About Us

Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service (BWAHS) are the lead specialists in Aboriginal specific family violence services across the Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne. The organisation has developed an excellent record of providing high quality family violence and trauma informed intensive case management, integrated family service responses, AOD support services and evidence based therapeutic programs to individuals and groups for a whole family approach.

Full Time

The Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service’s (BWAHS) Alcohol and Other Drugs Practitioner (AODP) position provides support and case coordination to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the Eastern Metropolitan Region (EMR) of Melbourne, who have been identified as being impacted by Family Violence.

The role of the AOD Practitioner is to work with community members, both women and men, who are either victim survivors or users of violence, to promote responsibility for their use of AOD substances and implement collaborative and creative strategies for change, whilst also holding the safety of men, women and children at the centre of the work. The AOD practitioner will work to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families, by reducing the harm associated with use of alcohol and other drugs and promotes overall family safety. Through their work, the AOD practitioner will strengthen individuals’ and communities’ capacity and resilience through strong case management and effective case coordination aimed at reducing the barriers to change.

A key focus of the role is to work in collaboration with other BWAHS programs and other Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO’s) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). This collaborative approach aims to increase the capacity amongst ACCOs and ACCHOs to provide effective treatment and support for community members engaging in methamphetamine and other AOD use.

Using a collaborative approach, the AOD Practitioner will also support mainstream services to build their capacity to provide culturally responsive care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Further, the role will work to strengthen partnerships and referral pathways between ACCHOs/ACCOs and mainstream AOD services within the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Family Violence Partnership to ensure comprehensive integrated service delivery. The delivery of the service occurs primarily through outreach to community members and may involve working from multiple worksites.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

AOD Service Delivery:

• Provide AOD assessment and case management to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members seeking service support at BWAHS.
• Provide AOD services to client referrals that are voluntary, forensic and mandated.
• Undertake holistic psychosocial assessment in order to develop care plans and the delivery of appropriate services to community members.
• Provide a range of service responses to community members, including but not limited to, the provision of assessment and referral, case support and case management, brief interventions, psychoeducation and advocacy.
• Provide a range of options for community members to engage in the services including online outreach and onsite appointments.
• Participate in the intake and client allocation processes as part of the broader case support and therapeutic teams.
• Provide psychoeducation and psycho-social support to build the capacity and resilience of community members to manage AOD related issues.
• Deliver evidence-based psychosocial interventions that meet the identified needs of the community member and their goals.
• Provide education and referral services to the broader family and support networks to build their capacity to support the community member.
• Provide health promotion, health education and information provision sessions in group settings.

Consultation:

• Provide secondary consultation to members of BWAHS staff team to support the work that they do with community members who have identified AOD needs
• Provide advocacy for community members accessing BWAHS in relation to their AOD concerns and other health and wellbeing needs.

Engagement of Key Stakeholders:

• Initiate and participate in care planning across agencies when appropriate.
• Develop and maintain AOD and multi-sector networks to ensure that community members have a broad range of referral options.

Culturally Informed Practice:

• Contribute to culturally informed practice.
• Contribute to a positive and culturally safe workplace.

Risk Management:

• Undertake risk assessment and provide service responses relevant to the outcomes of these assessments in line with BWAHS policies. This may include assessments for family violence, child safety and wellbeing, suicidality and self-harm, as well as AOD risk assessments.
• Where relevant provide a completed intermediate MARAM assessment, AOD risk management plan including withdrawal risks, family violence safety plan, and a self-harm and suicide safety plan.
• Practice within an AOD risk minimisation framework.

Training and Professional Development / Capability Development:

• Participate in regular clinical supervision.
• Access cultural supervision.
• Seek and access relevant professional development opportunities to build and maintain necessary skills to fulfill the role.
• Participate in internal and external Communities of Practice as available.

Administration / System Management:

• Maintain records including case notes, reports, plans and data collection and input within required timelines.
• Ensure that client records are kept in accordance with BWAHS’ quality/audit requirements.
• Participate in BWAHS ongoing quality improvement and strategic direction implementation.

Policies, Procedures and Systems:

• Comply with all organisational policies and procedures.
• Proactively identify, report, assess and communicate WHS related risks and hazards.
• Ensure that child safe practices and policies are implemented.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

1. An understanding of contemporary Aboriginal culture and the history of intergenerational trauma.
2. Relevant tertiary qualifications such as a Certificate IV in AOD, Social Work, psychology, nursing or allied health service or a willingness to obtain.
3. An ability to demonstrate an understanding of the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Treatment Principles.
4. Demonstrated experience working in the AOD sector or related area.
5. Theoretical understanding of the issues underpinning family violence.
6. Demonstrated experience in providing AOD case management and case coordination with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members.
7. Ability to engage men, women and their families of varying ages, stages and composition who have multiple and complex needs.
8. Knowledge of referral services within the EMR, and/or a willingness to learn.
9. Understanding of State and Regional Aboriginal Family violence strategies and frameworks.
10. Competent computer skills including Outlook, Word and data reporting applications (such as SRS/Penelope).
11. Ability to work independently and effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
12. Willingness to embrace opportunities for professional development where appropriate.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

It is a condition of employment that BWAHS be provided with the following:

• Current Victorian Driver’s License
• Current Working with Children’s Check
• Undertake National Police Check
• This position is designated under the Multiagency Risk Assessment and Management framework (MARAM) Comprehensive (Tier 1) level which requires mandated MARAM Family Violence Comprehensive Risk Assessment training and responsibilities.
• A degree in social work, transcripts to be provided (or an equivalent qualification) or a commitment to meeting the mandatory minimum qualifications in accordance with Recommendation 209.

Application Process

• To be considered for the position all applicants must include a resume and a cover letter addressing all the Key Selection Criteria.
• Applicants will be short listed and may be interviewed upon receipt of application, and the position may be filled before the closing date.

Please contact Georgia Hooper at [email protected] using the subject line: Alcohol & Other Drugs Practitioner enquiry via EthicalJobs for further information or a copy of the position description.