Therapeutic Practitioner

VACCA is currently establishing the Medium-term Perpetrator Accommodation Service (MPAS), to provide support services to persons using violence and victim survivors. The program provides a Case Management response to persons using violence who have been excluded from the family home, in partnership with Community Housing Limited. The program also provides a therapeutic response to service users and can support safe contact between the person using violence and the victim survivor, in relation to child access arrangements.

The Therapeutic Practitioner position will provide 1:1 trauma-informed assessment and counselling to Aboriginal men and women, children, adolescents and their families who are impacted by or have experienced family violence. The Therapeutic Practitioner will:

• Deliver counselling and/or group work
• Undertake intake and assessment, including family violence risk assessments and safety planning
• Develop a Family Violence Healing Plan – identifying risks and strategies
• Support families with regular review of Healing Plans
• Engage with families in-service and outreach (including home visits)
• Support Aboriginal women, children, adolescents and their family through their individual healing journeys by creating or rebuilding strong positive connections between participants and their culture, land, family and community
• Co-Develop group programs that are provided in a culturally safe place allowing individuals to build trust, yarn up, open up in their own time and heal through the use of therapeutic interventions
• Establish effective working relationships with partner agencies
• Work collaboratively with the MPAS Case Manager and MPAS Family Safety Contact Worker

The position will contribute to the delivery of quality, culturally safe approaches to individuals and whole of family as appropriate through applying VACCA’s Cultural Therapeutic Ways framework and the Family Violence Therapeutic Program Guide. Healing through culture will underpin all aspects of the work.

What you bring

• Demonstrated experience in group facilitation
• A comprehensive understanding of the dynamics and impact of family violence in Aboriginal families
• Experience and training in risk assessment and safety planning
• A demonstrated ability to work therapeutically and sensitively in a range of healing interventions with Aboriginal men and women, children, adolescents and families who are impacted and/or have experienced family violence and/or have perpetrated family violence
• Willingness to learn and incorporate VACCA’s Cultural Therapeutic Ways Model into the role
• Degree qualification in social work, psychology, family therapy or a related discipline along with demonstrated experience or willing to enroll in a course
• Requirement: Current COVID-19 vaccination (including booster dose, as applicable), a Working with Children’s Check for a paid employee (or willingness to obtain) and a Victorian Drivers Licence