JOB DESCRIPTION

• Position: Family Practitioner - 35hrs per week
• Program: Functional Family Therapy Child Welfare Program
• Reports to: Executive Manager, Quality & Compliance
• Salary: Negotiable, dependent on qualifications and experience
• Award: Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry (SCHADS Award 2020) Grade 6
• Plus: Superannuation at ATO SGP rate and excellent salary packaging
• Plus: Monthly mobile phone allowance
• Plus: Public Holidays, NAIDOC Day, Ex Gratia Days at Easter and Christmas
• Probationary period: A six month probationary period applies to this position
• Aboriginal People are encouraged to apply

Yerrabi Yurwang Child & Family Aboriginal Corporation is recruiting a Family Practitioner to join its newly formed Functional Family Therapy Child Welfare Program (FFT-CW). This program and role offer the opportunity to drive meaningful, innovative, and culturally responsive service delivery that sets new standards in the sector, ensuring Aboriginal children and young people grow up safe, healthy, and deeply connected to their family, culture, and community while empowering Aboriginal families to thrive. Yerrabi’s FFT.

We are committed to protecting children and young people from all forms of abuse, bullying, exploitation and neglect, and to creating environments in all our programs and services where children are safe and feel safe. We are committed to listening to children and addressing any concerns they raise with us. Yerrabi will treat all allegations of child abuse very seriously. We will report all allegations in compliance with incident reporting, mandatory reporting and reportable conduct requirements. All Yerrabi people are required to support this commitment to child safety, and to always behave appropriately towards children.

THE ORGANISATION

Yerrabi Yurwang Child & Family Aboriginal Corporation (est. 2019) and its affiliates Yerrabi Yurwang Health and Yerrabi Yurwang Housing (est. 2024) (all referred to as Yerrabi) were established due to the high unmet health and wellbeing needs of the local Aboriginal Community residing in Canberra’s northwestern Ngunnawal region. Yerrabi Yurwang means to ‘walk strong’ and was bestowed upon the organisation by our esteemed and respected Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Agnes Shea OAM, who was also a Founding Board Member of Yerrabi Yurwang and our Inaugural Patron. Yerrabi Yurwang operates in the Northwest of the Australian Capital Territory, part of the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal People.

Yerrabi is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO), which means it is owned and operated by Aboriginal People, for Aboriginal People, and is committed to the principle of self-determination whereby we engage and empower Aboriginal People and their Families who utilise Yerrabi’s services and programs.

THE PROGRAM

As a Child & Protection Organisation (CAPO), Yerrabi staff are required to have a demonstrated and genuine commitment to child safety, and to always behave appropriately towards children. Yerrabi’s FFT-CW is committed to protecting children and young people from all forms of abuse, bullying, exploitation and neglect, and to creating environments in all our programs and services where children are safe and feel safe.

We are committed to listening to children and addressing any concerns they raise with us. Yerrabi will treat all allegations of child abuse very seriously. We will report all allegations in compliance with incident reporting, mandatory reporting and reportable conduct requirements. This role also requires the successful applicant to obtain a Community Agency Employee Consent clearance as per ACT Childcare, Youth and Families requirements.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The purpose of this role is to deliver the Functional Family Therapy Child Welfare model within Yerrabi Yurwang , an Aboriginal community-controlled service, providing structured, home based, culturally safe support to strengthen family functioning and improve child safety outcomes.

The Family Practitioner works with families as a whole, strengthening relationships, safety, and wellbeing through structured, evidence based, and home based intervention. This role supports Aboriginal children, young people, and families to remain safe, connected, and strong within their family, kinship, and community networks. Practice is relational, strengths based, and culturally safe, recognising the central role of culture, connection, and collective responsibility in achieving sustainable change.

The Family Practitioner delivers the FFT-CW model with fidelity, working intensively with families in their homes and community settings to reduce risk, build parenting and communication skills, and support lasting improvements in family functioning and child safety. The role integrates clinical practice with cultural responsiveness, community engagement, and collaboration with internal and external partners.

