Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing Spaces (Identified Position)

about weenthunga

Weenthunga in Woiwurrung means “hear / understand”. Weenthunga Health Network Inc. is a state-wide Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO), working towards our vision of “people, communities and Country are healthy and thriving”.

Our purpose is to uphold health sovereignty and progress health justice for First Nations people in so-called Victoria.

We are:

• Growing, nourishing and connecting the First Nations people in health, wellbeing and healing roles.
• Building critical allyship and igniting transformational change across health and health education sectors.
• Valuing and practicing cultural humility, demonstrating what’s possible when knowledge systems meet and mix.

Our work is underpinned by our values, the 4R’s (Relationships, Respect, Reciprocity and Responsibility) + Resistance.

Learn more about us via our Instagram and website.

Women’s SEWB space

Weenthunga established our Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Space in 2022 as a way to “care for the carers” – people in community who keep us strong and well through their health, wellbeing, and healing roles. The Space was established to improve the retention and wellbeing of the First Nations health workforce by providing wellbeing backing to First Nations female, female-identifying and non-binary mob.

Following the success and outcomes of this Space, and the significant community need expressed by our Members and Networks, we are expanding our SEWB Space to another cohort of First Nations female, female-identifying and non-binary mob in health.

This role will expand our current Women’s SEWB Space by backing the wellbeing of a new cohort of First Nations women in health. This includes through hosting an annual Retreat, one-on-one engagement to back self-determined wellbeing needs, facilitation of experiences, opportunities and connections to enhance wellbeing, and capturing the impacts of these activities for the wellbeing and retention of participating First Nations women in health.

As an outreach role, you will have the opportunity to work-from-home and within the community – “meeting mob where they’re at”.

key responsibilities

The  Women’s SEWB Spaces role (0.6-0.8FTE) is responsible for developing and delivering our workforce wellbeing and retention program, including:

• Engaging female, female-identifying and non-binary mob in the Space, drawing on Weenthunga’s Members and Networks.
• One-on-one engagement to back self-determined wellbeing needs of participating female, female-identifying and non-binary mob.
• Resourcing and facilitating opportunities, experiences and connections to enhance wellbeing.
• Facilitating connections between female, female-identifying and non-binary mob for peer support.
• Event planning and management, including an annual Retreat experience.
• Developing and managing program budgets.
• Identifying key outcome measures and capturing information / data on these measures to supporting reporting and further grant opportunities.
• Working closely with Weenthunga team members to ensure alignment and connections across areas of work.
• Involvement in other Weenthunga areas of work, including facilitating workshops, such as Weenthunga’s Cultural Safety and Critical Consciousness workshops, and clinical supervision (if qualified)/cultural yarns.
• Other duties as required.

Formal Qualification

• Masters or Doctorate level qualification in an allied health discipline, including social work, psychology (clinical, counselling, and 4+2 pathway and 5+1 pathway), mental health nursing, and occupational therapy.

Cultural Understanding

• Proven skills and experience in providing social and emotional wellbeing backing in both group and individual settings.
• Strong understanding of culture and the challenges faced by First Nations health workforce.
• Demonstrated relationships with First Nations communities and ACCO/ACCHOs in the Metropolitan area.

Personal Skills

• Highly developed and demonstrable interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) as well as demonstrated abilities in problem solving and negotiation.
• Self-motivated and with the ability to work autonomously.
• Understand systems of oppression and have the knowledge to hold space for those who are working towards dismantling such systems.

Conditions of Employment

• A current Victorian driver’s licence.
• A current Victorian Working with Children Check.

This is a special measures role and only Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples are eligible to apply, under the special measures provision, section 12(1) of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic).

Got questions?

Email us at [email protected] using the subject line: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing Spaces (Identified Position) enquiry via EthicalJobs and we’ll organise a time for yarns.

Apply

Please be advised that this job posting will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We encourage interested applicants to apply as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Click ‘Apply Now’ and attach the following documents:

• Resume
• Brief cover letter