• Full or part time position available until 30 June 2025, with option of extension dependent on funding   
• First Nations People, LGBTIQA+ people, people with disability, people of colour, public housing residents or people with a lived experience are encouraged to apply
• DS is committed to child safety and strictly adheres to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for organisations. The safeguarding and wellbeing of our clients is our core focus. All staff must undergo thorough recruitment process including screening and providing evidence of current Working With Children Check and National Police Check.

About the role

Living Free from Violence is one of the three programs that make up Queerspace’s Family Violence Response. Living Free from Violence supports incarcerated women, trans, and gender diverse people who have used force and/or violence in family and intimate partner relationships, offering opportunities to work towards change through group and individual support. 

The LFFV Therapeutic Family Violence Practitioner will provide therapeutic group and individual interventions, case work, and other interventions as agreed within supervision and according to Drummond Street’s (DS) Queerspace and family violence practice approaches while meeting all program deliverables (outlined below).

This role is primarily focused on delivering group programs in a prison setting, with practitioners co-facilitating with each other, or co-delivering therapeutic groups with partner agencies. The LFFV Therapeutic Family Violence Practitioner will also provide therapeutic interventions to family safety contact clients as appropriate. 

The LFFV Therapeutic Family Violence Practitioner will work alongside the FV Response Senior Practitioner and the FV Manager to ensure that the program runs smoothly. LFFV can work collaboratively with other DS and Queerspace programs in accordance with the DS integrated service response model. 

Your responsibilities

• Provide group and individual interventions to incarcerated clients in the Living Free from Violence program that support women, trans, and gender diverse people in DPFC who have used force and/or violence in family and intimate partner relationships, offering opportunities to work towards change.
• Deliver therapeutic interventions according to DS’s practice model, attending to client-centred processes and goals across a broad range of domains of well-being
• Conduct assessments of risk and protective factors including comprehensive risk assessments for people using harm, identify the impact of the abuse, and current needs and protective factors.
• Help clients to identify and build increased safety within their family environments and relationships.
• Input quality case records into relevant client case management record systems (DS client data base, IRIS and SHIP)
• Engage in a reflective practice model of exploring practice questions, dilemmas, tensions and surprises alongside other practitioners.

About you 

• Demonstrated ability to provide group and individual therapeutic interventions with positive outcomes for LGBTIQA+ individuals and families and for those experiencing or enacting family violence
• Highly skilled and experienced practitioner with group facilitation experience
• Family-aware and inclusive practice whilst holding risk and safety as paramount
• Familiarity with, and ability to align practice, with MARAM and FVISS/CISS frameworks and legislation
• Demonstrated capacity to work creatively, show initiative, contribute ideas and be active in a supportive team environment in an agency working to support individual and family relationships 
• Cultural and diversity humility 

Selection Criteria: 

All of the following must be addressed in your application to be considered.

Essential

• Qualifications in social work or equivalent
• Demonstrated ability to provide case management interventions to clients using violence/experiencing violence with positive client outcomes
• Previous experience of running groups/good understanding of group theories
• Knowledge of and/or experience in working with LGBTIQA+ communities
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs, issues and sensitivities of people from diverse backgrounds including Aboriginal, LGBTIQA+ and culturally and linguistically diverse people and communities
• Demonstrated experience of working with families with complex needs such as family violence, drug and alcohol and mental health issue
• Demonstrated capacity to work within integrated, collaborative and systemic approaches
• 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 supportive team environment in an agency working to support individual and family relationships
• A strong personal/professional support network that promotes resilience

Please review the attached position description which outlines the full list of responsibilities and key selection criteria.

Application process

• All applications will be directed to our careers portal via the Apply Now link.
• All applicants must include a resume and with a cover letter addressing all the key selection criteria for the position
• Suitable applicants that apply before the closing date will be offered an interview

Applicants shortlisted for an interview will be required to provide evidence of their qualifications during the interview process.

Please contact Heather McIntosh on 03 9663 6733 or [email protected] using the subject line: Therapeutic Family Violence Practitioner - Living Free From Violence enquiry via EthicalJobs to discuss your application.