• Max-term Position

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, not for profit 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.  

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

*Life Without Barriers considers that being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent is a genuine occupational requirement as outlined in section 25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act (1991) and permitted as a 'special measure' under section 8 of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) and by articles 1(4) and 2(2) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. 

Life Without Barriers is seeking an Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing Worker, Aboriginal specific position, to provide assertive and targeted outreach support to people referred to the innovative Assertive Outreach Drug and Alcohol Program, Next Steps.

We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated person with a background in alcohol and other drug to be part of our team in Port Augusta. You will be joining an existing multi-disciplinary team and the contract on offer is full-time until 30 June 2024.

Key Responsibilities:

• To provide holistic and person-centred assertive support to people who are living with complex alcohol and other drug related concerns
• To develop and implement treatment plans with people engaged in the Next Steps program
• Provide advocacy and assertive referrals on behalf of people where appropriate
• Provide cultural consultation to the team and to liaise with community agencies to ensure that all services are culturally appropriate and sensitive
• Provide information, education and practical assistance to people in the program to support them to reduce the harms associated with their substance use
• To work with families impacted on by a family members alcohol and or drug misuse

Skills & Experience 

• Must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander decent
• Certificate III or Certificate IV in Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Island Health Worker Primary Health Care (Practice) or higher
• Current Drivers licence
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate effective and appropriate intervention with complex clients; including the capacity to develop individual treatment plans and continuing support
• Previous experience working from an assertive outreach framework and or drug and alcohol counselling, education advocacy or support would be an advantage
• Demonstrated ability to provide information and educational activities to the Aboriginal Community on the issues associated with drugs and alcohol
• Demonstrated understanding of the issues associated Alcohol and Drugs and their effects on the Aboriginal community
• An understanding of the complexity of needs demonstrated by those experiencing complex Alcohol and Other Drug use concerns
• Ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of agencies, both mainstream and community, to develop appropriate protocols, networks, advice and advocacy

Successful candidates will be required to clear probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check and Working with Children Check (where relevant to the role).

Benefits 

• Work within a team passionate about facilitating positive changes for people
• Generous salary sacrifices benefits increasing your take home salary
• Ongoing training, support and career opportunities

How to Apply

Include your resume and covering letter in one document, click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts.

For any enquiries including persons with disability that require adjustments, contact Recruitment at [email protected] using the subject line: Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing Worker - Port Augusta enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as applications are continuously reviewed prior to the closing date; and as such the closing date is subject to change without notice. 

Life Without Barriers supports the Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. We believe people with disability need to be heard and for these experiences to influence how support services like ours are delivered.

View our statement here.

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 of two (2) doses or hold a valid medical exemption certificate, in accordance with Life Without Barriers Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. You will be required to provide evidence of your vaccination status during the recruitment process.