COUNSELLOR ADVOCATE (ADULTS – ASYLUM SEEKERS)

Role Title: Counsellor Advocate

Team: Moringa Counselling Services (Asylum Seeker) Team

Location: Woolloongabba; outreach across greater Brisbane and Logan will be required

Level: Level 5 Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award $93,860 – $98,108 per annum, pro-rata (depending on experience), plus leave loading and superannuation. Salary sacrificing available.

Reports to: Moringa Counselling Services (Asylum Seeker) Team Leader

Contract: Full-time (part-time considered), fixed term to 30 June 2024 subject to successful 6-month probation.

 

OUR VISION

Healing the past, Nurturing the future.

Our vision is for refugee survivors of persecution to live lives liberated from the harms of torture, trauma and human rights injustice. We exist to nurture meaningful futures by assisting refugee survivors to heal, belong and thrive in our community.

 

Our Values

 

Kindness

We care.

In all our work, survivors of torture and trauma come first.

 

Optimism

We believe in meaningful futures.

We are committed to healing being a journey of growth across mind, body and spirit.

 

Perseverance

We don’t give up.

We understand that healing requires time, patience and courage for individuals, families and communities.

 

Justice

We believe that to heal and belong are human rights.

We collaborate to build opportunities so that survivors of torture and trauma can belong and thrive in our community.

 

Role Purpose

The primary purpose of this role is to deliver meaningful trauma informed counselling to adults seeking asylum to optimise their mental health and well-being. Our Moringa Team supports individuals, families and communities seeking asylum to heal, belong, thrive and restore their sense of justice in our community.

 

Character

We are looking for a Counsellor who is passionate about recovery from trauma for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. We value the ability to engage clients in healing across mind, body and spirit. You will be warm, engaging, compassionate, patient and courageous in managing a range of vulnerabilities experienced by our clients and their families. We believe in cultural respect. We are looking for someone who is comfortable working with clients from many cultural and religious backgrounds.

 

Reponsibilities

1. Deliver client-centred, therapeutic counselling (incorporating a range of modalities) that supports individualised and family healing and recovery;

2. Deliver appropriate client related advocacy which supports healing and the opportunity to thrive and belong in the Australian community;

3. Provide intake and brief intervention to clients who are assessed as requiring short-term support or who have low to medium psycho-social needs;

4. Provide psychoeducation to enable clients to understand and develop strategies for recovery;

5. Provide assessment and intervention that is accessible, trauma informed and culturally sensitive to the needs of survivors of torture and trauma. This requires flexibility in service delivery, which involves meeting clients at QPASTT offices, detention settings, and/or in other community locations;

6. Manage risk with clients with complex and/or crisis presentations in accordance with organisational processes and supports;

7. Ensure quality service delivery including accountability with contractual and organisational requirements. This includes the writing of case notes and client related professional reports;

8. As required, deliver group-based therapeutic interventions;

9. Build and foster collaborative partnerships with family members, community members and other agencies;

10. Abide by the vision and values of QPASTT including our Code of Conduct as well as the policies and procedures of the organisation;

11. Attend and participate in all agency activities that meet QPASTT’s organisational and professional development requirements. These include staff, team and agency meetings, professional development sessions, supervision and debriefing;

12. Support the research and evaluation initiatives of the organisation.

 

Requirements

1. Degree level qualifications in Social Work, Psychology, Counselling, Occupational Therapy or relevant expressive therapies. Eligibility for membership of the relevant professional body;

2. Ability to conceptualise and articulate refugee trauma recovery frameworks and the ability to apply these to therapeutic work particularly with people seeking asylum;

3. Two years of professional therapeutic experience in counselling provision, preferably in a refugee trauma recovery context, working with adults and/or families;

4. Ability to build trusting, safe and respectful therapeutic relationships;

5. Ability to deliver culturally safe therapeutic support;

6. Ability to identify client-related risks and implement ways to reduce risk;

7. Ability to document assessment and intervention as well as write professional reports based on therapeutic intervention;

8. Demonstrated professionalism within the workplace, including ethical decision making; exhibiting reliability and initiative; and contributing to a diverse workplace culture of respect and flexibility;

9. Desirable – experience in working with individuals and families from refugee, asylum seeker and/or CALD backgrounds;

10. Desirable – skills and experience in group work delivery;

11. Desirable – experience working in a detention or a detention like setting.

 

Conditions of Employment

1. Current Positive Notice Blue Card and provision of an annual federal police check.

2. Current Queensland C Class driver’s licence.

3. Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or an exemption certificate from Queensland Health authorised personnel.

4. Flexibility to work out of standard hours. Occasional travel to other QPASTT offices.

5. The period of probation will be six months.

 

Application Process

To apply, please submit the following documents:

1. A cover letter detailing why you would like to work with QPASTT and how you meet the character requirements of the role;

2. Your resume detailing professional experience and education;

3. A brief response (no more than 2 pages) to the responsibilities and requirements of the role.

The final date to apply is by 5pm on Friday 6 October, 2023. Please email your application to [email protected]

Should you wish to talk with someone about this position, please contact Julie Huysman, Moringa Team Leader on 0422 819 530 (Tuesday to Friday) or [email protected].