ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION

The Women’s Justice Network is a not-for-profit, community-based organisation dedicated to improving the status, wellbeing, and prospects of women and girls affected by the criminal legal system. WJN addresses the many issues facing criminalised women both systemically through advocacy and individually through one-to-one mentoring and group work. WJN operates on the premise that providing gender-responsive social support will lead to a reduction in recidivism rates and a minimisation of the burgeoning prison population.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a part-time position (1 day per week).

The Program Facilitator – Healing from Within role exists because meaningful change for women affected by the criminal legal system doesn’t happen through services alone, it happens through safety, consistency, and human connection. At the Women’s Justice Network (WJN), this role is about independently creating and holding a space where women can begin to rebuild trust, reconnect with themselves and others, and explore new possibilities for their lives beyond the justice system.

At its heart, this role is about supporting women in custody at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in Hume, ACT, to access a program that is respectful, culturally safe, and genuinely empowering. Working independently, the facilitator delivers weekly group sessions that draw on creativity, culture, connection, and lived experience to foster trust, safety, empowerment, and healing. Through this work, participants are supported to reflect on their journeys, strengthen resilience, and develop tools for personal growth in an environment where they feel seen, heard, and valued.

To do this well, the role involves engaging participants in meaningful ways and ensuring the program remains responsive to their needs and experiences. It also includes working closely with volunteers and guest speakers to ground the program in authenticity and real-world insight, while maintaining strong connections with Corrective Services staff, community organisations, and support services to support appropriate referrals.

A key part of the role is also about holding the practical and behind-the-scenes work that keeps the program running smoothly, things like case notes, reporting, participant assessments, data collection, and ongoing program improvement. While this administrative work is essential, it always serves a bigger purpose: making sure the program remains safe, accountable, and effective for the women it supports.

The impact of this role extends beyond weekly sessions. For participants, it can mean feeling less isolated, more understood, and more confident in their ability to make change in their lives. For the organisation, it strengthens WJN’s ability to deliver evidence-informed, trauma-aware, and gender-responsive programs within a complex correctional environment. At a broader level, it contributes to reducing cycles of harm and incarceration by supporting women to build stability, connection, and self-determination.

In practice, this is a role that sits at the intersection of care, structure, and advocacy. It requires someone who can hold space for difficult stories, manage competing demands, and still bring warmth, consistency, and hope into the room each week.

ABOUT YOU

You hold relevant tertiary qualifications in Community Services, Social Work, Counselling, Community Development, or a related field, or bring equivalent demonstrated experience.

You have at least 3 years’ experience facilitating group programs and supporting women with complex and intersecting needs, along with a strong understanding of the barriers faced by women affected by the criminal legal system. This includes knowledge of the impacts of homelessness, mental health challenges, domestic and family violence, sexual assault, and systemic legal and social disadvantage.

You are able to work sensitively and effectively with women navigating these overlapping experiences, bringing a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach to your practice. You have demonstrated experience facilitating therapeutic, educational, or support-based group programs and are confident working independently to create safe, engaging, and inclusive group environments.

You also bring experience working with guest speakers and volunteers as part of a service delivery model, recognising the value of lived experience and collaboration in achieving meaningful outcomes.

This position is classified under the SCHADS Award, Level 5. Pay point is dependent on experience. Women’s Justice Network provides flexible and best-practice working conditions, including attractive salary packaging benefits and professional support.

Being a woman is a genuine occupational qualification for this position under Section 31 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

First Nations women and women with lived experience of the criminal legal system are strongly encouraged to apply.

A position description is attached.