Counsellor Advocate in Morwell

Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault (GCASA) provides comprehensive sexual assault support and treatment services across Gippsland. Culturally inclusive, GCASA supports diverse communities and operates within a framework protecting rights and dignity. Services include counselling, information, resources, group work, and professional training.

The Counsellor Advocate will provide evidence-based, trauma-informed therapeutic support to children, young people, adults, and their families across both the REFOCUS and Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) programs. The role includes assessment, counselling, intervention planning, care coordination, advocacy, and crisis responses for clients impacted by sexual assault, as well as children and young people presenting with problematic or harmful sexualised behaviours. The position works collaboratively with internal teams, external stakeholders, and families to ensure safe, coordinated, and client-centred support.

Key Responsibilities:

• Clinical Assessment, Safety & Risk Management: Conduct initial and ongoing risk and safety assessments and risk management in accordance with the MARAM framework. Complete clinical assessments, case formulations, recommendations, intervention planning, case reviews, and closure processes.
• Therapeutic Intervention & Counselling: Deliver evidence-based, trauma-informed clinical interventions and counselling to children, young people, adults, and families affected by sexual assault or exhibiting harmful sexualised behaviours. Provide both individual and group counselling for recent or non-recent sexual assault survivors. Engage children and young people in services through outreach and flexible engagement strategies.
• Crisis Response & Secondary Consultation: Provide Crisis Care Response for clients referred by SOCIT or via self-referral during operational hours. Provide secondary consultation to referrers and partner agencies, offering specialist guidance regarding sexual assault, trauma responses, and intervention planning.
• Care Coordination, Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement: Provide care coordination and advocacy to strengthen clients’ community connections, support understanding of rights, and promote empowerment. Attend and actively contribute to internal and external care team meetings to support coordinated service delivery and planning. Maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and advocate for clients within the service system.
• Documentation, Reporting & Administration: Maintain confidential, accurate, and up-to-date client records and statistical data in line with GCASA policy, legal, ethical, and organisational requirements. Provide progress reports to parents/carers, legal professionals, and other stakeholders where appropriate and with consent. Demonstrate strong administrative, time management, record-keeping, and IT skills.
• Professional Practice, Supervision & Development: Participate in regular internal clinical supervision, line management supervision, peer support, and ongoing professional development. Seek consultation with specialist services where required. Contribute to GCASA’s quality improvement initiatives, including service reviews, evaluations, projects, and relevant meetings.
• Community Education & Outreach: Participate in GCASA community development and community education initiatives as requested. Work from office-based and outreach locations, including outreach to client homes or community settings as required.
• Other Responsibilities: Perform additional duties as requested by the CEO or their delegate.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Qualifications: Degree or tertiary qualification (or equivalent certification) in social work, counselling, social welfare, psychology, family therapy, creative arts therapies, or community mental health nursing, from a nationally accredited provider.
• Experience Working with Children, Young People & Families: Minimum 2 years recent experience in trauma counselling or therapeutic work with children, young people, and their families, including experience in short- to medium-term intervention.
• Understanding of Harmful Sexual Behaviour & Developmental Theory: Comprehensive understanding of child developmental theory and experience working with children or young people displaying problematic or harmful sexualised behaviours.
• Knowledge of Sexual Assault & Gendered Dynamics: Knowledge of the prevalence, impacts, and gendered dynamics of sexual assault across diverse populations.
• Trauma-Informed & Theoretical Frameworks: Demonstrated understanding and application of trauma-informed practice, behavioural support, feminist empowerment principles, social inclusion theory, and therapeutic frameworks relevant to sexual assault and harmful sexual behaviour.
• Record Keeping & Administrative Skills: Well-developed skills in case noting, record keeping, administrative organisation, multi-tasking, and competence in a broad range of computer and IT systems.
• Confidentiality & Legislative Knowledge: Understanding of legislative and organisational requirements for the collection, storage, and protection of personal information and client confidentiality.
• Communication, Emotional Intelligence & Stakeholder Engagement: High-level interpersonal communication, emotional intelligence, and the ability to engage effectively with clients and maintain professional stakeholder relationships.
• Travel Requirements: Willingness to travel across service areas and to Melbourne for professional development where needed; must hold a current Victorian driver’s licence.

Other Mandatory Requirements:

• Pre-Employment Checks & Disclosures: Gippsland Centre against Sexual Assault is committed to ensuring that all staff have the required skills and qualifications to conduct the work which they are employed to undertake. GCASA will ensure that staff are appropriately credentialed and have a defined scope of practice. Staff must provide the following original documentation, or a certified copy, prior to appointment. All staff are required to maintain their registration and credentialing requirements for the period of their employment.
• Be willing if required to travel across the region and to Melbourne as negotiated for training and development.
• Hold a current Victorian driver’s licence.
• Hold a current Working with Children’s check.
• Provide a current National Crim Check.
• Undertake a DFFH Statutory Declaration relating any CP intervention, IVO and court pending.
• Will work Wednesdays to participate in agency meetings.