IMHA Advocate

• Full time ongoing & part time ongoing positions available
• Salary based on experience, range: $75,669 - $97,921 plus super
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

About the role:
Our Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) team is a non-legal advocacy program that is staffed and led by professionals with mental health consumer experience and/or backgrounds in community development, consumer advocacy, mental health advocacy, community sector advocacy, social work, mental health service provision or other similar fields.

We are seeking three new IMHA Advocates to join Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) servicing the Westernport region and Outer-eastern suburbs. In this role, you will provide intake and advocacy services to people at risk of or on compulsory treatment orders, assist people to understand and exercise their rights and enable them to participate in decisions about their treatment, care, and recovery. You will respond to enquiries from users of the program, mental health organisations and services including, but not limited to, hospitals, peer support workers, social workers, lawyers, caseworkers, and other advocates.

The positions available are:

• 1x full time ongoing position in Ringwood
• 1x full time ongoing position in Dandenong
• 1x part time ongoing position in Dandenong (0.8 FTE)

About you:
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with an ability to quickly build trust and rapport with a diverse range of consumers and internal and external stakeholders.
• A deep understanding of the challenges impacting Victorians when accessing mental health support services, and an ability to ‘stand up' on behalf of consumers.
• A flexible, patient, and supportive approach while remaining transparent. You will be a creative problem solver with either mental health support and/or advocacy or consumer advocacy experience.
• Candidates should have experience in one or more areas including community development, consumer advocacy, mental health advocacy, community sector advocacy, social work, mental health service provision or other similar fields. If you bring mental health consumer experience, we would love to hear from you.

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

About Victoria Legal Aid:
We provide legal representation to those who need it most. With over 1000 staff employed in 15 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits:

• Focus on work-life balance including flexible working arrangements
• Hybrid work from home & office model
• Training and professional development opportunities
• Excellent salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 and Novated Leasing
• Opportunity to join Myki Commuter Club (and salary package the cost)
• Supportive team environment in modern offices (including free gym and end-of-trip facilities at our CBD office)

How to apply:
To be considered for this role, please submit a current resume and completed candidate application form (listed within the file attachments).

If you require adjustment to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.

For further information review the attached position description or contact Jenny Bretnall, Manager IMHA on (03) 9093 3***.

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Monday 1 April 2024.

Other relevant information:
It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.