Job No: 20136

Location: Woolloongabba, Brisbane

About the Organisation

Open Minds is a not-for-profit, non government Disability Support Provider assisting individuals with a mental illness, intellectual disability or acquired brain injury.

Open Minds provides community based disability support services to enhance individual participation and life within the community.

Open Minds services include:

• Acquired Brain Injury Support - offering psycho-social rehabilitation and lifestyle support to facilitate successful recovery post injury;
• Lifestyle Support Service - helping individuals to live independently;
• Open Employment and Personal Support - supporting individuals to obtain and sustain employment;
• Residential Services - supporting people to live well and independently within an accommodation setting of their choice; and
• Personal Helpers and Mentors Program - helping individuals to work towards achieving recovery through outreach, access to community services and social connection.

About the Programs

Lifestyle Support Service

Open Minds Lifestyle Support Service is a leading mental health support service specialising in psychosocial and lifeskills rehabilitation, lifestyle and accommodation support, community inclusion and recovery focused programs to more than 90 clients living in the greater Brisbane region. Our Service is committed to delivering high quality and effective support services to individuals living with intellectual, neurological or mental health disabilities with our model of practice based on the principles of recovery, inclusion and individual strengths. We support and empower our clients to achieve their personal goals, promote personal development and resilience and encourage vocational opportunities and training.

Acquired Brain Injury Support

The Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Support Service is a specialist unit within Open Minds delivering community based rehabilitation and participation programs to meet the complex needs of individuals with an ABI.Our role is to provide the client, community based day to day rehabilitation and lifestyle support alongside and supplementary to their medical and allied health support needs. Open Minds Individual Support Plans provide innovative and flexible support to promote mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, encouraging independence and social participation.

About the Opportunities

Due to continued growth and demand for its high quality services, Open Minds is seeking four experienced and motivated Senior Support Workers to join its Woolloongabba/North-side teams.

Opportunities exist within the following Programs:  

• Lifestyle Support Service (3)
• Acquired Brain Injury Support (1)

The Lifestyle Senior Support Workers will support the Coordinator in the operational day to day running of the service, including the guidance of Support Worker teams, assisting with staff rostering and undertaking direct support shifts as rostered.

The ABI Senior Support Worker will provide supervision and guidance to the Support Worker teams, undertaking staff rostering and assigned administrative duties, representing the ABI Service and nominated clients at various stakeholder and client meetings and undertaking direct support shifts as required and rostered to support the Program Manager, in the operational and day-to-day running of the service.

In both positions, some of your more specific tasks will include:

• Completing administrative and documentation tasks in a timely and accurate manner including Open Minds Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement objectives, technology data entry and information management;
• Providing leadership, mentoring and supervision to support workers within allocated support teams;
• Identifying and locating resources, services and supports and facilitating access through the development and/or referral of resources, services and supports;
• Providing support and advocacy to assist clients to develop and implement strategies to achieve sustainable outcomes;
• Liaising with government, relevant services and professionals, training providers, health professionals and other services in relation to client needs;
• Coordinating services with external parties including case management and clinical services to enhance outcomes for clients;
• Participating in and contributing to: orientation, client rosters, staff meetings, supervision, professional development opportunities and staff development reviews; and
• Encouraging client's re-integration into the community by utilising positive reinforcement and feedback.

In addition to the above duties the ABI Senior Support Worker will be required to:

• Provide individually targeted rehabilitation support services to people with an ABI who have the potential to achieve functional gains in their level of independence; and
• Ensure timely and appropriate discharge from one service domain to another and facilitate reintegration in community care by providing the necessary level of support and assistance.

Open Minds is seeking candidates with operational and demonstrated hands-on experience in supporting people with a disability or mental illness. A background in team leadership and administrative duties (rostering, timesheets, supervision and guidance of staff) is vital. Relevant qualifications in Mental Health, Disability, Community Services, Social Welfare or a related discipline will be advantageous.

These roles will suit self-motivated and mature applicants, with the ability to resolve complex human service challenges. Your well developed interpersonal skills will allow you to communicate effectively with staff and clients from a diverse variety of cultures, backgrounds and ages, some of whom may present with challenging behaviours and attitudes. Ideally, you will have a genuine desire to help others and improve the community.

These support services cater for a large portion of young people and male clients, therefore Open Minds encourages 18 - 30-year-olds, and/or male candidates to apply (please note - it is not essential that you meet this criteria in order to apply, and Open Minds promotes Equal Employment Opportunities).

Applicants require the following certificates and clearances to work in these roles:

• Current C Class driver's licence
• Current positive Criminal History Screen clearance (Open Minds can help you get this upon employment)

Open Minds is looking for reliable team players who are available to work full time hours that are reflective of the changing needs of the client base. Up to fifteen hours per week will be office based, with the rest of your time in the field. Your standard hours will be business hours Monday - Friday.

Open Minds is dedicated to supporting you in your new career and assisting with career advancement. In addition to attractive remuneration of $44,256 (based on SCHCDSI Award - Level 4.1), the successful candidate will enjoy fantastic working conditions and a range of benefits, including:

• Salary sacrifice fringe benefits tax exemption options;
• A company mobile phone;
• Access to company motor vehicles for day-to-day use;
• In-service training and professional development (including a valuable mentoring program);
• A family friendly workplace, where the importance of a healthy work-life balance is recognised; and
• A supportive and friendly organisational culture.

These are highly varied roles, giving you the opportunity to utilise your leadership acumen for the professional development of others.