Counsellor Advocate

Counsellor Advocate - Toowoomba
Role Title:Counsellor Advocate
Team: Toowoomba (Regional Team)
Location: Toowoomba (occasional travel to Brisbane will be required).
Level: Level 5 Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award – ($93,865 - $98,107 + leave loading and superannuation). Salary sacrificing available.
Reports to: Toowoomba Team Leader
Contract: Part-time, 3 days per week, subject to a 6 month probation.
This is a 12 month parental leave contract.
Occasional out of hours work will be required.
 

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 recovery outcomes for clients, their families and communities. Our regional team supports individuals, families and
communities from refugee backgrounds to heal, belong, thrive and restore their sense of justice in our community.
The role of a Counsellor Advocate involves assessment, counselling, psychoeducation, client focused advocacy and therapeutic group work. This also includes engagement and consultation with key stakeholders who are involved in optimising the recovery and well-being of clients.
 

Character
We are looking for a Counsellor Advocate who is passionate about recovery from trauma for people from a refugee background. We value the ability to engage clients, preferably across the lifespan, in healing across mind, body and spirit. You will be 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, as well as sexual orientations and who is able to flexibly and thoughtfully adapt their practice to suit client needs. We are looking for someone who enjoys developing their practice by making use of QPASTT’s supervision, internal training, team building and professional development opportunities.
 

Responsibilities

1. Deliver client-centered, developmentally appropriate therapeutic counselling incorporating a range of modalities) to promote healing, and recovery;
2. Conduct intake assessments and provide brief therapeutic and advocacy interventions to meet client demand for QPASTT service;
3. Deliver appropriate client related advocacy which supports healing and the opportunity to thrive and belong in the Australian community; 
4. Provide psychoeducation to enable clients to understand and develop strategies for recovery as well as support in training delivery; 
5. Deliver group-based therapeutic and psycho-education intervention, and support community events as required. 
6. 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, theirs homes, and/or in other community locations;
7. Manage risk with clients with complex and/or crisis presentations in accordance with organizational processes and supports; 
8. Build and foster collaborative partnerships with family members,  community members and other agencies; 
9. Ensure quality service delivery including accountability with contractual and organisational requirements. This includes the writing of case notes and client related professional reports;
10. Ability to abide by the vision and values of QPASTT including our Code of Conduct as well as the policies and procedures of the organization;
11. Support research and evaluation initiatives of the organisation.

Requirements

1. Degree level qualifications in Social Work, Psychology, Counselling or Occupational Therapy or relevant expressive therapies. Eligibility for membership of the relevant professional body;
2. Good conceptualisation and ability to articulate trauma recovery frameworks and the ability to apply these to therapeutic work. This includes an understanding of key theories related to trauma recovery, development across the life span and attachment;
3. Two years of professional therapeutic experience, preferably in a refugee trauma recovery context;
4. Ability to build trusting, safe and respectful relationships across the lifespan (children, youth, adults, elderly);
5. Ability to deliver culturally safe 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. Desirable – experience in providing group work interventions and/or working with clients from refugee backgrounds/culturally and linguistic backgrounds.
9. Desirable – experience in working with children and young people or whole of families.
    

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. Occasional out of hours’ work. 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. Please include a cover letter of no more than one A4 page length maximum to address the following:

a. Outline the capabilities, experience and skills you could bring to this role?
b. How will your character fit the role?

2. Your resume detailing professional experience and education.
 

Applications will be shortlisted as they are received.

Please email your application to **************@qpastt.org.au.
 

Should you wish to talk with someone about this position, please contact Prathiba Subramaniam (Team Leader Toowoomba) on 0410 450 *** or ***************@qpastt.org.au.
 

QPASTT is committed to equal opportunity in employment. We will act to ensure an environment free from discrimination on the grounds of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture, age, marital status or pregnancy, family responsibilities, disability, and religious or political beliefs.