Vocational Consultant

Permanent Part Time
- 0.4 FTE
- Based at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre

Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the North East of Melbourne and state-wide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our purpose, which is to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.

**About the Spinal Community Integration Service**:
The Spinal Community Integration Service is based at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre and sits within the Victorian Spinal Cord Service to provide community-based intervention to spinal cord injured clients from both Austin and Alfred Health, across Victoria. Community based intervention may include working with the client in their own home, with a community service provider, in their local community, at their workplace or in a recreation facility, with the aim of reintegrating the client back into community following a period of inpatient rehabilitation.

**About the role**:
Work as part of an interdisciplinary team and in collaboration with inpatient, ambulatory and community teams/agencies to provide vocation related intervention:

- Early vocational intervention to establish client goals, instill an early sense of hope and possibility (developing a culture of ‘can do’), assist to maintain important life roles and identities, and enhance vocational outcomes.
- Undertake necessary assessment and planning with client and team to identify relevant community integration goals.
- Undertake referral and support to community service providers as appropriate.
- Provide community based vocational related intervention in conjunction with team that supports the objectives of SCIS. Specifically, this may include exploration of worker identity and/or possible worker roles, liaison with pre accident employer, navigation and negotiation of vocational/return to work funding systems, and development of community education and employment networks.
- Provide consultation and education to community-based service providers that builds capacity, remains goal oriented and works towards optimal community integration.
- In addition to role of Vocational Consultant, this position also includes being a SCIS Liaison Worker, overseeing all relevant health domains in SCI.

**About you**:
Essential:

- Tertiary qualification in relevant health or disability related discipline.
- Eligibility for the relevant membership (AHPRA, ESSA, AASW).
- Evidence of a current driver’s license and willingness to drive for work related activities.

Desirable but not essential:

- Relevant post graduate qualifications

Experience:

- Experience in vocational rehabilitation, in order to carry out position-specific requirements
- Working knowledge of insured and uninsured funding systems
- Experience in health domains and management of SCI

Skills:

- Understanding of the Vocational community resources
- Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and as part of an interdisciplinary team
- Advanced communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills
- Demonstrated commitment to enhancing clients’ health outcomes
- Comprehensive knowledge of health, disability, and adjustment issues for clients with a spinal cord injury
- Skills in providing education and secondary consultation to local community providers and families
- Demonstrated organisational ability in time and caseload management
- Demonstrated ability to work flexibly and conjointly with staff from other disciplines

**Our benefits**:
Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:

- Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging
- A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program
- Mentoring and career development opportunities
- Flexible, hybrid working arrangements

**Inclusion at Austin**:
**Work with us