• High quality AOD services supporting young people in Residential Care
• Contract till 31st October 2025|Part-time|15.2 hours per week
• Creative|relational|motivational|AOD counselling & outreach 

Your role:

The focus of this program is to support young people with substance use issues living in the Anglicare Victoria residential houses in the Western Region.

The clinician will also have a responsibility to provide some capacity building to ensure the residential staff members are working in line with the AOD best practice principals to support drug and alcohol understanding, harm reduction, and recovery.

This program utilises the ‘Reach-Out’ model, providing outreach support to young people who require early intervention and/or alcohol and drug assessment and treatment to stabilise, reduce or cease harmful alcohol and drug use. The program provides linkages to a range of support services.

The position objectives and key responsibilities are as follows:

• Provide Alcohol & Other Drug (AOD) education, treatment and support to young people with extremely complex life issues who present with at risk behaviours living in residential care.
• Provide customised Youth AOD Secondary Consultation to Youth Residential clinicians engaging and supporting vulnerable young people in the Western Region.
• Work closely with young people exhibiting risk taking substance use behaviours in Residential Units to develop proactive Youth AOD residential withdrawal plans, in order to prevent substance use escalation/harm.

About you:

• Experience in providing AOD services to one or more client groups i.e., children, young people, adults or families.
• Skills in motivational interviewing.
• Creative therapeutic techniques using music, relational approaches and assertive communication.
• Substantial knowledge & experience in working with young people with challenging behaviours, preferably in the alcohol and drug field.
• Demonstrated skills and experience in providing assessments, counselling and support to young people.
• Understanding of the developmental needs of young people and ability to work with them in the context of family and social attachments.
• Understanding of the principles of harm minimisation and approaches to the treatment of AOD substance use including relapse prevention.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in developing co-operative partnerships with agency workers and community services.   
• Must have current first aid Certificate or be willing to obtain first aid certificate for the role. 

Qualifications:

Tertiary qualifications to Bachelor or Diploma level in social work, psychology, counselling or behavioural sciences or equivalent.  Alcohol and Drug specific qualification or Dual Diagnosis competencies.  Full Victorian Drivers License.

What you need to know:

• The position is part-time 2 days per week until 31 October 2025.
• You will job share the role over the next 6 months and work with an experienced  AOD Youth Outreach Worker.
• The position will be provided with a base location at the Anglicare Victoria Werribee Office, however, requires outreach to young people living across the youth residential units in the Western Region.
• The successful applicant will have access to the Anglicare Victoria fleet of vehicles for travel.
• The position work hours are generally during normal business hours, with some out of hours based on need.
• Salary is at Level 6 SCHADS which is $53-$56 per hour.
• Opportunity to work for one of the largest family services organisations in Victoria in a unique position not offered anywhere else.
• Access to discounted health insurance, free Employee Assistance, Salary Packaging and a range of other employment benefits supporting your physical and mental health
• Professional development, training, support and a culture of inclusivity and resilience.
• A leadership team that are passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for children, young people.

Make a move:

For a detailed position description, click here:   Senior Alcohol & Drug Counsellor PD AOD E AW6 022025 V1.2 (2).pdf

To apply for this position you will need to complete the online application, click APPLY and submit your resume with a brief cover letter.

For any further information or inquires please contact Terese Cunningham on 9731 2500 or Terese.Cunningham@anglicarevic.org.au

Applications close Sunday May 4th, however due to the short term nature of the contract we will look to move people who apply through our process quickly and may appoint before the closing date, so please do not delay an application if you are interested.

Please Note: It is mandatory for the successful applicant to hold a current Working with Children Check and be prepared to undergo a National Criminal History Check prior to commencement.

Anglicare Victoria acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate. We commit to working respectfully to honour their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this country.

Diversity and inclusivity are important to Anglicare Victoria and we are committed to ensuring our workplace and services reflect this.  Everyone is welcome at Anglicare Victoria, regardless of age, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and physical ability.