• 0.8FTE SCHADS Level 5
• 12 months / Until March 31st 2026

POSITION SUMMARY

Working to support and enable a growing community of LGBTIQA+ refugees and asylum seekers based in Melbourne, this role is a key position in Many Coloured Sky’s small, dynamic team.

You’ll be coordinating a group of peer mentors, assisting them to address mental health and wellbeing challenges in their community, and ensuring that queer refugees with complex individual needs have pathways to support and recovery.

You’ll support the engagement of our lived-experience team across mental health and allied sectors, and work with them to provide training and capacity building to relevant organisations on the mental health needs of this intersectional and diverse community. The role will also coordinate the development of a specific mental health model for LGBTIQA+ refugees and people seeking asylum, working closely with team-mates and our community. 

This project is in partnership with Drummond Street Services Queerspace, who will provide professional supervision and training.  The role reports to Many Coloured Sky’s Executive Director. 

LGBTIQA+ people and those with refugee lived-experience are encouraged to apply. 

ABOUT MANY COLOURED SKY

Many Coloured Sky, the Queer Development Agency, works with vulnerable, intersectional LGBTIQA+ communities in Australia, Africa and the Asia Pacific, including a Victoria-wide, peer-led network of 500 LGBTIQA+ refugees and asylum seekers. This program offersone-to-one and group peer support and navigation, multi-session programs addressing mental health, service referrals and material support.

Our work is to resource and build capacity in vulnerable and intersectional LGBTIQA+ communities, enabling lived-experience leadership and contributing to the vision of our partner communities. 

In our small team, everyone has a role to play in advancing our vision and mission and creating a work environment that is productive, nurturing and cooperative. 

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

Community Development and Training

• Coordinate and support a team of LGBTIQA+ refugees and asylum seekers, enabling them to offer mental health support, mentoring and appropriate referral to their peers. 
• Co-design and co-deliver multi-session group mental health programs to LGBTIQA+ Refugees and asylum seekers, alongside peer mentors.​​​​​​  
• Co-design and deliver comprehensive training and capacity building to mental health and allied sectors.​​​​​​​​​​​    
• Contribute to Many Coloured Sky’s collective impact approach to service provision for LGBTIQA+ communities. ​​​​ ​​​
• Support the delivery of existing MCS programs, community engagement events and social activities.                                          
• Represent the organisation positively with a range of external health, social services and other relevant providers for the purpose of making appropriate client referrals, providing conjoint support where required, and promotion of agency programs.​​​​​​ 
• Use community development approaches (social justice, equality and mutual respect) to increase self-efficacy and empowerment of LGBTIQ+ communities. 

Direct Service

• Support LGBTIQA+ asylum seeker and refugee pathways to queer sensitive and affirmative mental health counselling and case management services. 
• Conduct assessments of risk and protective factors including comprehensive risk assessments as appropriate. 
• Provide appropriate referral to both internal and external support services to meet needs identified through the assessment and case planning processes.
• Build MCS capacity and knowledge to navigate the mental health sector through networking and stakeholder engagement.  

Accountability

• Participate in the ongoing development of the service to ensure it is meeting community and client needs. 
• Comply with funded service standards, practice manual, and contract guidelines.
• Comply with Child Safe Standards and obligations under the Reportable Conduct Scheme and collaborate with others to ensure or workplace and programs are culturally safe and affirmative for employees, children and families. 
• Ensure program case notes and other client information is recorded according to service standards and practice. 
• Ensure reporting requirements for the program are undertaken. 
• Work within risk management, quality standards and continuous improvement frameworks.  

Research and Evaluation

• Assist with the design and implementation of research and evaluation activities, and assist with data collection, recording and analysis and report writing as required. 
• Participate in annual program reviews and contribute to the design and delivery of this project. 

Risk

• Actively identify, monitor and manage areas of key risk and lead appropriate escalation and response. 
• Actively monitor and act to improve the quality and safety of client services. 
• Commit to prioritising child safety and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for organisations. 

OH&S 

• Identify, report and record all safety hazards, incidents and injuries. 
• Take reasonable care for the health and safety of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions and comply with the requirements of Victorian Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 2004 and related ds OHS procedures and Safe Operating Procedures.

Quality Assurance and Improvement

• Contribute to the development of Many Coloured Sky as a small, dynamic organisation. 
• Be proactive, engaged in and committed to creating great experiences for each client. 
• Be open to new ways of doing things and respond to challenges with innovative ideas and solutions. 

KEY COMPETENCIES/SKILLS

• Client centred, including culturally and LGBTIQA+ sensitive Promotes productive, competent work practices 
• Organisational & Quality Focus Creative, flexible and solution focused under pressure 
• High level of self-awareness, professionalism Strong alliance with social justice values 
• Strong communication skills 
• Cultural and diversity humility

Technical

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team 
• Program design and implementation skills
• Highly developed interpersonal, oral and written skills 
• Skills in mental health care coordination and counselling 
• Sound knowledge of public health approaches to LGBTIQA+ people with disabilities, mental health and well-being and the social determinants of health Experience in working in trauma counselling and recovery 
• Sound group facilitation skills 
• Highly developed administration and information technology skills

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE - KEY SELECTION CRITERIA 

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, intersectional and community development principles 
• Qualifications in social work or equivalent. 
• Minimum two years' experience in delivering programs or services in the mental health or related sector 
• Demonstrated experience in team building and delivery of group programs 
• Demonstrated ability to provide counselling and therapeutic interventions with positive client outcomes 
• A commitment to and experience in working with vulnerable communities 
• A commitment to and experience in working with people from LGBTIQA+ and refugee communities 
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs, issues and sensitivities of people from diverse backgrounds including LGBTIQA+ and culturally and linguistically diverse people and communities 
• Demonstrated experience of working with people with complex needs such as family violence, drug and alcohol and mental health issues 
• Demonstrated capacity to work within integrated, collaborative and systemic approaches 
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and networks and work collaboratively to drive change 
• Demonstrated organisational skills including the ability to meet deadlines and prioritise work tasks 
• Demonstrated capacity to work creatively, show initiative, contribute ideas and be active in a team environment