• Honesty Trust Respect Concern Love
• Part-time (22.8 hours per week), fixed term until April 2026.
• Based across Headspace in Elsternwick, Upton Road Youth Refuge in St Kilda & Taylors Hill Youth & Community Centre.
• $99,631.02 per annum, plus super
• 17.5% annual leave loading and generous salary packaging options
• Progressive Workplace Flexibility options that enable genuine work life balance

About Odyssey Victoria:

Odyssey Victoria (OV) is a place of hope and positive change for individuals working towards breaking their pattern of addiction. At Odyssey we believe that every person should have the opportunity to change and grow. Our diverse teams work with individuals, families, and communities to reduce alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, improve mental health, and reconnect people to their family and the community. OV is a dynamic and fast-growing organisation committed to excellence in service provision and innovation in responding to alcohol and other drugs use problems.

Role Purpose:

You will provide AOD counselling and case management support for young people 12 to 25 years old (and their carers and families where appropriate) via the Alfred Child & Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS), Headspace and The Salvations Army Youth Services.

While you will be working independently, you will be well connected to the wider Youth and Family Services team as well as other youth-focused and related services within the catchment.

The outreach duties in this role will be scheduled in advance and the successful candidate will have access to use an OV pool car.

Key areas of focus:

• Case Management
• Youth AOD Outreach Services
• Quality

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide high quality engagement, assessment, treatment and support services to young people and their families.
• Deliver evidence-based psychosocial interventions including but not limited to, brief interventions; cognitive behavioural therapies; community reinforcement therapy; contingency management; motivational enhancement therapy and social behavioural therapy.
• Identify and provide AOD interventions to young people including assessment, case management, counselling, outreach, and supported referral.
• Conduct Mental health screening and referral.
• Provide family/carer support, counselling, and referral as appropriate
• Identify any risks to vulnerable children, working with families to develop safety plans and facilitating referrals to Child First and Family services agents when indicated.
• Provide practical assistance, such as transport to key appointments and facilitating access to relevant services.
• Maintain up-to-date progress notes, case files and data entry in a confidential and professional manner.
• Adhere to and keep informed of relevant legislative compliance requirements, and reporting any perceived breaches, risks, hazards, incidents where relevant.

For a copy of the position description which outlines the full list of responsibilities, please click HERE.

Who are WE looking for?

To be successful in this role, you must hold the below qualifications/experience…

• Relevant health and or welfare Tertiary/Degree Qualification e.g., in Social Work, Psychology, Nursing or Allied Health Sciences with experience and/or an Associate Diploma with substantial experience.
• Certificate IV Alcohol & Other Drugs, or willingness to complete within first 12 months of employment. *(Refer to Appendix A)
• Extensive experience in working with young people, specifically in AOD, dual diagnosis and other categories of complex clients including homelessness, school disengagement, trauma, abuse, juvenile justice, out-of-home care, child protection and family breakdown.
• Experience in providing outreach support to young people.
• Proven skills in AOD assessment, Individual Treatment Plans, and case management.
• Experience in working with young people and families from diverse backgrounds, including ATSI, CALD and GLBTI communities.
• Knowledge of available interventions and support services appropriate to the target group.
• Proven ability to develop and collaborate effectively with service providers and stakeholders.
• A demonstrated commitment to teamwork and the ability to take appropriate individual and team responsibility for the welfare of clients.
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills, including capacity to maintain file records and data collection processes to a high professional standard.

For a copy of the position description which outlines the full key selection criteria, please click HERE.

*Appendix A (AOD Competencies)

OV requires staff in clinical positions to have the following competencies (or their equivalent). Where people do not already have these competencies, OV will invest in the staff’s professional development by providing them through our registered training organisation (RTO).
The competencies required in the first 12 months of employment are:

• CHCAOD001 – Work in an alcohol and other drugs context
• CHCAOD004 – Assess needs of clients with alcohol and other drugs issues
• CHCAOD006 – Provide interventions for people with alcohol and other drugs issues
• CHCAOD009 – Develop and review individual alcohol and other drugs treatment plans

What we can give YOU!

In return we are committed to offering you an inclusive and transparent workplace culture where our people can develop to be their very best by:

• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Providing work that is meaningful and challenging.
• Providing career pathways across diverse OHV programs.
• Access to 24/7 counselling through our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP)
• Generous leave options such as 48/52 Purchase Leave, Study Leave and Sabbaticals
• Flexible working arrangements such as monthly RDO’s for full-timers (arrangements will vary based on role requirements).

In addition to the above, staff will also be provided monthly Clinical Supervision sessions for professional development and personal wellbeing.

Application information

Please apply directly via our careers website (applications via external recruitment websites or via email will not be considered)

Applications should be addressed to Rene De Sant’Anna and include your CV and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria.

If you have any questions relating to the position, please contact Rene De Sant’Anna Practice Lead – Youth AOD Mental Health Clinician on, [email protected] or 0408 364 178.

We will be assessing applications on a rolling basis and suitable candidates will be shortlisted immediately. This role will close once a suitable candidate has been selected, so please don’t wait to apply!

Our commitment to diversity

At OV we value diversity and believe that a range of backgrounds brings a variety of ideas, perspectives and experiences that will enhance our effectiveness. We promote a workplace that actively seeks to include, welcome and value unique contributions by encouraging people with disability, Aboriginal Australians, LGBTQIA, young people and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply for this position.

Safety screening

OV is committed to child safety and is a child safe organisation. All OV employees must undergo Police Records and Working with Children Checks. Any person issued with a negative notice on their Working with Children Check will not be eligible for employment with us.

Mandatory COVID vaccinations

In line with OV's Mandatory Vaccination Policy, all Odyssey Victoria staff are required to hold Fully Vaccinated (Boosted) status, having also received the Booster Vaccination. Evidence of this minimum of three (3) COVID-19 vaccinations will be requested during the onboarding process and offers will be rescinded where such evidence cannot be provided.

All Odyssey Victoria sites are smoke free for all employees.