Intake Officer – Regional Services

What’s ACON’s Regional Services you say?

Our regional teams engage with LGBTQ+ people, community members and people living with HIV (PLHIV) in providing care coordination, peer support, counselling services, delivering health promotion campaigns, undertaking community development and peer education initiatives, supporting community groups and events, providing training and support to mainstream services, and providing access to the needle and syringe program.

Ok, so what’s the role?

This position is responsible for undertaking intake assessments of individuals enquiring about ACON’s Regional Community Care and Peer Work services, liaising with regional community care and peer work staff regarding client allocation, brief interventions, making active referrals and managing the waitlists in consultation with Team Leaders. This role operates in the context of a multi-disciplinary team working within a chronic disease self-management model to provide psychosocial assessment, support services and short-term counselling to improve the overall health and wellbeing of our clients. You will:

• Conduct intake assessments and identify the primary presenting needs of individuals enquiring about ACON’s Regional Community Care and Peer Work services. 
• Provide information about accessing ACON’s programs and services, eligibility criteria, capacity, waiting periods, and relevant fee structures where applicable. 
• Liaise with ACON staff, in particular Regional Community Care and Peer Work teams in the Hunter and Northern Rivers, to ensure smooth, timely and appropriate allocation of clients and that teams are alerted to any risk issues. 
• Identify the need for immediate arrangements &/or referrals for relevant cases and undertake the management of those referrals to ensure a successful outcome. 
• Provide brief interventions as required for a range of issues including suicidal ideation, substance use, mental health, and practical support needs as required.
• Facilitate the existing waitlist for all client services through regular check ins with waitlisted clients and continual communication with Team Leaders and Managers in relation to changes in circumstances, and escalation of risk and/or referring to other services where appropriate.
• Establish, maintain and continually enhance networks with a diverse range of external service providers and other stakeholders to facilitate client referrals to a range of service options. This will include maintaining a live database of resources available for referral pathways, brief interventions, and self-management tools.
• Deliver ACON’s intake service to achieve established goals and objectives in line with ACON’s Business Plan. 

Who are we looking for?

• Someone who has demonstrated experience in the assessment of psychosocial needs as well as demonstrated insight into the broader range of social factors that may impact on the mental and physical health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV.
• A person with high level oral and written communication skills including case notes, active listening, empathy, negotiation, conflict resolution, mediation and feedback.
• Someone with a solid understanding of and commitment to ACON’s communities, particularly people with HIV.
• An understanding of and skills in providing culturally safe space for clients.
• Someone who takes initiative and can work autonomously within a supportive team.

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.

What’s the remuneration and working details?

Salary: $89,689 to $91,619 FTE (Gross per annum, PLUS Superannuation and Leave Loading) – commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience ($53,813 to $54,972 for 3 days / week).

Location: ACON’s Awabakal/Hunter office (Islington) or Bundjalung/Northern Rivers office (Lismore) with some flexible working options a possibility (WAFTO).

Hours:  Part-Time (42 hours per fortnight) on a fixed term contract, with the 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.