Family Practitioner – AVITH, Multicultural Adolescent Violence in the Home

Supporting young people from multicultural backgrounds who enact harm in a family setting and to provide a whole-of-family response.

• DURATION: Part time (0.8 FTE), fixed term
• First Nations People, LGBTIQA+ people, people with disability, people of colour, public housing residents or people with a lived experience are encouraged to apply
• DS is committed to child safety and strictly adheres to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for organisations. The safeguarding and wellbeing of our clients is our core focus. All staff must undergo thorough recruitment process including screening and providing evidence of current Working With Children Check and National Police Check.

About the Role

Drummond Street Services (DS) is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers responsive, intentional and evidence-based prevention, early intervention and treatment programs within a public health framework for a range of communities. Our focus is on a whole-of-family and intersectional lens, incorporating a trauma informed and strengths-based approach.

Led by DS, in partnership with CMY, the project will support young people from multicultural backgrounds who enact harm in a family setting, acknowledging that many of these young people are also victim survivors of family violence.

The program is being delivered across the north focussing on Inner city public housing and west growth corridors of Melbourne, based in Carlton and Wyndham. Our service will be intentionally positioned in each region to prioritise support to many of the multicultural /  multifaith young people and families that have knowledge of, and/or existing connections to our respective services but who frequently remain disconnected to support once the young person enacts harm or violence. This project will allow the work to be implemented through a place-based approach with a range of multifaith / multicultural communities and will require outreach services to communities.

The DS Multicultural Adolescent Family Violence In The Home (AVITH) Family Practitioner will provide a whole-of-family response when young people are causing harm or using violence in the home, recognising that many of these young people are also victims of family violence (FV). CMY AVITH Multicultural Youth workers will work alongside the DS AVITH Family Practitioner, offering differential support within a whole of family framework, supervised by a AVITH Practice lead.

The AVITH Family Practitioner is responsible for overseeing intake, ongoing individual, family, risk and safety assessments, case planning, therapeutic case management and counselling, case review, group work, warm referrals to appropriate local services and relevant interventions for multicultural / multifaith families and the young people using and experiencing family violence. This specialist role will collaborate with Centre for Multicultural youth and other internal and external DS practitioners and services, when appropriate.

This role will also work with management and the Centre for Research and Evaluation to progress and review the AVITH program alongside the development of an intersectional AVITH practice model with a multicultural / multifaith lens and make recommendations for future implementation of the practice model. The model will incorporate whole-of-family, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, intersectional and collaborative practice approaches.

This position is 0.8 FTE. The role will be based at the Carlton and Wyndham DS office but travel to partner organisation sites and outreach is expected. Some evening and weekend work will be required.

Your responsibilities

• Direct service to multicultural / multifaith young people who enact harm and their families
• Provide ongoing individual, family, risk and safety assessments, case planning, therapeutic case management and counselling, case review, warm referrals to appropriate local services and relevant interventions for multicultural / multifaith young people using and experiencing family violence.
• Work collaboratively with CMY Multicultural youth workers and DS Child and Family Practitioners to deliver an integrated service, ensuring that individuals and families’ safety and freedom underpins all interventions.
• Liaise with internal and external services to maintain relevant links and networks to strengthen services for young people and their families.
• Liaise with legal services, police, Child Protection, and the Courts, as required.
• Provision of centre based, outreach services and community engagement as appropriate across the north and west region of Melbourne.
• Facilitation of capacity building for Practitioners from the service and from partner organisations in the sector

About you

• Client focussed, including culturally and LGBTIQA+ aware
• Results Driven & Client Orientated
• Promotes productive work practices
• Organisational & Quality Focus
• Creative, flexible and solution focused under pressure
• High level of self-awareness, professionalism, and social justice values
• Knowledge of local and regional services
• Belong to multicultural communities, and/or other communities with whom DS assertively engages
• Cultural and diversity humility
• Must be eligible to work in Australia

Selection Criteria

All of the following must be addressed in your application to be considered

Essential:

• Minimum Degree level qualification in social work, psychology, youth work or the equivalent, preferably with additional family therapy studies
• Minimum of four years demonstrated Counselling and Specialist Case Management practice working with young people and families using and experiencing family violence, utilising a variety of intervention methods and the development of on-going support structures.
• Demonstrated experience in delivery of group programs to families and young people using and experiencing family violence.
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs, issues, and sensitivities of people from diverse backgrounds including First Nation, LGBTIQA+, people with all abilities and culturally and linguistically diverse people and multifaith communities
• Demonstrated experience of working with families with complex needs such as family violence, drug and alcohol and mental health issues- preferably multicultural or multi faith families.
• Demonstrated organisational skills including the ability to meet deadlines and prioritise work tasks.
• Demonstrated capacity to work creatively, show initiative, contribute ideas and be active in a supportive team environment in a busy family service.
• Strong capacity to engage in collaborative practice.
• Demonstrated high level written, oral and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in community engagement activities and group work
• This role requires the ability to drive a DS fleet vehicle, provide your own transport or have other transportation options to perform the inherent requirements of the position.  If you believe that you are unable to fulfil this requirement of the position then please discuss with the hiring manager

Application process

• All applications will be directed to our careers portal – Click “Apply Now”.
• All applicants must include a resume with a cover letter addressing all the key selection criteria for the position.
• Suitable applicants that apply before the closing date will be offered an interview

Please contact Sandra Chidavaenzi, MCMF AVITH Practice Lead on 9663 6733 or [email protected] using the subject line: Family Practitioner – AVITH, Multicultural Adolescent Violence in the Home enquiry via EthicalJobs.