Senior Sexual Assault Healing Therapist

• Position  : Full Time, Fixed Term Contract till 30 June 2024 
• Salary     : Range $102,546 - $104,802, plus super (based on skills and experience)
• Location : Werribee/Melton

The Organisation

The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) is the largest organisation of its kind in Australia. VACCA is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation (ACCO) that supports and advocates for the Aboriginal community. Our strength lies with our people. Our team is committed to the organisation’s vision and values; advocates for our children and other vulnerable community members; and shows respect for, observance of and compliance with Aboriginal cultural protocols, practice, and ceremony. Our Aboriginality distinguishes us from mainstream services and enables us to deliver the positive outcomes we achieve for our people. 

Central to VACCA’s work is the importance of connection to family, community, and culture as essential to Aboriginal children’s safety, stability and ensuring that they have an ongoing sense of belonging. As Victoria’s largest Aboriginal child welfare agency, VACCA will play a key role in the process of transitioning the care and case management of Aboriginal children from government and nonAboriginal organisations to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations in line with Victorian Government decisions and policies. VACCA is implementing Cultural Therapeutic Ways (CTW) which is a whole of agency approach guiding VACCA’s practice of healing for Aboriginal children, young people, families, community members and carers; and creating a safe and supportive workplace for staff. CTW is based upon Human Rights and United Nations Conventions, Victorian Legislation, and the practice wisdom of VACCA staff. The CTW approach ensures the cultural needs of VACCA clients is centre and foremost in all service delivery.

About the role:

VACCA is delivering a pilot program of the newly established Aboriginal Sexual Assault Support Service (ASASS) in the Western Melbourne Area. This specialist therapeutic service, funded through Family Safety Victoria (FSV), is nested in VACCA’s broader suite of Family Violence (FV) services. The program will also work closely with Gatehouse Centre (Gatehouse), and the Western Centre Against Sexual Assault (WESTCASA).

ASASS is a unique therapeutic and healing service responsive to the diverse needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, women, and men who are victims/survivors of sexual assault. ASSAS’ distinctive feature is the integration of a specialist sexual assault service within an Aboriginal cultural healing context. The service will be accessible to Aboriginal children, young people, and adults residing in the Western Melbourne Area. 

The Senior Sexual Assault Healing Therapist (the Therapist) will collaborate with the Senior Cultural Healing Therapist to deliver a holistic and culturally safe therapeutic service. The Therapist will provide appropriate interventions for Aboriginal children, young people, women, and men victims/survivors of sexual assault, and their family members.

About You:

• Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, the values that underpin VACCA’ vision and purpose and the capacity to take a leadership role in championing these internally and externally
• Demonstrated awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal societies and cultures, and commitment to continually build knowledge of such, along with a high level of awareness of the key issues which impact upon Aboriginal communities
• Demonstrated experience and expertise delivering culturally safe therapeutic interventions and responding to complex trauma of Aboriginal children, young people, and adult victim/survivors of sexual assault 
• An understanding of the issues that impact Aboriginal adults who have experienced sexual assault
• An understanding of child development and the impact of trauma and sexual assault on children and young people
• Detailed knowledge of family-focused approaches which work to heal complex trauma from sexual assault. This includes impacts on the individual and their family
• Knowledge and experience in the application of relevant legislation and professional guidelines (including children and young people at risk, MARAM, Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme, Child Information Sharing Scheme, relevant professional Code of Ethics and Practice Standards, and privacy requirements)
• Strong commitment to, and understanding of the personal, cultural, and political issues surrounding sexual assault, and family violence
• Demonstrated experience and expertise delivering culturally safe therapeutic interventions and responding to complex trauma of Aboriginal children, young people, and adult victim/survivors of sexual assault.

Requirements:

• You must have and continue to hold a full Victorian Driver’s Licence 
• A current employment working with children check card
• Current COVID-19 vaccination (including booster dose, as applicable)

What we can offer you!!

• Professional support and training via in-house learning and development training modules
• Attractive salary packaging to increase your take home pay
• Great career development opportunities.
• Access to Employee support and wellbeing program(s)
• Opportunity to work and build connection with the Aboriginal Community and culture

We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people to apply

Applications should include a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and current resume.

We encourage applicants to view the Position Description prior to applying. Please click here to view the position description.

Application closes by Monday 22nd April 2024 at 11.59pm

We are committed to Aboriginal self-determination and supporting strong, safe, thriving Aboriginal communities and aim to ensure every individual is treated with dignity, honouring all cultural backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities and spiritual beliefs.

VACCA is a child-safe organisation and is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people with zero tolerance for child abuse. All successful applicants will be required to undertake a National Police Record Check and Working with Children Check prior to commencement of employment and periodically following commencement.

VACCA is an equal opportunity employer and has a smoke-free workplace policy