Counsellor Advocate

Location: Melbourne | Eastern Metropolitan

Job type: Full time

Organisation: Monash Health

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Health and Allied Health

Reference: 61176

**Working in Healthcare has never been more important or meaningful.**

**Our Journey**:
The South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence (SECASA), is a program of Monash Health and has the responsibility in the Southern Region of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing for:

- The provision and development of effective services to victim/survivors and associated people affected by sexual assault and family violence
- The provision and development of effective services for adolescents exhibiting harmful sexual behaviours
- The provision of public education and professional training on sexual assault and anti-violence issues
- Social planning and processes related to reducing societal violence

**A Day in the Life**:
As a Grade 2 Counsellor/Advocate you will provide high quality trauma focussed therapeutic interventions, driven by frameworks of intersectionality, gender equality, anti-oppression, and a human rights based approach. This position requires a truly collaborative approach, working with clients, their families and key agencies, within the scope of current legislation and professional guidelines. Key purpose of this role includes to:

- Triage of incoming requests for service
- Initial assessment, intake and prioritisation
- Provision of secondary consultation
- Provision of information and referral
- Provision of Sexual Assault Crisis Response services
- Provision of initial assessment and intake for referrals from Child Protection, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
- Provision of Brief Treatment - focussed, short term counselling.
- Provision of Response services at Multi-Disciplinary Centres
- Work collaboratively with clients and key agencies to advocate for, assess and respond to identified risk

**What You Bring**:

- Demonstrated clinical experience working with and responding to complex trauma related to sexual assault and/or family violence
- Crisis intervention skills necessary for supporting people who have experienced sexual assault and family violence
- Experience working with children with trauma related to sexual assault and/or family violence
- Have worked collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to enhance wellbeing and safety for clients
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and experience in preparing written reports for therapeutic and legal purposes
- Excellent team work, interpersonal and communication skills, including building trust and rapport with colleagues and delivery of commitments

**What you need**:
Social Work

Formal qualification in Social Work and eligibility for AASW
- An Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) accredited Bachelor Degree or entry level Master’s Degree of Social Work that provides eligibility for membership of the AASW
- Written evidence of eligibility of AASW membership for overseas qualifications
- Minimum of two years’ experience as a qualified Social Worker
- Accredited Social Worker as approved by the AASW

OR Psychology
- Current general registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) AHPRA
- A minimum of five years’ experience as a generally registered psychologist
- Having or working towards supervisor endorsement with the Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA)
- Appropriate post-graduate qualifications (Masters or Doctoral Degree) in counselling, clinical or forensic psychology in an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited course.
- Evidence of participation in clinical research activities

**In Return**
- You will be part of a highly committed compassionate team
- Be part of a service that values you and all you bring to the counsellor/advocate role
- Experience a strong focus on self-care and professional development
- Work in a team with a diverse range of experience for you to draw on
- Receive evidence based training providing you the skills to be a competent counsellor/advocate in this specialist field
- Be part of an expanding service with multiple projects focusing on improving service delivery and the client experience
- Provided with a range of internal opportunities within the SECASA service to evidence our commitment to your development.
- Work with a team where social work values are evident in daily practice including being passionate about eliminating sexual assault and family violence through social change.

For a confidential discussion and to explore the opportunity further, please call Amanda Fillingham, Manager on 0407 325 458

**Monash Health is a great place to work**

Our employees enjoy a range of benefits including:

- salary packaging options that increase your take-home pay
- a comprehensive Health and Wellbeing program
- free flu vaccinations
- private health insurance at discounted rates
- health