Quitline Counsellor

**_Quitline Counsellor_**

**Employment Type**: Permanent

**Position Classification**:Health Professional State - Counsellor Level 2

**Remuneration**: $84,877 - $97,709 per annum, excluding superannuation

**Hours Per Week**: 38

**Location**: 1 Reserve Road, St Leonards, Sydney

**Requisition ID**: REQ417467
- **Be part of an organisation that makes a difference in cancer control in NSW.**:

- **Use your counselling skills to provide high quality support to people to quit smoking and/or vaping.**:

- **Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.**

**_Where you'll be working_**

The Cancer Institute NSW is the NSW Government's cancer control agency, established to lessen the impact of cancer across the state.

Working at the Cancer Institute NSW means joining a team of committed and dedicated staff who are proud to be a part of the Institute's purpose of overseeing and accelerating the effectiveness of cancer control in NSW.

The Cancer Institute is a collaborative working environment that encourages diversity and inclusion in how we work and the way we work together. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are strongly encouraged to apply. Greater consideration will be given to suitable applicants, in order to improve access to employment and career opportunities (GSE Rule 26).

**_What you'll be doing_**

The NSW Quitline service provides cessation focused telephone counselling to people who:

- Smoke and vape.
- Provide information and support to carers and family members of people who smoke and/or vape.
- Provide information to health professionals on cessation care.

The Quitline Counsellor is responsible for the provision of evidence-based clinical services including assessment, treatment planning, counselling, referral for clients who call or are referred to NSW Quitline and promoting the Quitline service through community engagement activities.

The Quitline Counsellor works with people from diverse population groups and backgrounds with differing health conditions

Initially this role will support the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) in executing test plans, scenarios, scripts and procedures as well as testing modifications to prepare for implementation. On completion of the UAT the Quitline Services will be going live at which time you will transition to take on the full responsibilities of the Quitline Counsellor role.

You will be required to provide information and therapeutic smoking and/or vaping cessation counselling with clients who call the Quitline NSW service.

Your previous experience as a counsellor along with your verbal communication skills are essential to the role, as is a professional can-do-attitude, ability to effectively collaborate and work as a team player.

Successful applicants will be required to work 38 hours per week, initially during the project phase to completion from 8.30 to 5.00 pm. Once the Quitline services is stood up the extended hours of service operation will be 8.00 am to 8.00 pm weekdays and 8.30 am to 5.00 pm on Saturday’s. Rostered shift work across hours of operation is a requirement of the role.

Quitline NSW provides a bilingual counselling service. If you are bilingual, we encourage you to apply.
- Your resume (maximum five pages)
- A covering letter addressing the Essential Requirements, as outlined in the Role Description
- A response to the pre-screening questions, as outlined below.

**_Essential requirements_**
- Completed a minimum three-year bachelor’s degree qualification in counselling, social work or psychology and minimum of 3-years clinical experience in counselling and be able to be registered with the Peak Body associated with the qualified discipline.
- High level verbal and written communication skills, including clinical documentation and client communication.
- Demonstrated ability to remain calm and execute clinical service delivery with confidence and patience in a high-pressure environment.
- Willingness to work a variety of shifts, including weekends and outside business hours, and flexibility to assist with backfilling shifts at times.
- Experience in providing counselling and information in a call centre environment is preferable, but not essential’
- All Quitline staff are required to be non-smokers. A former smoker or vaper must have been quit for at least six months.

**_Pre-screening questions_**
- Please outline an evidence-based approach to engage and support clients who smoke and/or vape and want to quit? What are the key elements to consider when working with this client group, what counselling methods would you utilise to establish and maintain client motivation?
- Describe a time you have managed a challenging counselling situation. What were the challenges experienced, what strategies did you use to manage these challenges and maintain a positive therapeutic alliance?

**_Interested?_**

For more information:

- Click here for the Role Description

In line with the Public Health