In doing so, the position upholds Yerrabi’s values and the Yerrabi Way behaviours by delivering high quality, accountable services, strengthening partnerships, supporting continuous learning, and contributing to positive outcomes for Aboriginal children, families, and community.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Family Practitioner in the FFT-CW program you will be accountable for the daily operation of the program’s performance. This will include:

• Participate in all model program training, supervision, and consultation activities.
• Conduct assessments including review of referral information, identifying, and engaging key participants, identifying systemic risks and protective factors, and developing an analysis of the problem behaviours within the ecological context and model process. Independently responsible for development of treatment plan.
• Complete pre-assessment within 24 hours of referral and before first phone call.
• Schedule first session within 48 hours of referral.
• Provide home-based interventions adhering to Functional Family Therapy - Child Welfare (FFT-CW) model. Be responsible for developing schedule at the convenience of the clients.
• Create written phase plans that are tailored to the specific family (including linking plans to safety risks and referral behaviours and anticipated session frequency during phase).
• Create specific session plans based on phase plans that indicate link to referral behaviours and risks.
• Provide direct engagement and motivation and generalisation using methods compatible with principles and practices of specified model.
• Address needs of clients through model adherent referrals to community partners, and provide support, monitoring, and other case management to clients.
• Work with the team to identify and overcome barriers to engagement/motivation in families who have been referred.
• Attend weekly meetings with the Executive Manager and Team.
• Attend Supervision
• Complete all required contacts with clients are made, visit with family and siblings in accordance with statutory processes and regulations.
• Record and update outcomes and data management systems to ensure program quality and participate in Continuous Improvement to identify performance trends, best practices, and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain clear and concise documentation of intervention efforts and Family Assessment and Service Planning according to DHHS guidelines and statutory requirements.
• Work alongside internal Yerrabi teams to enable continual improvement to the design and implementation of our service delivery model to further extend Yerrabi’s commitment to improving the lives of children, young people, and their families.
• Maintain stakeholder relationship with referral sources. Coordinate services within agency and with other community providers.
• Participate in building a strong team that is built on inclusiveness and respectfulness operating with a high level of professional management in a complex and demanding environment.
• Be accountable to the performance outcomes of the program you are responsible for and ensure they are being met.
• Ensure you are compliant with Quality, OHS and Risk management systems for the program.

MANDATORY TRAINING:

All relevant employees of Yerrabi are required to complete Mandatory Training and Program Specific training upon commencement of employment and complete refresher training as required.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Sound understanding of Aboriginal issues, knowledge and culture, and proven ability to apply this practice, and knowledge of programs that support culturally appropriate practice.
• Knowledge and skills in ensuring the health, wellbeing and protection of children and young people, leadership, and management experience in this context.
• Knowledge of the Child Protection and Out-Of-Home Care system, standards, and practices.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the principles and challenges of supporting vulnerable families.
• An understanding of cultural contexts and the unique needs of Aboriginal children and young people.
• Tertiary qualifications in social work, community services, mental health, allied health, youth work or related discipline or equivalent that is recognised in Australia.
• Demonstrated ability in the provision of professional supervision.
• Current registration with PACFA, AASW, ACWA, ACA, or psychological equivalent (APHRA), are essential.
• Understanding of the broad range of issues impacting on the community services sector.
• Good communication and organisational skills.
• Effective network development skills.
• Advanced computer skills, including the Microsoft Office suite (emails, Teams and SharePoint), plus familiarity with web-based information management, communications, and accounting systems.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in working in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) or NGO sectors.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience working with Aboriginal families in a child welfare setting.
• Understanding of the importance of delivering culturally appropriate programs specific to Aboriginal communities.
• Demonstrated ability to use a range of active engagement strategies with vulnerable and at-risk children, young people and their families, and be flexible and creative in meeting their needs.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of family systems theory and application.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of cognitive-behavioural therapy theory and application.

SCREENING & LICENSES:

Yerrabi conduct interviews, reference checks, and ensure the completion of satisfactory safety screening including National/International Police Check and Working with Vulnerable Persons Checks relevant to the State or Territory that employment and undertaking of position occurs. Must be able to drive, provide and maintain a valid Drivers’ License and have access to reliable transportation. Please note, successful candidates will be required to provide the following mandatory certifications and checks as per ACT Children, Youth & Families requirements:

• Current/Valid Working with Vulnerable Persons Check (WWVP)
• Current National Police Check (NPC)
• Current Driver’s License
• Current Full Drivers History

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to work as part of, and contribute to, a person-centred team.
• Facilitate good working relationships with all services of Yerrabi, the clients, their families, and other people significant to the client.
• Undertake all interactions with clients, families and co-workers in a culturally sensitive manner and take appropriate account of cultural and linguistic diversity.
• Attend client, employees related meetings, workshops, conferences, and training as required.
• Ensure privacy and confidentiality are always upheld.
• Be familiar and comply with Yerrabi policies, procedures and other work instructions as updated from time to time.
• Represent Yerrabi and our services in a positive manner at forums, meetings, and training with external agencies.
• Assist in the development of continuous improvement and service accountability initiatives as needed.

NEXT STEPS:

Questions: If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact:

Leanne Fisher – Executive Manager – Quality & Compliance via email - [email protected] using the subject line: Family Practitioner - Family Functional Therapy - Child Welfare enquiry via EthicalJobs.

To apply please click 'Apply now'.