Position overview

Women, Youth and Children, Community Health Programs (WYCCHP) delivers a range of primary health care community-based services to children, adolescents, families, and women including early pregnancy, child and family health, school health, immunisation, child protection and women’s health services. Services are delivered within a multi-disciplinary context if not by a multidisciplinary team.

Early Family Support Counselling Team, Early Family Support Service

Health professionals in the Early Family Support Counselling Team within the Early Family Support Service provide counselling and psychosocial support to parents from the antenatal period and at any time until the child is five years of age. This counselling and psychosocial support is provided for issues relating to birth trauma, attachment, adjustment to parenting, child development and behaviour, and relating to the impact of past interpersonal or developmental trauma on parenting.

Health Professionals within the Team collaborate with the Nursing Team to provide collaborative, integrated care through case consultation and joint home visiting as needed. Health Professionals also participate in the delivery of training and education programs to CHS staff and external stakeholders and consumers.

This is a rewarding and exciting position within a vibrant service that is suitable for a dynamic, flexible, and skilled Health Professional who is committed to the delivery of high quality, trauma informed and holistic care, to women, children, young people, and families.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

1. Provide high level, skilled clinical assessment, psychoeducation, systems work, navigation and therapeutic interventions for women, children, young people, and/or families where there is increased risk of poor health or developmental outcomes due to an intersection of complex health and psychosocial needs.
2. Provide discipline specific expertise to inform service delivery, decision making and planning within a multidisciplinary team, and participate in the development, and delivery, of training and education programs to staff, consumers, and external stakeholders.
3. Consult and liaise with services and teams within EHS, across WYCCHP, and externally across ACT and NSW organisations, to coordinate the delivery of seamless, holistic care and interventions for consumers, with a focus on achieving enhanced health and wellbeing outcomes and to develop partnerships for health promotion.
4. Participate in clinical supervision and continuing professional development to maintain credentialing to a high standard according to contemporary, evidence-based research and practice. Provide supervision to Health Professional Level 1 and 2 staff and students.
5. Contribute to the development of clinical procedures, initiate and participate in Quality Improvement activities including the development, analysis, evaluation, and planning of services in specific area of work according to evolving evidenced based practices.
6. Contribute to a positive workplace culture by building collegial professional relationships and demonstrating a commitment to proactively seeking solutions when issues arise.
7. Model an exemplary level of professional and ethical standards in clinical interventions and to uphold the National Quality and Safety Health Care Standards.
8. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Competencies

Specific competencies include but are not limited to the following.

• Strong clinical, communication and interpersonal skills
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet clients’ needs.
• The ability to work respectfully in partnership with staff and stakeholders

Qualifications

Specific qualifications include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

• Relevant Tertiary Qualifications in Social Work.
• Be registered or be eligible registration with the Australian Association of Social Workers.
• A current driver’s licence.

Desirable

• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Specific experience include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience working professionally.

Desirable

• Experience in the delivery of health services to women and/or children, young people, and families.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

Please note prior to commencement successful candidates will be required to:

• Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 is required.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.

Important information

All employees are required to:

• Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
• Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing the required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.

1. Demonstrated experience in delivering evidenced based psychosocial interventions including counselling and group work to women, and/or children, young people, and families experiencing an increased risk of poor health or developmental outcomes.
2. Demonstrated knowledge in the application of theories of evidenced based counselling modalities, attachment, child development and behaviour, and the impact of complex trauma, with a demonstrated ability to deliver effective therapeutic psychosocial and counselling interventions for women, and/or children, young people, and families who have experienced childhood and interpersonal trauma (including family violence, child abuse and neglect).
3. Demonstrated experience in the provision of supervision to staff and students and the ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team: including liaison with stakeholders, participating in case consultations, joint assessments, team decision making and planning, and contributing discipline specific skills and expertise to deliver services to women, children, young people, and families.
4. Demonstrated experience in Quality Improvement activities, active participation in the development of clinical procedures and service review including contributing to the development of evidenced based practice.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful and kind.

Work environment description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.