• Generous Salary Packaging
• Employee Assistance Program available
• Fixed term until June 2023
• Full time (76 hours per fortnight)
• Multiple positions available
• Remuneration SCHCADS 6 level dependent on qualifications and experience + 10 % Employer superannuation
• Abbotsford and Sunshine locations.

About us

Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) is one of Australia’s largest and most comprehensive, youth specific community service organisation that enables young people experiencing serious disadvantage to access the resources and support they require to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

YSAS is a Child Safe organisation. We actively promote the safety and wellbeing of young people, and are committed to protecting young people from harm or abuse who come into contact with and/or access our service. Applicants must undergo rigorous screening and recruitment processes, including providing evidence of current WWCC and National Police Check.

About the position

YSAS is working in partnership with Drummond Street and Odyssey to deliver the Care Coordination Platform across the northwest region of Melbourne, funded by the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN). The Platform is based on evidence informed therapeutic process and intersectional practice aimed at increasing the engagement and improving AOD treatment outcomes for specific young people and families from diverse backgrounds and identities. The Intersectional Care Coordination Platform recognises the need to privilege cultural and intersectional knowledge and competence within therapeutic service and practice decision making. It also puts at the centre the primacy of family as a setting for both risk and protective factors for problematic patterns of AOD use, but also its importance as fundamental to support recovery. First Nations People, LGBTIQ+ people, people with disability, people of colour, public housing residents or people with a lived experience are encouraged to apply.

The Senior Practitioner is a member of the Intersectional Care Coordination Platform working closely and collaboratively with a Care Coordination Practice Lead from Drummond Street, as well as other Senior Practitioners across the Inner, North and Western catchments.

The position leads site practice and provides practice supervision and operational supervision and practice support to Youth AOD Practitioners and AOD Nurses.

The Senior Practitioner will also undertake direct service activities including providing evidence-informed AOD treatment and collaborative care to young people, using brief interventions, care planning, AOD counselling, harm reduction and trauma informed frameworks. The Youth AOD Practitioner will provide treatment and collaborative care that is both safe and effective for young people and families with intersectional needs.

The Senior Practitioner will also plan and facilitate intensive, structured non-residential AOD rehabilitation programing (both individual and group). The Senior Practitioner will collaborate and integrate treatment with co-located and out-posted services at the Youth AOD Intersectional Care Coordination Platform.

Key selection criteria:

1. Demonstrated knowledge and application of a range of therapeutic approaches and frameworks for individuals, couples, families and specifically young people from diverse communities impacted by AOD use.
2. Demonstrated experience in delivery of group programs.
3. Demonstrated ability to manage, lead and grow the capability of a multi-disciplinary team.
4. Expertise in providing operational and/or practice supervision to youth AOD workers, and presenting cases for peer review.
5. Demonstrated networking and stakeholder management skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with partners and external agencies [e.g. government, NFP, and other sector funders and leaders].
6. Demonstrated ability to build and lead workplace culture, and plan and lead change.
7. Highly developed engagement and communication skills [e.g.: with young people, staff and management].

For full details of the position, please view the Position Description attached below or visit our website.

Please note:

1. YSAS is a safe workplace and complies with laws set by the Victorian Government regarding the prevention and minimisation of spread of COVID.
2. Service delivery aspects of the role may be modified in order to comply with Victorian Government COVID-19 guidelines.
3. As part of our Employment screening process you will be required to undertake a National Criminal History check and have a current Working with Children Check.
4. You must have Australian work rights to apply for this position

If you have the skills, experience and share our passion this is your opportunity to contribute to make a difference to the lives of seriously disadvantaged young people.

Please apply via our employment page by clicking the Apply Now button below.

Further Enquiries

For a confidential discussion about the position, please contact Brydie Hill, Manager on 0418 529 471 regarding Senior Practitioner- Youth AOD – 148_2021.

YSAS is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from all sectors of the community.

YSAS has a zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to the provision of a child-safe organisation.