Care Coordinator/Counsellor – Northern Rivers

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?

The Care Coordinator/Counsellor – Northern Rivers delivers psychological counselling and care coordination services to NSW clients of diverse sexualities and/or genders (LGBTQ+ people), and people living with HIV. Clients may present in suicidal crisis, or they may require support for their mental health and resilience, sexual, domestic and family violence, homelessness, NDIS, substance use or for support with gender affirmation. The role is placed within the context of a state-wide, multi-disciplinary team of allied health professionals working within a short-term, trauma-informed framework. You will:

• Conduct psycho-social assessments and identify the need for immediate assistance for clients and making referrals for longer-term support in relevant cases.
• Maintain a caseload of clients providing short-term psychological counselling and care coordination services using a range of evidence-based strategies and interventions.
• Assess, manage, safety plan and deliver therapeutic interventions for people who are experiencing suicidal risk and/or sexual, domestic or family violence (SDFV).
• Conduct assessments and interventions via face to face and telehealth modes dependent on client preference, location and public health restrictions.
• Work with clients presenting with multiple and complex needs to develop care plans, navigate health, medical and community services, support applications and advocacy for Housing/Centrelink/NDIS and develop self-management skills.
• Support people who have been newly diagnosed with HIV, living longer term with HIV or are at risk of or affected by HIV.
• Maintain the consistent and accurate collection of clinical outcome measures (COMS) for the purposes of therapeutic intervention and to demonstrate service outcomes.
• Work in collaboration with crisis services and mental health services to ensure appropriate levels of care and support for the individual.

Who are we looking for?

• Someone experienced in psychological counselling and/or care coordination experience in the fields of SDFV, or mental health or suicide prevention or HIV/sexual health or disability.
• A person with demonstrated understanding, knowledge, and commitment to working with people of diverse sexualities and/or genders, and people living with and affected by HIV.
• Someone experienced in undertaking trauma-informed psychosocial assessments, goal setting and care planning, advocacy, building referral pathways and using short-term evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
• A person with demonstrated knowledge and experience supporting clients to access the health and social services sector and other community-based organisations and mental health services.
• 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.

We provide a flexible and supporting working environment. You’ll be part of the Regional Community Care team in the Client Services Division, a highly varied team providing multi-disciplinary care, including counselling, peer support, and home-based care to ACON’s Bundjalung/Northern Rivers community.

What’s the remuneration and working details?

Salary: $93,053.00 to $103,911.00 (Gross FTE per-annum, PLUS Superannuation and Leave Loading) – commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience.

Location: ACON’s Bundjalung/Lismore Office, with flexible working options a possibility (away from the office)

Hours: Part-Time (56 hours per fortnight) on a 12-month fixed term contract, with the possibility of extension.

We offer flexible working arrangements and a generous array of benefits and 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.
• Access to discounted unique accommodation experiences to improve employee health and wellbeing.