the Vinnies Services directorate and is part of the Homelessness and Housing team that is responsible for state-wide management of excellent homelessness and housing services.

The Role

The Adolescent & Family Counsellor is responsible for providing counselling, support and advocacy primarily of young people aged between 12 and 24 years of age, who are homeless or at risk at homelessness and needing early intervention strategies to prevent placement outside the family structure. The role will work closely with residents of Bowral Youth Refuge and the Case Management team; as well as with other local organisations and schools to support local youth.

The key responsibilities of the role will include but are not limited to:

• Provide counselling to young people and/or their families as required
• Undertake comprehensive initial assessment and ongoing assessments of client needs.
• Provide high quality therapeutic interventions to young people in the context of their families, which may include;
  • counselling
  • family inclusive counselling or family therapy
  • educational and therapeutic group work
• Respond appropriately to risks of harm that present for young people and their families; including child protection and immediate mental health risks, as well as diffusion of strong negative emotions
• Develop supported transition plans for clients leaving the service
• Advocate for clients and young people with other services and within youth networks and other forums
• Complete a range of administration tasks to support case work and other service activities
• Keep up-to-date, accurate records of the work done with and for clients

This role will report to the Team Leader, Case Management. For a full list of accountabilities and responsibilities, please read the attached Position Description.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Tertiary qualifications in counselling, psychology or relevant discipline with equivalent qualification or experience in counselling
• Highly developed communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills, and the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with all people
• Ability to apply a client-centred approach to service provision.
• Demonstrated ability to work with limited supervision, manage a variety of tasks and display personal drive and integrity
• Flexibility, team work skills, and creative problem solving
• IT competency, including the use of Microsoft Office programs
• Willingness to work flexible hours and to travel to a range of locations in response to program needs
• Willingness to adhere to and support the Mission, Vision and Ethos of the St Vincent de Paul Society

Background Checks

You will need a current Police Check, Working with Children Check and Right to Work in Australia. The Society is committed to being a Child Safe organisation, further information can be found in the Society's commitment to Safeguarding Children & Young People.

If you have questions about this role, please email to Jen Dixon (Area Manager, Homelessness and Housing) [email protected], using the subject line: Adolescent & Family Counsellor/VIN1939 enquiry via EthicalJobs.

St Vincent de Paul Society (NSW) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to engaging a diverse workforce. The Society strongly encourages applications from people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and mature aged applicants.