Job Description

About the role:

The Therapeutic Specialist is responsible for guiding and supporting carer and staff interactions with children and young people, conducting assessments, developing therapeutic treatment plans and leading reflective practice to support carers and staff to develop their therapeutic skills. In addition, the Therapeutic Specialist will, as required, provide therapeutic services including Family Therapy directly to the children, young people and families who are clients of our services.

The Therapeutic Specialist works closely with the Manager, program staff and other service partners in the management of complex cases and practice quality issues. This includes the provision of specialist expertise and assistance, case consultancy and review and the promotion of reflective and evidence-based practice.

The primary objective of this role is to provide critical clinical and therapeutic support for and with the casework teams working from MacKillop’s offices and as part of those programs. MacKillop is delivering Out of Home Care, Homelessness Services, Family Therapy and other programs as developed. The Therapeutic Specialist will bring their experience, skills and qualifications in Psychology, Social Work, Family Therapy or their equivalents, to the challenge of delivering clinical services for the vulnerable children, young people and families, who are clients of our services, many of whom have experienced trauma, abuse or violence. The Therapeutic Specialist will work alongside our teams, to deliver the desired outcomes for the program’s clients using the best evidence-based practice, determined by MacKillop and its Clinical Services team.

This is an ongoing Part-time opportunity 12 hours per week based in South Melbourne, VIC based in our Clinical Services Team. The position reports to the Principal Practitioner.

Key Selection Criteria:

To be successful in this role, the incumbent will have:

• An appropriate tertiary qualification in Psychology, Social Work or a related discipline is essential. Post Graduate training in relevant child, adolescent and family clinical practice, family work and systemic thinking is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated practice knowledge of areas relevant to work with traumatised and vulnerable children, young people and families which may include child development and the impact of trauma clinical work with children, young people and families, mental health, drug and alcohol, disability or other trauma related behaviours.
• Established high-level ability to provide secondary consultation, training and advice to clinicians, other professionals, staff and carers.
• Proven highly developed interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and excellent engagement skills, especially with respect to engaging children and young people who have experienced significant trauma and disrupted attachment and exhibit extreme emotional and behavioural dysregulation.
• A track record of working collaboratively with others and the demonstrated capacity to negotiate and liaise with internal and external stakeholders including other mental health providers, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, other agencies and the community.

Please address the full Key Selection Criteria outlined in the PD as part of your application

For more information, please contact: Andronicki Pillios at Andronicki.Pillios@mackillop.org.au

Our offer:

• Generous Salary Packaging up to $18,500 (helps increase your take home pay)

• Ongoing Career Development, Education and Training

• Employee Assistance Program – free and confidential counselling, coaching and emotional support for work and personal challenges

• Click HERE to find out more about becoming a member of the MacKillop Family Services team and what further support we have to offer our employees.

You must have a:

• Valid and current Driver’s License;

• Satisfactory Criminal History Check (paid for by MacKillop);

• Valid Employee Working with Children Check.

• Valid and current NDIS Workers Screening Check (for risk assessed / client facing roles). MacKillop can assist successful candidates with their application.

Our Commitment:

MacKillop celebrates and draws strength from diversity and respects the dignity of all people. Every person at MacKillop has the right to be safe and to be treated justly. We value every person’s ability, cultural or linguistic backgrounds, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status, relationship status, religious or spiritual beliefs, socio-economic status, and age.

It is our goal that MacKillop Family Services continues to evolve as a culturally safe, culturally competent, and welcoming organisation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families, and communities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Shortlisting for this position may commence immediately so please submit your application as soon as possible.