Next Step Plus/extended Post Care Case Manager

**Job no**: 503622

**Employment type**: Full Time

**Location**: Toowoomba & Darling Downs

**Categories**: Child, Youth & Family
- **Opportunity for flexible work arrangements & work from home**:

- **KM reimbursement for work related travel**:

- **Pool cars available and may be home garaged**:

- **Training and development opportunities available to encourage career progression**

**About the Organisation**

Every day, Life Without Barriers provides support and care to children and young people, as we work collaboratively with families, carers, and communities, to ensure they have the environment they deserve to grow. With a focus on ensuring safety and respect, this is an opportunity to make a positive and meaningful difference in these young lives and help pave a brighter future.

Life Without Barriers is a leading social purpose organisation of 8,000 employees working in more than 500 communities across Australia. We support children, young people and families, people with disability, older people, and people with mental illness. We work with people who are homeless and refugees and asylum seekers. Join a community of people dedicated to breaking down barriers.

We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.

**About the role**

The purpose of the **Case Manager, Next Step Plus (NSP)/Extended Post Care Support (EPCS)** is to provide a localised collaborative approach engaging and supporting Youth People from the age of 15, to successfully transition from care. You will help develop the skills and knowledge they need to live as an interdependent adult; deliver available funding to support young person’s needs and goals and ensure those who have left care are able to receive additional support and services if needed until they are 25. This position will support the roll-out of the new Extended Post Care Support funding.

This position is being offered as **permanent full-time** located in **Toowoomba.**

**Key Responsibilities**
- Work as part of Care Team to address the impacts of abuse, neglect, separation from families and complex trauma on young people in out of home care and adults who have exited the care system.
- Utilise Therapeutic Crisis Intervention techniques to assist in the recognition and de-escalation of behaviour people and help young people develop ways to cope with stress.
- Develop comprehensive plans for each young person to support their transition to independent living and ensure young people are engaged with community supports.
- Work with Child Safety staff to support young people in care aged 15+ in the development of a Transition and Financial plan and gaining the skills, knowledge, and networks they need including identifying a natural mentor.
- Facilitate opportunities for the young person to participate in peer groups and networking enabling the young person to develop relationships with peers, learn from others, and build a social support network.
- Develop and maintain relationships with significant family members, friends, community organisations and government agencies to promote lasting connections and positive outcomes for clients.
- Incorporate/ implement strategies within assessments and goal plans to Young People to maintain their culture and identity.
- Develop and implement Cultural Support Plans to support all Young people to maintain their culture and identity after they have departed the Care system.
- Support and promote engagement with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and Community Groups

**Qualifications, Skills & Experience**
- Relevant Tertiary qualifications (3-year bachelor’s degree) within the community service sector; Social Science, Social Work, Psychology, Human Services and/or relevant experience.
- A current QLD Driver’s Licence.
- Demonstrated experience in working with young people, “walking with them” and supporting them to articulate their goals, strengths and aspirations and assisting in achieving these goals and transitioning to independent adult life.
- Demonstrated experience in engaging mainstream services (Housing, education, health, mental health and social support) and in re-connecting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and their families.
- Demonstrated experience in person centred case management and/or coaching/mentoring service delivery and support for young people with complex needs.
- Demonstrated experience in managing complex caseloads and maintaining a high level of documentation.
- Demonstrated experience and understanding of the factors impacting on young people in the transition from out of home care to independent adult life.

**_ Please note:_**_ To be considered for and appointed to a position at Life Without Barriers, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a minimum