Aboriginal Wellbeing Officer

Utilise your understanding of the Victorian Aboriginal Community to provide support and advice to Corrections Victoria.
- Ongoing, Full-Time Opportunity to work with a high-performing and passionate team in the Victorian Public Service
- VPS Grade 3: $72,751 - $88,336 plus superannuation.

About the Business Unit
The Melbourne Assessment Prison (MAP) is a maximum-security facility providing state-wide assessment and orientation services for all male prisoners received into the prison system and is located within the North West Metropolitan Area, Department of Justice. MAP consists of the prison, the custody facilities at the County, Supreme and Appeal Courts and holding cells at St Vincent's Hospital for prisoners requiring outpatient medical treatment.

About the Role
The Aboriginal Wellbeing Officer (AWO) role was established under the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement, as a response to the findings of the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
AWO's are part of Corrections Victoria's commitment to reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system and to ensuring that Aboriginal Victorians achieve the same justice outcomes as the broader Victorian community.
The AWO has direct prisoner contact being responsible for engaging and actively working Aboriginal people in custody. The AWO provides cultural, spiritual and wellbeing support and coordinates cultural activities and programs. This role will participate in case management of Aboriginal Prisoners, working with the multi-disciplinary team to support successful transition back to the community.

**Some of your duties may include**:

- Provide cultural and practical support for Aboriginal prisoners through identifying their strengths, aspirations and obtainable goals for returning to a non-offending lifestyle in their community
- Interview and complete a wellbeing checklist on Aboriginal prisoners as soon as practicable following reception, aiming to provide information regarding available Indigenous specific programs and services.
- Provide cultural and wellbeing support to Aboriginal prisoners that enables individual pre and post release needs to be met, advocating on their behalf where appropriate.

About You
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the Victorian Aboriginal Community, both society and culture, and the issues impacting on it.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with members of the Victorian Aboriginal community

Qualifications/Requirements
This is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under 'special measures' of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply.

How to Apply

**FOR INTERNAL VPS EMPLOYEES**:
**IMPORTANT INFORMATION**:
The department is committed to providing and maintaining a working environment which is safe and without risk to the health of its employees consistent with the department's obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic). Therefore, there is a requirement that all DJCS employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to undertake duties outside of their homes.
Prior to commencement of employment with the department you will need to provide evidence that you are vaccinated against COVID-19.
Upon commencement of employment with the department you will be required to provide evidence that you have an up-to-date vaccination status within the timelines specified by the department into the DJCS Service Portal. This includes evidence of all doses of a COVID-19 vaccine required by the department (from time to time).

**Acceptable evidence includes**:

- COVID-19 digital certificate or ATAGI exemption certificate (available via your myGov account)
- Your immunisation history statement (available via your myGov account)

Other documentation outside the above will not be accepted as evidence of having received your COVID-19 vaccine doses.