OUR VALUES:

• Empowerment: Recognition structural inequalities we advocate and work therapeutically to empower people to have choice over their own lives
• Safety and Inclusion: For everyone. We strive to create a safe environment for all at WestCASA and to identify and address barriers to inclusion.
• Compassion: We value and engender compassion with clients and with ourselves. Excellence and consistency: We promote reflection, best practice, and accountability in all that we do and say.
• Advocating: for greater understanding and community responsibility for the conditions under which sexual assault and related family violence occur. For resources and delivering services that support the prevention of and education about sexual assault and related family violence across our community

WestCASA is a community based not for profit sexual assault, family violence and trauma counselling service which has been operating in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne for over 30 years. WestCASA provides counselling, a crisis response, advocacy, education, and training and is located in the Multi-Disciplinary Centre (MDC) in Werribee with outreach to Footscray, Melton and the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC, a women’s prison) in Ravenhall.

WestCASA is a partner with the Gatehouse Centre, Victoria Police (Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team – SOCIT and the Westgate Family Violence Unit), IPC Health, GenWest, and Child Protection in the Multi-Disciplinary Centre (MDC) in the City of Wyndham.

WestCASA receives funding to deliver sexual assault and family violence support services from the Victoria State Government. WestCASA aims to provide a service that facilitates the recovery and healing for women, men, diverse gender folk and young people over the age of 12 years who have experienced sexual assault, family violence and other trauma using an empowering, respectful, and culturally sensitive therapeutic approach.

WestCASA is committed to helping people of all gender identities, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, religions, ages, and physical abilities. This includes trans, gender diverse and non-binary people of all gender identities and expressions as well as cis gendered women and men. We respect and celebrate the diversity within our communities and workplace and recognise that people may use different terms to describe their identity and experience. At WestCASA you are required to include and celebrate differences such as gender, age, culture, disability, sexual orientation, religion, spirituality, family, and caring responsibilities. These are all valued, respected and celebrated.

Since 2006, WestCASA has been providing specialist counselling to women and gender diverse people in DPFC, titled Specialist Trauma Service for Women in Prisons.

The program was established because of the high number of women in prison reporting experiencing some form of sexual abuse and/or assault and was the first of its kind to be offered within the Victorian Women’s Prison System.

The WestCASA Specialist Trauma Therapeutic Service is located at the DPFC and has recently undergone a review resulting in changes to the eligibility criteria, length of time sessions for counselling are provided and advocacy service provision. The new working environment includes more opportunities for clinical staff to rotate within other WestCASA operating sites.

Position Specifications

• Role title: Intake Admin
• Locations: Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC), Deer Park / MDC Werribee
• Classification: WestCASA EBA 2022 – 2026 / Admin TBC
• Reporting structure: Reports to DPFC Team Leader
• Direct Reports: N/A
• Hours of employment: 0.8 FTE (30 hours per week)
• WestCASA standard working hours are between 8.00am – 7.00 pm and flexible work arrangements are available.

Duties of this role may include but are not limited to the following:

• Support the DPFC Counselling Advocacy Team
• Collate client referrals
• Maintain client referral database
• Liaise with the Department of Justice Programs Unit to manage client intake bookings
• Collate data for the quarterly report for provision to Department of Justice
• Perform other duties and responsibilities, as directed by the Team Leader or delegate.

Other duties:

• As reasonably requested and in line with the WestCASA EBA.

General Organisational Responsibilities

• Work within a trauma informed, intersectional feminist framework.
• Adhere to WestCASA values both within your role and when representing WestCASA.
• Participate in and contribute to meetings, supervision, training, and professional development.
• Adhere to all organisational policies.

Qualifications

Essential: This role requires a compassionate, skilled, and experienced individual with a comprehensive understanding of sexual assault counselling and trauma-informed care.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Post-graduate qualifications in either Master of Social Work or Master of Counselling or equivalent

Knowledge and Experience:

• Familiarity with the Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework, MARAM, the Child Safety and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes and the Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.
• Commitment to and understanding of the vision, mission and aims of WestCASA (as attached).
• Capability to practice in ways that support cultural, racial and gender sensitivity in service delivery.
• An advanced understanding of the gendered and structural nature of sexual violence and family violence.
• Solid experience in delivering crisis counselling services, telephone/telehealth or face to face intake support/counselling or programs.
• Experience and skills in delivering trauma focussed counselling for clients.
• Sound skills in risk assessment of family violence and sexual violence, working knowledge of MARAM framework.
• Relevant formal qualifications such as social work or psychology.
• Clinical skills and experience in: -
  • counselling and crisis intervention with individuals and families
  • clinical engagement with adolescents, men & women, nonbinary and trans communities
  • working with complex PTSD and other challenging presentation
  • development and facilitation of intake related groups;
  • provision of community education and training.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex and demanding work both for yourself and in others.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate and confidential records and prepare professional reports.

• Post-graduate Qualifications
• Demonstrated working rights with Australia
• Current Victorian Drivers Licence
• Working with Children Check
• Police Check
• COVID vaccination certification

Call (03) 9216 0444 for more information.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the team to deliver trauma counselling, advocacy and group services delivered and aligned with National best practice standards & well-articulated, understood, and monitored.
• Demonstrate high level communication and interpersonal skills with team and stakeholders.
• Ability to work under pressure and to produce high quality, accurate work within set deadlines.
• Demonstrated organisational ability in the maintenance of records, reports and files
• Commitment to and understanding of WestCASA’s Vision, Mission and Aims

Desirable:

The ability to work autonomously as well as in a team environment.

• Highly organised & advanced management skills
• Stay updated on the latest research, best practices, and developments in the field of sexual assault counseling and trauma-informed care.

Demonstrated working rights with Australia

• Current Victorian Drivers License
• Ability to obtain a Working with Children Check
• Willingness to undergo a National Police Check (and International where relevant)

 For any questions please email [email protected] using the subject line: Intake Administrator - Dame Phillis Frost Centre enquiry via EthicalJobs or call 03) 9216 0444 for more information.

A position description is attached.