• 2 year fixed-term, full-time position in a values-based organisation
• Based in our Brunswick office, free onsite parking, close to PT
• $106,000 - $111,000 + Super + Not-for-profit salary packaging

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

Your Impact

The Community and Sector Capacity Building (CSCB) Program is an innovative program designed to facilitate and support the development, growth, and empowerment of communities from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, and the education, health and community service sector that works with them.

The Sector Capacity Building programs build on the capacity of the refugee and humanitarian service sector, whilst enabling mainstream education, health and mental health and wellbeing sectors to better understand the refugee and asylum seeker experience. The program works to enhance the responsiveness and effectiveness of services to people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

Some of the ways CSCB program does this is by:

• Supporting the health, mental health, wellbeing, and trauma recovery of communities of refugee backgrounds.
• Engaging and partnering with communities to identify and analyse both current and emerging community needs, ensuring a strengths-based response to trauma and the resettlement experience.
• Developing community based and strategic programs that work across multiple communities to support their sustained development and empowerment.
• Partnering with communities to identify their health, mental health, wellbeing, and trauma recovery needs.
• Partnering with education and the youth services sector statewide to respond to professional learning needs of their staff, understanding the response to trauma and the resettlement experience among refugee and asylum seeker communities, children, and young people.
• Actively engaging with and supporting the advocacy and programs of the Victorian Refugee Health Network.
• Advocating for sustainable government and non-government programs that better balance long- term needs of communities across the continuum of prevention, early intervention, and intervention.

The LGBTIQA+ Project Officer role is designed to enable Foundation House to address the specific needs of people who are at the intersection of refugee and LGBTIQA+ backgrounds, through building strengths and resilience, alongside promoting self-help and support.

The Role

The LGBTIQA+ Project Officer will support Foundation House to address the specific needs of people who are at the intersection of refugee and LGBTIQA+ backgrounds, through building strengths and resilience, alongside promoting self-help and support.

The Project Officer will collaborate with individuals who have refugee experience due to persecution and discrimination based on their diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC). They will operate on multiple levels, integrating key components aimed at addressing the specific needs of LGBTIQA+ individuals from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds, with a focus on activities that promote strength, autonomy, and resilience through capacity building, and support mechanisms.

Further, the Project Officer will contribute to sector capacity building as well as working on organisational capacity building initiatives at Foundation House to ensure inclusive practice.

The approach used in this project will focus on psychosocial support groups, resource development, networking, one-on-one casework/therapeutic support and provide professional learning for Foundation House staff, settlement, LGBTIQA+, education, health services, interpreting services, and other sectors.

Key responsibilities include:

• Establishing and delivering support groups which provide psychosocial support to individuals and capacity building within LGBTIQA+ refugee communities.
• Collaborating with the Mental Health and Wellbeing team around one-on-one casework support to members of the above groups where required.
• Establishing a lived experience Advisory Group comprising of individuals with lived experience at the intersection of LGBTIQA+ and refugee/forced migration experiences, who bring valuable knowledge to the project.
• Undertaking community engagement to ensure the project aligns with the needs and experiences of individuals within the refugee and LGBTIQA+ communities and is inclusive of diverse identities within the LGBTIQA+ community.
• Networking with services/agencies engaging with LGBTIQA+ population in Victoria and identify potential partnerships.
• Collaborating with the Practice Excellence team to develop and deliver Professional Learning modules for settlement, LGBTIQA+, education, health services, interpreting services, and other sectors.

The role is available as a full-time, two year fixed-term contract position and is based in our Brunswick head office.

What you’ll need to successfully apply

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

• Tertiary qualifications in Health, Social Work, Social Science or other relevant social science or behavioural disciplines; or equivalent experience working in the community services sector particularly with LGBTIQA+ refugees and asylum seekers.
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs, issues and sensitivities of people from diverse backgrounds including LGBTIQA+, culturally and linguistically diverse people and communities, particularly from refugee and asylum seekers communities.
• Demonstrated understanding of the effects of torture and trauma on individuals, families and communities particularly in Australian settlement contexts and in particular LGBTIQA+ people with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
• Demonstrated project management experience incorporating stakeholder engagement processes into the project development lifecycle through consultation or co-design.
• Lived experience with the LGBTIQA+ community or identifying as a member of the LGBTIQA+ communities and have forced migration/refugee background would be highly advantageous.

In return

You’ll be rewarded with:

• An attractive remuneration package of $106,000 - $111,000 (based on experience) plus superannuation and annual leave loading.
• 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.
• 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.

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 our careers with us page for the position description, detailed information about the role and more information about our hiring process.

Please note, applications will be considered as they are received and may close early.

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

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.