• EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Part time - 0.5EFT 19 hours per week Tuesday in the office is mandatory, other hours/days negotiable with remote working options
• Fixed term 12 month contract
• AWARD DETAILS: Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS) Level 3.4
• Generous salary packaging available.
• REPORTS TO: Senior Manager Help-Seeking and Support
• LIAISES WITH: EDV staff, individuals experiencing an eating disorder and their families/support people, relevant external stakeholders

ABOUT US

Eating disorders are complex and debilitating mental illnesses that affect up to 1 in 20 people. Like any mental illness, they are not the fault of the individual and can affect anyone no matter their age, gender or background. While serious, eating disorders are treatable. With the right support, full recovery is possible for everyone.

Eating Disorders Victoria is the trusted guide for Victorians affected by eating disorders. We help people get the support they need to inspire hope and ensure the earliest possible recovery. Eating Disorders Victoria is an incorporated association and registered charity with the Australian Tax Office and the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission (ACNC).

We strongly encourage applications from applicants with diverse experience and backgrounds. We welcome people with lived experience of an eating disorder and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

How we work:

We are a committed, engaged and progressive community health service who value innovation. We are known for developing and delivering eating disorder services that can’t be found anywhere else in Australia, or even the world. We are a strong voice for people affected by eating disorders and actively advocate for our eating disorder affected community at state and national level.

We pride ourselves on being a vibrant place to work, where creativity, collaboration and lived experience are highly valued and supported.

Our work is guided by our values of Courage, Lived Experience, Authenticity, and Optimism.

Where we are going:

We are moving through an exciting time of reform in Victoria’s Mental Health System, and have every intention of ensuring eating disorders are fully supported in this new system. We want eating disorders to be considered core business when it comes to mental health, so that more Victorians are identified, diagnosed and put on the path to recovery, sooner.

We are focused on delivering high quality, data-driven community services that demonstrate the impact of our work, while underscoring the growing community demand for specialised eating disorder services. Underpinning this is an evolving culture of strong clinical governance, which supports the wellbeing of staff, volunteers and our service users.

We consider the lived experience workforce to be pivotal to the future of eating disorder treatment and are positioned to be leaders in this emerging field.

What we can offer you:

• A genuinely nice place to work – we know that our people are our best asset
• Support and encouragement to grow your skill set in a hands-on environment
• Ability to take ownership of your role
• Opportunities to engage in a fun social calendar of events
• Hybrid working arrangements (minimum 50% in-office time in Abbotsford)
• Regular supervision provided for all staff
• Salary packaging arrangements (increasing your take-home pay)

ROLE STATEMENT

The Senior Advisor: Carer Coaching Program is a key role in the day-to-day delivery, support and service development of carer coaching services. The coaching program at EDV provides a suite of structured peer support service for those who are caring for someone with an eating disorder. This service contributes to an integral pathway of care for those who support an individual experiencing an eating disorder.

The carer coaches will draw on their own lived experience as a carer, having actively supported someone with an eating disorder in their recovery. They provide support in both 1:1 sessions and weekly online education/support groups for families. Carer coaches collaborate closely with EDV’s Help-seeking and Support programs and relevant internal and external services.

The Senior Advisor: Carer Coaching role includes:

• providing mentorship, induction and training, peer-based supervision, check ins and general support to other carer coaches at EDV,
• acting as a carer lived experience advisor in both an internal and external capacity where appropriate and
• supporting the service development and day to day activities of the carer coaching program in activities such as: client allocation, program review and delivery of grant partnerships.

Carer coaches at EDV receive comprehensive training and supervision: individual and group-based peer. They also have access to the broader range of expertise and services through EDV.

Please note: this is a Carer Peer Work Role and requires the candidate to have lived experience of caring for a loved one experiencing an eating disorder.

EDV has a commitment to supporting the Lived Experience Workforce through the EDV Lived Experience Framework. Candidates who have lived experience of an eating disorder or who have lived experience of caring for a person with an eating disorder must align with the definitions as detailed in the attached Position Description.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Peer Support

• Provide one on one peer support coaching sessions for 8 weeks, to a small caseload of families.
• Plan sessions and engage in appropriate documentation.
• Provide single session peer support to families who are supporting a loved one with an eating disorder and do not meet the criteria for the Carer Coaching program.
• Provide consultation and collaboration from a carer lived experience perspective internally and externally on behalf of EDV.
• Work collaboratively and liaise with EDV internal and external services as required.

Mentorship & Supervision

• Oversee and support the day-to-day delivery of Carer Coaching Services at Eating Disorders Victoria.
• Provide mentorship within the carer coaching team, offering check ins and consultation where required
• Facilitate carer peer supervision with the carer coaching team at EDV.
• Work with the Senior Manager, Help-seeking and Support on service development and continuous improvement activities across Carer Coaching Services

Group Facilitation

• Co-facilitate online education group/support groups
• Support and mentor Carer Coaches to facilitate and lead carer support groups

Organisational

• Regularly attend and contribute to weekly Case Collaboration meetings and monthly supervision sessions.
• Assist Senior Manager Help-seeking and Support with development and collection of key program data and indicators for evaluation.
• Intermittently work with the Senior Manager, Lived Experience on development and continuous improvement of the lived experience workforce (carer) at EDV
• Contribute to other EDV activities that support carers, including carer newsletters.
• Attend staff meetings, and other internal meetings; keep up to date with EDV news and sector developments.
• Other duties consistent with position as directed by the Senior Manager Help-seeking and Support.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential:

• Align to the definition of a non-active carer (as below).
• Experience in a Mental Health Carer Peer Support role (2+ years).
• Ability and willingness to discuss own experiences of caring for someone who has experienced an eating disorder.
• Strong commitment to peer support and understanding of the value of peer work in supporting carers.
• A qualification in Peer Support such as; Intentional Peer Support, Cert IV Peer Support.
• Demonstrable knowledge of eating disorders, body image and related issues; including knowledge of the risk/protective factors, treatment options and challenges associated with recovery.
• Understanding of central tenets of Family Based Treatment, and/or other therapeutic modalities and interventions for eating disorders.
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Curiosity, enjoyment of learning and eager to implement growth-oriented feedback.
• Capacity to incorporate different family's experiences into your working knowledge base.
• Ability to build rapport and collaborative relationships with strong interpersonal skills.
• Enjoy working both collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and independently as needed.
• Access to a stable and reliable internet connection.
• Understanding of the importance of self-care and demonstrated ability to enact own self-care routines during times of stress.

Desirable:

• Participation in eating disorder carer peer support as part of the recovery journey
• Experience in providing carer peer support mentorship and supervision

Employment conditions:

Location: This position will be based at the EDV office on Level 2 of the Magpies Community Centre (corner Lulie and Abbot Streets, Abbotsford). 

Normal working hours will be between Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Flexible hours may be required to ensure flexible service delivery out-of-hours, attendance at relevant meetings and events.

Subject to satisfactory Working with Children Check, National Police Check and completion of Conflict-of-Interest Declaration. 
Probationary period will apply (6 months). 

Ethical requirements: 

All EDV staff are required to adhere to the EDV Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, Core Values and guiding principles and relevant organisational policies, practices and guidelines. 

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please navigate to the 'Apply Now' section and include a resume and a cover letter including a specific response to each of the

Key Selection Criteria (found on the position description). Please combine these as a single document. Direct applications to EDV via email will not be monitored.

For more information about the role and working at EDV contact Sarah Pollitt, Senior Manager Help-Seeking and Support at [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Advisor - Carer Coaching Program enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.