Senior Advocate

• Full time, ongoing position
• Salary based on experience, range: $97,922 - $122,400 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.
You will provide advocacy services in complex matters and empower your consumers to know and exercise their rights within the mental health system, allowing them to participate in decisions relating to their own assessment, treatment and recovery.
As a senior team member, you will provide supervision and mentoring to the team, monitor and manage caseload issues and ensure that effective debriefing practices are upheld to support the health and wellbeing of your team members.
This role is based in the Bendigo - Loddon area on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
About you:
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• People management and leadership skills to support a team to work effectively together, and provide supervision, mentoring and debriefing to IMHA advocates.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated ability to liaise and communicate effectively with consumers from diverse backgrounds, various stakeholders and organisations.
• Sound knowledge of the issues affecting consumers and the ability to ‘stand up' and champion on behalf of consumers.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with others and foster cooperative and supportive work relationships and team environment.

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

options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 and Novated Leasing * Opportunity to join
(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 .
For further information review the attached position description or contact Emma Wilcox Davies, Manager, IMHA on (03) 9093 3718.
No agency applications will be accepted.
Applications close by 11.59pm on 29 January 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.