North Richmond Community Health

Harm Reduction Practitioner (Part-Time or Casual)

North Richmond Community Health  •  Richmond, AU (Onsite)  •  53 minutes ago
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Job Description

At North Richmond Community Health (NRCH) we are proud to deliver courageous health and community services that collaboratively address health inequity. We nurture a workforce that is passionate and diverse, with shared values and a strong commitment to making positive health impacts within the heart of North Richmond. With access to a variety of flexible work arrangements, health and wellbeing activities and a rich learning environment, our team members are consistently able to deepen their expertise by being part of impactful and world recognised community health solutions.

  • Part-Time, or Casual Role Available
  • generous salary packaging options
  • strong connection to community and innovation

About the role

Join our dedicated Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) Harm Reduction team, where you'll play a pivotal role in providing life-saving support to those in our community. This position is focused on ensuring the safety, dignity, and health of clients accessing the MSIR. You will work closely with our team to deliver harm reduction interventions, health education, and client engagement in a supportive and non-judgmental environment.

  • Supervise clients before, during, and after injecting episodes to optimize safety and wellbeing.
  • Conduct health assessments, manage health emergencies, and provide brief interventions.
  • Engage with clients to understand their needs and connect them with appropriate health and social services.
  • Contribute to data collection, client registration, and maintenance of medical records.
  • Uphold harm reduction principles by providing safer injecting advice, managing overdose interventions, and promoting infection control.
  • Collaborate with the Nursing team, Team Leaders, and the broader MSIR Management team to deliver seamless service and support.

About you

You are passionate about social justice and committed to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable populations. You bring experience in harm reduction and a genuine dedication to improving the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs. Your communication skills, empathy, and ability to handle complex situations make you an invaluable member of our team.

  • Tertiary qualifications in Welfare, Social Sciences, Psychology, or Public Health.
  • Experience engaging with clients who may present with challenging behaviours.
  • Strong understanding of harm reduction principles and social justice values.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in needle and syringe programs, crisis services, or drug and alcohol services.
  • Excellent communication and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to handle emergencies.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic, team-oriented environment.
  • Desirable: Experience in trauma-informed care, psychosocial assessment, and supportive counselling.

Why join NRCH?

  • Generous salary packaging options
  • Strong connection to community and innovation
  • Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Onsite bike racks
  • Free Onsite Car Park
  • Close to public transport and cafes in the heart of Richmond

Closing Date: 26 October 2026

For questions, please reach out to Becca Sellan (Harm Reduction Manager) beccas@nrch.com.au or Isabella Fisher (People and Culture Coordinator) @isabellaf@nrch.com.au

Our commitment to health equity

At NRCH, improving health equity is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that health is shaped by social and structural factors beyond clinical care and we work alongside individuals and communities to address barriers to health and wellbeing.

Inclusion and Belonging

At North Richmond Community Health (NRCH), we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. We celebrate diversity and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, identities, abilities and experiences, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ communities, and people of all ages.

Child Safety

NRCH is a Child Safe Organisation and has zero tolerance for all forms of child abuse. We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of children and young people. All staff and volunteers share responsibility for promoting and maintaining a child safe environment in accordance with the Victorian Child Safe Standards.

All appointments are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which may include a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening Check, evidence of qualifications and registrations, proof of work rights, and evidence of immunisation requirements relevant to the role.

North Richmond Community Health

About North Richmond Community Health

North Richmond Community Health began supporting the Richmond community on Wurundjeri land in 1974. Then called the North Richmond Family Care Centre, it was an organisation built to support the diverse needs of the 4,000 strong community members of the Langdon Park Ministry of Housing estate.

A group of progressive doctors approached the estate’s community-led Tenants Union in the early 1970s, and together they came up with the idea of a health centre that didn’t just provide vital medical services, but also fostered and supported the community.

Since it was opened, North Richmond Community Health has been a place for people of all linguistic backgrounds, physical, emotional and mental abilities, faiths and cultures. For 40 years, the community has come to our centre to meet, receive care, seek advice, socialise and celebrate.

In 1994, we received funding from the Victorian Department of Human Services to share its knowledge across the state, and the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health (CEH) was formed. In the last 21 years, CEH has continued to develop their expertise in health and wellbeing, human rights, cultural competence and health literacy.

North Richmond Community Health’s current building opened in late 2012. At that time, North Richmond Community Health was given the honour of an Aboriginal name by Wurundjeri Senior Elder Doreen Garvey-Wandin: Wulempuri-Kertheba, which translates from Woi wurrung as ‘staying healthy together’.

As an organisation, we pride ourselves on our commitment to working with refugees, asylum seekers, newly-arrived migrants, people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people who inject drugs and people of all socio-economic backgrounds.

We are constantly reiterating that commitment and developing it.

North Richmond Community Health has a long history, with many relationships in the community going back 40 years. We look forward to many more years of learning, working and building healthier communities.

Industry
Healthcare & Social Services
Company Size
51-200 employees
Headquarters
Melbourne, AU
Year Founded
1974
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