AddressDue to enormous expansion and internal promotion, we are seeking the services of an Family Preservation & Reunification/ Intensive Family Services Practitioner
Work in an appreciative and supportive environment, that offers generous remuneration – including tax savings and additional leave where you will achieve real and meaningful outcomes that positively affect our community.
Established in 1979, Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative’s vision is simple: “Empower the individual the family wins, Empower the family the community wins, Empower the community our culture wins”. Our team of dedicated professionals work together to achieve this outcome as evidenced in our latest audit where we received two rare commendations Workforce Development and Diversity & Cultural Safety. Put simply, this is a great and highly supportive place to work.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION
The FPR/IFS Practitioner is responsible for providing:
• Aboriginal families with programs and activities that will promote a stable nurturing environment for children, meet their needs and strengthen parent’s ability to care for children.
• Flexible and intensive support to families as required.
• Supervision of placement students as identified by Team Leader.
The incumbent can expect the Team Leader to allocate a mix of both Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR), Intensive IFS cases and Integrated Family Services (IFS) (as may be required) to the program which includes FPR, Intensive Family Services and Integrated Family Services.
Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) level support
The Victorian Aboriginal Family Preservation and Reunification Response (the Response), co-designed with representatives from the Aboriginal child and family services sector, will be implemented by ACCHOs statewide with GAC implemented under the Wimmera South West region and overseen by the CP Navigator
This Response includes an initial intensive intervention phase, delivered through a mobile and integrated approach, followed by a sustained service support phase, aimed at preventing at-risk Aboriginal children entering or re- entering care. This new Response will link to, align with, existing child and family services within the broader service system, providing an enhanced continuum of care across the state. It will be evaluated and continuously developed to enhance the Aboriginal Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) evidence-base for Aboriginal child and family services and programs in Victoria (including Child Protection).
The aim of the Response is strong Aboriginal families – with children who are safe, healthy, resilient, and thriving; and Aboriginal parents who are supported to create a safe and nurturing home environment. GAC will work in close partnership with Child Protection to deliver the Response.
The primary objectives of the Response are:
• Family preservation – where the objective is to create safety and prevent child removal and placement in care.
• Reunification – where the objective is to return children safely and rapidly to their families and communities.
Intensive level support
The FPR/IFS Practitioner will support families with Aboriginal Children that are eligible for this program which is outlined in the Intensive 200 hour Response guidelines. The FPR/IFS Practitioner will work in partnership with Child Protection and other services, working intensively with families to achieve case plan goals to allow children to remain with their families safely.
The FPR/IFS Practitioner will work with families as an early intervention and an alternative to Child Protection investigating in a statutory level to prevent Aboriginal families from entering the Child Protection system. This is in preparation for the Child, Youth and Families Section 18 transition of Aboriginal children to ACCHOs.
It is expected that this role will work collaboratively with the case planning goals and individual family goals identified by DFFH, Gunditjmara and the family and this is achieved with minimum weekly home visits to achieve these goals.
Substantial level support
The FPR/IFS Practitioner will work with vulnerable Aboriginal children, young people, and their families where risk factors or concerns are present. Risk factors may include:
• Family violence.
• Mental health.
• Alcohol and/or other drugs.
• Underdeveloped parenting skills and/or capacity.
• The family may be at risk of becoming involved with Child Protection, and/or other child wellbeing or parenting entities.
• Assisting families to identify and work towards goals that reduce risk to children and/or young people, address concerns that may be present, and encourage the health and safety of children and young people in the home. The incumbent may be required to work in collaboration with other support services.
• Secondary consultations with services such as AOD, Mental health, Housing and homelessness and Family Violence
A major requirement of this position is to identify and assist in the families to meet agreed goals/outcomes by nurturing:
• Emotional and behavioural development.
• Cognitive and educational development.
• Building capacity for self-care and identity.
• Making healthy choices about how they live their lives.
• Maintain and strengthening cultural identify and wellbeing.
• Enhancing family capacity and provide safe, developmentally appropriate, and secure care.
• Strengthening parent capacity to provide basic care, ensure safety and promote their child’s development.
• Improve the family’s community connections and access to community resources.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Direct Service Delivery
• Undertake outreach work. This includes flexible working hours from 7am-7pm depending on client need and urgent outreach work via phone from after hours on weekends. (As needed and agreed upon by Practitioner and Team Leader/Management)
• Utilise relevant evidence informed, strengths-based and trauma informed intervention strategies to engage at risk families. (Best interest Case practice, FPR Modules)
• Advocate on behalf of clients to ensure agency referrals are completed and appropriate support provided.
• Participate in training to understand and apply evidence informed practice approaches including Aboriginal Practice Modules and Common Elements.
• Participate in data collection in line with program monitoring and evaluation requirements.
• Participant in Response Team Meetings and other client meetings as required
• Ensure culturally relevant support is provided by liaison and consultation with secondary services.
• Conduct and complete case work accurately and in a timely manner.
• Support families to attend social and community activities and events within Gunditjmara or the local community.
Family Support
• The program aims to help families strengthen their Aboriginality and connection to culture.
• Work with and support families presenting with diverse and complex needs.
• Support families where Child Protection Orders are present to effectively address the protective concerns and case plan goals identified.
• Provide strategies that will strengthen family’s ability to manage crisis by providing practical support to families including role modelling and coaching to increase parenting knowledge, skills, and capacity.
• Work intensively with children and families, delivering effective interventions that increase parenting capacity, family functioning, achieve child safety and enhance conditions for child development.
• Assess and assist clients to identify needs and goals, including developing a family action plan.
• Build relationships and actively engage with children to ensure the voice of the child is considered in assessment and goal planning.
• Contribute as a member of the care team or professional network to support case planning and ongoing risk assessments. Lead care teams where there is no CP involvement
• Lead interdisciplinary meetings where there is more than one GAC service involved to co-ordinate services
• Work within the best interest of children and young people.
• Maintain privacy and confidentiality for all clients and families.
• Regular sighting and assessment of children; including infants under two years of age.
Advocacy
• Liaise with DFFH, Child Protection, and other relevant organisations/agencies in relation to the delivery of quality and coordinated services to Aboriginal families.
• Refer families to specialised services if appropriate.
• Support families to access specialized services.
• Advocate for clients within the best interest of children and young people.
Risk assessment, planning and review
• Conduct risk assessments on child safety and well-being. Include team leader and manager as required (SAFER Framework)
• Conduct Brief and intermediate MARAM assessments as required where family violence has been identified (In consultation with Family safety and healing team if required)
• Safety planning around risks identified by family/practitioner using GAC provided templates
• Liaise with community-based child protection and Navigator around Section 38 consults and L17’s.
Administration
• Maintain accurate and confidential records and statistics of daily activities, mother/family profiles and other documents which will be required for submitting and reporting on funding.
• Ensure all contact information is entered into the required data systems in a timely manner.
• Undertake supervision with the Team Leader.
• Participate in 12 monthly performance appraisals
• Oversee and provide supervision to placement students.
• Provide accurate, evidence-based documents to court proceedings as required
• Actively participate in South-west Child and family services direct services alliance meetings and training
• Participate in professional development
• Utilize Staff member program engagement plan developed by practitioner and team leader and review regularly
HOW TO APPLY
Position descriptions are available on request by emailing ***********@gunditjmara.org.au
We are looking to fill these position ASAP, however we will wait for the right candidate, so get in quick.
We are a Child Safe organisation. This means that any job offer will be subject to strict screening processes and proof of immunisation (both childhood & Covid). See the position description for further information.
For further information, please contact Kellie Bethel on (03) 5559 1***.
