Rebuilding Shattered Lives – supporting refugees to recover from torture and other traumatic events.

Your impact

Foundation House is successfully partnering in the delivery of the Dandenong Mental Health and Wellbeing Local ('The Local') services, with a consortium led by Mind Australia and includes Thorne Harbour Health and Monash Health.

The Local is about providing Victorian adults with access to mental health and wellbeing care/support. The service is for anyone aged 26 years and over that is experiencing mental health or wellbeing concerns.

Reporting to the Cultural Practice Lead, the Community Capacity Building Practitioner (CCBP) role is part of a multidisciplinary team and is responsible for supporting refugee and multicultural communities’ mental health, wellbeing and access to The Local services.

The Community Capacity Building Practitioner will achieve this by:

• Working alongside, collaborating and supporting the health, mental health, wellbeing, and trauma recovery of communities from refugee backgrounds.
• Partnering with communities and stakeholders, to identify and respond to current and emerging health, mental health, wellbeing, and trauma recovery needs, ensuring a strengths-based response to trauma and the resettlement experience.
• Codesigning community-based programs across multiple communities to support their sustained development and empowerment.
• Integrating knowledge from across communities and sectors to ensure a holistic and strategic response to community and individual wellbeing needs, program development and advocacy.

The role

The CCBP will deliver a range of community capacity building initiatives including but not limited to; engagement with communities from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds (including formal and informal community leaders), community needs analyses, community-based group programs, community advisory groups, community psychoeducational programs, and program evaluation.

All services will be delivered according to the Foundation House Integrated Trauma Recovery Service Model, Rebuilding Shattered Lives,Community Capacity Building Framework and international best practice.

The CCBP will build strong partnerships with staff across The Local and Foundation House to ensure that community capacity building initiatives are well integrated and coordinated with The Local and Foundation House teams/services.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Co-design, develop and deliver community capacity building initiatives across the City of Greater Dandenong using strengths-based and best practice approaches.
• Build partnerships with communities to identify needs in a range of areas including (but not limited to) health, mental health and wellbeing.
• Develop culturally appropriate resources and training content that can strengthen community resilience and empowerment.
• Actively identify, respond to and/or escalate barriers that may prevent people’s access to equitable support, advocating at local and regional levels to resolve issues raised by communities.
• Support and encourage community engagement and participation in community initiatives, and The Local services, through individual or group support and referrals as required.
• Contribute knowledge of the needs and priorities of communities to the development and co-designs of trauma informed and culturally safe programs and services that enhance mental health and wellbeing.

The CCBP is a bilingual role and will be expected to utilise their proficient verbal and written language skills in English and one another priority language of either Dari, Farsi (Afghan), Hazaragi, Pashto, Burmese/Myanmar, Rohingya, Tamil, Nuer and/or Oromo.

This role can be full-time or part time, is an ongoing position and based in The Local, Dandenong offices.

What you’ll need to successfully apply

To be successful, you will need to positively respond to the below selection criteria:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in a community development or related health and human services discipline (or relevant equivalent work experience)
• Proficient verbal and written language skills in English and one another priority language of either Dari, Farsi (Afghan), Hazaragi, Pashto, Burmese/Myanmar, Rohingya, Tamil, Nuer and/or Oromo.
• Demonstrated experience in community and sector capacity-building programs, as well as quality improvement initiatives.
• Expertise in working with culturally diverse communities and/or communities experiencing displacement with an understanding of complex trauma and recovery models.

• Demonstrated confidence and experience in group facilitation and community engagement principles.
• Experience in applying trauma informed, person centred and strengths-based approaches with participants, families, and communities with a commitment to reflective practice and continuous improvement.

In return

You’ll be rewarded with:

• An attractive remuneration package of $97-102k plus superannuation.
• Salary packaging benefits of up to $18,550 and novated car leasing options.
• A role with true purpose to make a difference in people’s lives.
• A welcoming, highly diverse and supportive team environment.
• Excellent training and professional development.
• Generous leave provisions with option to purchase additional leave.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for staff and family members.

Foundation House is an inclusive employer

Foundation House is an equal opportunity employer; we foster a work environment that is inclusive and diverse. We are values driven and are committed to improving the life outcomes of refugees and asylum seekers.

Foundation House is a state-wide agency offering services throughout Victoria. We currently have approximately 250 staff across our five offices in Brunswick, Dallas, Dandenong, Ringwood and Sunshine, and we also provide services in partnership with other agencies in regional and rural Victoria.

Foundation House is a Child Safe organisation committed to promoting and protecting the interests and safety of children. We actively play a part in combating family violence, as reflected in our organisational policies, protocols and staff development.

Read more about our history on our website here.

How to apply

Please upload your CV and a cover letter (maximum one to two pages) outlining why you are suitable for this role and how you meet the selection criteria as described above.

Refer to the position description for detailed information about the role. For more information about our hiring process, please refer to our careers with us page here.

Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received and the role may close early.

For enquiries please contact Justin Curreen-Harris from our HR Team via [email protected], using the subject line: Community Capacity Building Practitioners enquiry via EthicalJobs, or by phone on 03 9389 8985.

If you think you have what it takes but don't necessarily meet all selection criteria, please still get in touch as we would love to talk with you and see if you could be a suitable fit.

Hiring is subject to satisfactory Police Check, current Working with Children Check, and proof of the right to work and live in Australia.