Description:
Position
Specialist Family Violence Practitioner
Team
Men’s Support Services
Role Classification
SCHADS level 6
Employment Type/Hours
Part-time, Permanent
Location
Frankston, Mentone, Sandringham, and remote/online work as required - Bunurong Land
From time to time the incumbent may be requested to work from, or be based at, other Family Life sites.
Reports To
Team Leader Men's Support Services
Effective Date
July 2025
Overview of Program
The Men's Support Services (MSS) team provides specialist family violence services that utilise strength-based and trauma-informed approaches to support behavioural change in Adults Using Family Violence (AUFV). The service is designed to support AUFV to take responsibility for and stop their use of violence through individual interventions, group work and case management.
Position Objective
The Specialist Family Violence Practitioner (SFVP) - CMCOP provides intensive, innovative and holistic interventions to Court Mandated AUFV and aims to increase the safety of victim-survivors through the delivery of a Court Mandated counselling orders program comprising of intake/assessment, group based interventions and individual counselling sessions.
The SFVP will work closely with the wider MSS team and the Family Safety Team, maintaining an oversight of risks, to victim-survivors, the AUFV, group participants and/or Family Life staff
Key Responsibilities
The key responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Providing intake, assessment, individual counselling and case coordination for men using family violence.
- Co-facilitating group interventions, including after-hours group facilitation.
- Conducting on-going risk assessments and developing safety plans to mitigate risk and ensure safety.
- Ensuring that the needs, risks and safety of women, children and participants take priority at all times.
- Sharing risk relevant information as per MARAM responsibilities, including internal Family Safety Advocate workers, other services providers and key stakeholders.
- Have an understanding of the Court process as part of the Court Mandated Counselling Orders Program.
- Assisting and leading the processes of breach applications and listing of revocations with the Courts.
- Delivering services to quality standards, complying with relevant legislation and contractual requirements.
- Maintaining professional documentation and administrative systems according to program, stakeholder, organisational and legislative requirements, including planning and documentation of group and education programs.
- Ensuring data is captured in a timely manner on relevant databases and reflective of Family Life’s data integrity standards
- Attending and contributing in regular individual supervision and monthly reflective practice groups.
- Other duties as directed by the Team Leader or Program Manager, Men’s Support Services.
Key Selection Criteria
- Bachelor’s Degree in social work, Counselling, Psychology, or a relevant field, and a specialisation in Male Family Violence would be preferable.
- Working knowledge of the complexities of family violence.
- Experience co-facilitating Men’s Behaviour Change Programs.
- Demonstrated experience with separation, Family Law, mental health, sexual abuse, alcohol and other drugs and family violence issues.
- Demonstrated clinical experience working with multidisciplinary teams to provide a high level of performance and innovation, preferably relating to Family Relationship/Family Support areas.
- Demonstrated ability undertaking assessments and working effectively with adults using family violence individually and in small groups, who have experienced high levels of conflict.
- A demonstrated understanding of the impacts of family violence on children and young people and the need to prioritise their experience when working with men who use family violence.
- Person-centered counselling experience, with a particular emphasis on working with men who have used violence.
- Demonstrated ability to work with complex presentations through a trauma capable framework.
- Information technology skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and client management systems.