Consumer Consultant

• Part-time
• Reference number 12666
• Based in Ravenhall Correctional Centre and Port Phillip Prison
• Great salary packaging conditions and leave entitlements
• Free onsite parking

Forensicare (the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) is the leading provider of forensic mental health services across Victoria. We deliver recovery-focused programs to consumers with serious mental illnesses across the Victorian justice system, mental health sector, and the community–from early intervention and prevention, to inpatient care, rehabilitation, and community transition support.

Our services are delivered through:

• Thomas Embling Hospital: a secure mental health hospital
• Prison mental health services throughout Victoria
• Community  Forensic Mental Health Service

We also work in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology through the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science to deliver a forensic mental health research program, specialist training, and ongoing professional education.

This position is based at Ravenhall Correctional Centre as well as St Paul’s Unit within Port Phillip Prison.

Completed in 2017, the new medium-security men’s prison is located in Ravenhall Correctional Centre in Melbourne’s west, providing world-class forensic mental health services in Victoria in a purpose-built state of the art facility developed to international best practice standards.

St Paul’s Unit is a 30-bed psychosocial rehabilitation service that provides specialist, voluntary mental health care, treatment and therapeutic programs to prisoners with a diagnosed mental illness. Participants selected for the program require psychosocial rehabilitation to minimise risk of relapse and enhance their social functioning in preparation for returning to general prison environment or release to community.

About the role: 

The Consumer Consultant facilitates, supports, and enhances Consumer Participation Program initiatives and promotes consumer participation across Forensicare Prison.

The Consumer Consultant focuses on broad systemic issues promoting effective service delivery. They are not a member of the treating or therapeutic team and do not advocate on behalf of individual patients, unless the issue may have broader application.

Duties:

• Undertake activities that aim to incorporate consumer perspectives in capacity building / workforce development.
• Convene, facilitate, administer and provide leadership to the Prison Consumer Advisory Group (CAG) and manage the CAG member recruitment process.
• Provide consumer perspectives on designated operational committees and working groups.
• Liaise with and provide consultation to other welfare, justice agencies and healthcare professionals on consumer participation strategies.
• Attend Prison Clinical Governance meetings at Port Phillip Prison and Ravenhall.

Skills and experience:

• Demonstrated involvement with the mental health system as a consumer.
• Demonstrated commitment to mental health consumer Recovery.
• Experience in, and commitment to, working successfully with service providers and other consumers to improve mental health services.
• Ability to write reports, prepare presentations, policies and submissions.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to effectively collaborate with a range of people.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively convene, facilitate and contribute to the efficient management of consumer related meetings and forums

Benefits:

We value our staff and provide a range of employee benefits including:

• Great salary packaging conditions & leave entitlements
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Programs including: Staff health service, Critical Incident Stress Management and Employee Assistance Programs.

Forensicare values a diverse workforce and strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

This position is subject to a Police Check.

Forensicare promotes the following values: responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect and leadership; and promotes behaviours that are consistent with these values at all times. Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and offers a smoke free environment.

Applications close 23.1.2020