Clinical Family Therapist Family Violence - Dyadic Practice

Clinical Family Therapist – Family Violence - Dyadic practice Position Description

September 2017

Vision Capable communities, strong families, thriving children.

Mission Through effective services, support and connections, enable children, young people and families to thrive in caring communities.

Values  Respect: We acknowledge and value the human and legal right of all individuals.  Inclusion: We maximise the opportunities for individuals and families to participate in local and broader communities.  Community: We understand Family Life exists as part of a network of relationships and interactions.  Empowerment: We encourage and strengthen individuals, families and communities.

Preamble Family Life is an independent, entrepreneurial community service organisation, offering a range of services, support and community building services. Family Life’s work is acknowledged at all government levels for our innovation, impact and whole of community approach. Priority is given to vulnerable families, children and young people. Since its foundation in 1970 volunteers and community supporters have played a crucial role in the organisation.

About the Program The 12 month Therapeutic Demonstration project is a client-centred trauma informed therapeutic response for children and their mothers who are victims of family violence. Evidence informed approaches to service design and delivery will be used to support trauma repair. The intervention will target children and their mothers from diverse populations, including but not limited to Aboriginal peoples, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) identified people, people with disabilities and older people. The aims of the demonstration projects are:

Clinical Family Therapist - Family Violence - Dyadic Practice - September 2017 1of 3 ● To strengthen therapeutic responses to victim survivors of family violence and improve outcomes, by allowing service providers to grow their collective knowledge and expertise through the delivery of the demonstration projects.

● To build evidence about effective practice approaches for responding to victim survivors of family violence, including victim survivors from diverse populations.

● To determine, through an evaluation, how these approaches might be incorporated into future service delivery frameworks and organisational operating models.

● To increase access to a broad range of therapeutic approaches to family violence victim survivors including adults and/or children across diverse cohorts.

The integrated Bayside Peninsula Therapeutic Demonstration project, Strength2Strength, is a 12 month pilot project. It proposes that children and their mothers who have experienced family violence receive thorough assessment, brief therapeutic intervention and intensive therapeutic intervention towards the amelioration of trauma symptoms. A partnership response has been activated to maximise client access, safety, empowerment and therapeutic outcomes. The Therapeutic Demonstration Project, Strength2Strength operates through a partnership of key service providers including: Family Life, Salvation Army, Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, SECASA and Peninsula Health. The project will include therapeutic services delivered via outreach and through centre based sessions.

Key Responsibilities: 1. To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver evidence based services to women and children impacted upon by Family Violence and support the innovation of service responses and sector reform. 2. Provide trauma informed therapeutic intervention to women and children impacted upon by Family Violence. 3. Manage a caseload of clients and co-work cases with colleagues as required. 4. Work flexibly across a range of service delivery sites in accordance with accountability and compliance standards. Including the provision of outreach support to include service accessibility. 5. Deliver dyadic, attachment-focused therapy for children affected by Family Violence and their mothers. This must be informed by formal training in dyadic work/ parent child interaction as part of or in addition to qualifications in Family Therapy, Psychology, Occupational Therapy and/ or Social Work.

Other ● Perform other duties consistent with the position as required by the line manager and partnership and consistent with meeting the contractual and compliance obligations of the program as these may vary over time.

Accountability This position is accountable to the Manager, TDP and to their employing organisation.

About You: Qualifications

Clinical Family Therapist - Family Violence - Dyadic Practice - September 2017 2of 3 ● Degree in Psychology, Family Therapy, Occupational Therapy or Social Work and demonstrated experience in delivering therapeutic interventions for victims of Family Violence. ● Qualifications in and experience delivering Dyadic developmental psychotherapy, parent child interaction therapy, Greenspan floortime approach or other evidence based approaches to dyadic work will be looked upon favourably. ● Eligibility for full membership to an appropriate professional association. ● Willingness to provide outreach interventions to engage with clients and ensure accessibility.

Experience ● Demonstrated experience in the provision of therapeutic interventions. Specific experience in delivering dyadic, attachment focussed intervention with children and their caregivers. ● Ability to develop and implement trauma informed approaches to practice.

Skills ● Ability to innovate service delivery and service efficiency. ● Highly effective interpersonal communication skills. ● Ability to provide therapeutic interventions. ● Computer skills (intermediate level, or above) in a Windows environment including word processing, data collection and entry, internet and email. ● Ability to embrace new technology to enhance productivity and effectiveness ● Ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team ● Ability to assess risk and respond appropriately

Knowledge ● Excellent knowledge of the impacts of Family Violence and, feminist, systemic, child focussed and trauma informed approaches to practice.

Attributes ● Employs an ethical and professional approach to practice. ● Commitment to child-focused and client-centred practice. ● Ability to articulate and reflect upon personal and professional values. ● Commitment to social innovation and learning organisation disciplines. ● Capacity to work with ambiguity and uncertainty in the context of ongoing environmental change and complex problems for vulnerable members of the community. ● Appetite to embrace personal reflection and coaching to enable effective leadership development.

Desirable ● Experience in working with clients who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ● Experience in working with clients from CALD backgrounds ● Fluency in a second language, other than English.

Additional Information ● Must have current driver’s license valid in Victoria.

Clinical Family Therapist - Family Violence - Dyadic Practice - September 2017 3of 3 ● Family Life is a youth and child safe organisation. We value, respect, and listen to children and young people. ● Any offer of employment is subject to a satisfactory Police Records check and Employment Working with Children check. ● Salary and conditions are in accordance with the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010. Salary packaging is offered with this position. ● All offers of employment are subject to a three month probationary period, which may be extended to six months. The staff member will be asked to participate in an annual performance review linked to objectives set out for the position.

TO APPLY: For a copy of the Position Description go to: To apply, please email your confidential application which includes a resume and a covering letter addressing the “About You” Criteria, to [email protected]. Further enquiries can be directed to Dawn on 0400 518 580. Family Life values diversity amongst its workforce and welcomes applicants who meet the job criteria, irrespective of race and ethnicity, colour, age, gender, gender identity, disability, religion and sexual orientation.

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