ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Victorian Family Preservation and Reunification Response (the Response) is funded by the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH). The Response is implemented by MCM in Western Metro and North/East Metro areas of Melbourne. Teams are placed within the Family Services area in the Homelessness and Family Services Portfolio. Teams intensively support families where children are subject to an unborn report or Child Protection Intervention that are birth to 5-years of age.

The Response:

• Is an innovative approach to delivering relational, evidence-informed and coordinated support to vulnerable children and families through a strengthened partnership with Child Protection;
• Provides responsive, intensive and sustainable support to children and families where children are at imminent risk of entry to care or where safe reunification is appropriate.

The Response Practitioner will deliver rapid, culturally safe, flexible and intensive services to children and families using a case management and care team approach. This includes the provision of therapeutic and trauma-informed supports that engage the voice and choice, cultural identity and lived expertise of children and their families and carers. Response Practitioners will also work within a comprehensive evidence-based and monitoring and evaluation framework.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for someone who can:

• rapidly engage families to provide intensive, therapeutic, trauma and evidence informed support that is centred around creating wellbeing and safety for the child, building parental/caregiver capacity and improving family functioning
• undertake child and family risk assessments using evidence-based tools such as the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale, with a focus on strengths, needs and risks
• develop, implement and review child and family action plans that build on child and family assessments and are tailored to the needs of participating families. Plans are to be co-developed with children (as appropriate), families and carers, care team members and other relevant professionals
• provide families with practical and emotional support, coaching and skill building and connections to social and economic resources
• work closely and collaboratively with Child Protection Practitioners and coordinate shared visits with the child and family
• refer, develop and maintain effective partnerships/care teams with a wide breadth of services including specialist and mainstream services in child, youth, family, health, employment and training and disability

Please refer the Job description for details