Prison Counsellor

This process will run for a period of 12 months and suitable applicants may be offered permanent or fixed term positions as vacancies arise. Currently, there are 3 permanent positions available for immediate filling at Greenough Regional Prison, Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison and West Kimberley Regional Prison. Relocation supports available to Interstate, Intrastate, and New Zealand applicants.

Are you a Social Worker or Psychologist interested in utilising your clinical skills in a unique work environment? Are you ready to work with people in custody to build their resilience, be psychologically healthier and future focused? Join us as a Prison Counsellor where you will be able to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and expertise to undertake clinical risk and psychological assessments and provide counselling, and at the same time make an impact on the lives of those held in custody.

If you are dedicated to making a meaningful difference and desire to possess a strong background in offender service management, we invite you to be a part of our mission to enhance public safety and support offender rehabilitation. The Psychological Health Service is looking for counsellors to work with the general adult prison population presenting with various mental health issues.

About Justice: When you join the Department of Justice, you become part of a people-focused organisation, working hard to make our community a fairer and safer place to live. We offer many different employment opportunities in locations around Western Australia. You will have a chance to make a real difference to your local communities and to the lives of those you work with.

About The Role: Psychological Health Service (PHS) sits within the Justice Health and Wellbeing Service (JHWS) directorate. This role provides a great opportunity for suitably qualified psychologists and social workers to practice in a unique and dynamic environment.

Responsibilities: The Psychological Health Service is responsible for undertaking clinical assessment and providing intervention to individuals held on remand in prison and to prisoners who are at acute risk of suicide or self-harm; at chronic risk of suicide or self-harm or otherwise vulnerable within the prison system; with mental health issues; or having difficulties coping, adjusting to prison, or in transition to release. The Prison Counsellor is responsible for applying discipline specific professional knowledge, experience, and skills to provide evidence based clinical assessment and intervention services in response to the psychological health needs of prisoners. Prison Counsellors provide consultation and participate in multi-disciplinary risk management processes and case management meetings.

If appointed, there is scope to be transferred to metropolitan prison positions where you will be provided with an opportunity to live and work in metropolitan WA knowing you will be professionally supported through clinical and line supervision, the state wide PHS team, and as a member of the prison staff. Salaries are competitive and you will enjoy all WA Public Sector conditions of service.

Eligibility Qualifications: Successful applicants must have evidence of current registration by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA) or Social Work tertiary qualifications consistent with AASW requirements prior to commencement; and either: An accredited qualification in Psychology and registration with the Psychology Board of Australia; OR A Tertiary qualification in Social Work and eligible for full membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers or the Society of Professional Social Workers and a minimum of two (2) years supervised practice in counselling. Permanent positions – To be eligible for appointment to permanent positions in the West Australian Public Sector you must be an Australian citizen or have permanent resident status in Australia.

Other Requirements That Apply To The Position: Possession of a current WA motor vehicle driver’s license. Requirement for inter-state travel as from time to time.

Benefits And Opportunities: Flexible working arrangements, career pathway opportunities, learning and development opportunity programs, eligibility for study leave, relocation assistance/allowance available for eligible applicants relocating from Interstate or New Zealand, housing assistance subsidies in specified regional locations, additional Annual Leave and Annual Travel Concessions in specified regional locations, District Allowances in specified regional locations, in-house training and monthly clinical supervision, in-house Clinical supervision for those undertaking registrar, provisional registration and for Social Work mental health accreditation.

Open Pool Recruitment: This is an open-ended pool recruitment process which means there is no closing date for applications. We assess applications on a quarterly basis and suitable applicants to be selected to the pool as vacancies arise. When selected to the pool, the selection is valid for a period of 12 months from the day after the breach of standard claim period closes. Permanent, fixed term, full time and part time appointments may be offered as vacancies arise, however an appointment is not guaranteed. The Department of Justice uses recruitment pools to build a bank of talent for future opportunities. Applicants found suitable in this pool may be considered for subsequent, similar vacancies, with the Department of Justice for the duration of the pool.

Equity and Diversity: The Department of Justice is committed to building a workplace culture that values diversity and inclusion. We actively promote the employment of Aboriginal Australians, people with disability, youth, and other diversity groups. People with disability will be provided with reasonable adjustments in our recruitment processes and in the workplace. Aboriginal job seekers may contact the Aboriginal Workforce Development Team for culturally appropriate application advice. Applicants with disability requiring adjustment or accessibility requirements at any stage of the selection process can contact the hiring manager as listed under the 'Further Information' section for a confidential discussion.

If you would like further information regarding the vacancy please contact Jabrulla Shukoor, Acting Psychological Health Service Manager for a confidential discussion.

The Department of Justice has introduced a smoke-free policy, which has been fully implemented across all women's prisons and the Academy, with all other prison sites to follow over the next 12 to 18 months.