Care Coordinator / Counsellor (Gadigal Sydney)

What’s Care Coordination service?

ACON’s Care Coordination service operate from our Surry hills office, providing Care Coordination and counselling services to LGBTQ+ people presenting with a range of practical issues, including but not limited to issues related to, gender and/or sexuality, mental health, substance support, ageing, housing, and living with HIV.

Ok, so what’s the role?

The Care Coordinator/Counsellor Role is essentially a combination of case management and brief counselling to support people with diverse sexualities and genders to live their healthiest lives. The service is only for LGBTQ+ and/or people living with HIV and recognises the unique issues that the LGBTQ+ community faces when accessing services and navigating accessing practical support. You will:

• Maintain a caseload of LGBTQ+ clients presenting with multiple and complex needs to develop care plans, navigate health, medical and community services, support applications and advocacy for housing/Centrelink/NDIS and facilitate the development of self-management skills.
• Collaborate with clients, other services, supervisors and managers to manage and mitigate risk when working with clients experiencing mental health, housing or other crisis.

Who are we looking for?:

• Someone who understands ACON’s communities and the unique complexities of working with LGBTQ+ clients to support their practical support needs.
• Someone with experience in care coordination and counselling to support people to live their healthiest lives.
• Somone with real enthusiasm for working with LGBTQ+ adults and can bring energy along with an organised, collaborative working style to the role.

What else can we tell you?

ACON provides a colourful, nurturing, and fun workplace. Our employees and volunteers are the foundation for our ongoing effectiveness and for our capacity to deliver innovative community engagement and health promotion programs and initiatives for our communities.

To support the successful candidate in their new role at ACON we offer:

• Flexible working arrangements.
• Generous learning and development opportunities.
• Potential for tailored mentoring opportunities.
• Supportive working environment with a knowledgeable and friendly team.

You will be part of the Community Health team which delivers Care Coordination, counselling, substance support counselling, peer mental health support, trans mental health, and trans peer support across NSW. It’s an energetic team of people with a dedicated focus on improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

What’s the remuneration and working details?:

Salary: $70,976.80 to $72,789.60 (Gross FTE per-annum, PLUS Superannuation and Leave Loading) – commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience.

Location: ACON’s Surry Hills (Sydney) Office, with some flexible working from home arrangements possible.

Hours: Part time (56 hours per fortnight) on a 2-year fixed term contract with possibility of extension

We offer flexible working arrangements and a generous array of entitlements often above the National Employment Standards (NES) including:

• Salary Packaging up to $35,000 gross up value (i.e., currently up to $15,900 Expenses + $2,650 Meals, tax free).
• Generous pro-rata leave entitlements – including up to an extra week of paid leave for full time employees to be taken during our Christmas and New Year’s shutdown period.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to a comprehensive counselling service free to employees.

Download Position Description

Relevant experience and/or qualifications in the sector, and tertiary qualifications in social work, mental health social work, counselling, or psychology (proof of registration with accredited professional bodies required).

1.       Minimum of two years care coordination and counselling experience.

2.       Demonstrated understanding, knowledge, and commitment to working with people of diverse sexualities and/or genders, and people living with and affected by HIV.

3.       Demonstrated knowledge and experience supporting clients to access and navigate the social services sector including Department of Housing, Centrelink, DSP, Victims of Crime, the NDIS, mental health services and other community-based organisations.

4.       Demonstrated experience undertaking psychosocial assessments, goal setting and care planning, advocacy, building referral pathways, risk assessment, and use of evidence-based Client Outcome Measurement tools.

5.       Demonstrated experience of working within a trauma-informed, strengths based and healing framework.

6.       Understanding of the systemic and social issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including brotherboys and sistergirls.

7.       Applicants must provide evidence of full COVID-19 Vaccination, in addition to any other vaccination required to perform the role.

Our client services team provides a range of counselling, care coordination, peer support and home-based care services designed to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.

We’re looking for an experienced Counsellor/Care Coordinator to join our multi-disciplinary team and help shape the ongoing development of our support services.

How can I find out more details and apply?: 

If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply to join our team and help us make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve. By joining us, you will be part of a mission to create a healthier and more inclusive community.

We’d love someone who has experience already in this area but people at all levels of experience are absolutely welcome to apply. We highly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from CALD backgrounds, people with disabilities, and people of all genders to apply.

For more information on the role, please contact Lila Rhodes, Team Leader of Care Coordination, via email at *******@acon.org.au or (02) 9206 2***.

If this sounds like the position and organisation you’ve been looking for, find out how to apply at www.acon.org.au/jobs.

All applications must include:

1.              Your completed ACON Employment Application Form – with all the details filled in where requested;

2.              Your Cover Letter outlining how you meet the Selection Criteria (max. 3 pages); and

3.              Your Resume (max. 3 pages).

ACON is Australia’s largest health promotion organisation specialising in community health, inclusion, and HIV responses for people of diverse sexualities and genders. Established in 1985, ACON works to create opportunities for people in our communities to live their healthiest lives.

We are grounded in the belief that diversity is our strength, our differentiator, and at the core of who we are and what we do. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we encourage applications from people living with HIV, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTQ people from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, migrant and refugee backgrounds, and LGBTQ people of colour.

www.acon.org.au