Yoowinna Wurnalung Aboriginal Healing Service (YWAHS) is a Specialist Aboriginal Family Violence Service, which is an independent Not for Profit (NFP) organisation, who delivers services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples living within the catchments of Wellington and East Gippsland Local Government Area’s.

We provide culturally safe and holistic services including counselling, clinical and therapeutic support and referral pathways. We develop, implement, and deliver family violence education and prevention programs and provide advocacy and post intervention support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and their families.

We support the recovery and healing of Aboriginal victims, individuals, families, and communities affected by family violence, and provide support to perpetrators of family violence, linking them into programs and services to address their behaviour and to help them build tools around respectful and healthy relationships with their partners, children, and extended family.

Our focus is on providing Aboriginal led solutions, which are ‘trauma informed,’ culturally safe, within holistic models of health and wellbeing.

ROLE PURPOSE

The focus of this role is to provide counselling, case management and assessment of client’s immediate needs and support pathways to keep them safe.

Other duties include intensive case management, group work, advocacy, stakeholder engagement and referral pathways to assist individual clients to make decisions about their safety, reduce their exposure and risk of family violence, leading to a safe and reconnected family and community.

This role requires you to contribute towards the improvements of YWHS service delivery as part of an integrated model (i.e., wrap around services for clients and their families).

The Counsellor will possess strong communication and organisational skills, counselling/clinical skills and is committed to client centred service delivery to engage in culturally safe and a trauma informed and multi-disciplinary approach to healing.

BENEFITS

• Competitive base salaries plus superannuation and annual leave loading
• Salary packaging (which can add up to $15,900 in tax-free pay per year)
• Industry leading training and support
• Promotional opportunities
• Working alongside diverse people towards a common goal
• Employee Assistance Program, a free and confidential counselling service

QUALIFICATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Selection Criteria

Education & Experience

• A relevant qualification and/or equivalent certification from a nationally accredited provider in the area of social welfare, counselling, social work, family therapy, psychology, creative arts therapies, or community mental health nursing.
• A minimum Bachelor level qualification in Social Work or recent employment in the family violence sector or equivalency met through the 7 Equivalency Principles in line with the minimum mandatory qualification requirements. Please see https://www.vic.gov.au/mandatory-minimum-qualifications-specialist-familyviolence-practitioners for further information.

Essential knowledge and skills

• Demonstrated understanding of family violence, sexual assault/abuse, trauma-informed care and practice and ability to work within a ‘strength-based approach’.
• Demonstrated knowledge and appreciation of Aboriginal culture and understanding of issues affecting Aboriginal people in a contemporary society and the history of intergenerational trauma.
• Provision of culturally appropriate and evidenced based assessments, case formation, goals and intervention planning, review and closure processes to guide short, medium and long-term interventions.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in working therapeutically with children, young people and adults who have experienced violence, abuse and trauma.
• Demonstrated understanding of the MARAM framework and other legislative requirements governing the collection and storage of personal information, client confidentiality, information sharing guidelines and the protection of children/young people.
• Proven ability to work in a sensitive and non-judgmental manner, with clients who come from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated understanding of the issues concerning confidentiality in a service provision organisation.
• Knowledge of pathways and linkages to other support programs and services.
• Highly developed relationship building and people skills.
• High level problem-solving skills with the ability to identify issues or problems and recommend strategies and opportunities for resolving them.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including report writing and an ability to keep accurate and detailed client notes.
• Demonstrated flexibility and willingness to work both independently and effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Like to know more? Please email jobs@ywahs.org.au using the subject line: Aboriginal Lead Facilitator

All applicants must attach a Resume and Cover Letter addressing the Key Selection Criteria (please refer to the Position Description). Please note, incomplete applications may not be considered.

Applications close 29th of January.

We recognise the rich diversity of people across Australia. YWAHS is committed to ensuring our workplace culture continues to value diversity and inclusion. We actively promote the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disability, LGBTI and other diversity groups.

JOIN US… WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR APPLICATION