Family Engagement Worker

at  Department of Justice and Community Safety

• Support women to re-establish and/or strengthen relationships with their children and family while in custody.
• 2 x Fixed, Full-Time opportunities to work with a high-performing and passionate team in the Victorian Public Service
• VPS Grade 4: $92,332 - $104,762 plus superannuation.
  The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking Family Engagement Workers to provide a critical role at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
  About the Business Unit
  The Corrections and Justice Services (CJS) group, comprising Corrections Victoria (CV), Justice Health and Justice Services, plays an integral role in developing safer and more resilient communities and in delivering a trusted justice and community safety system.
  CV is responsible for the implementation of policies, programs and services that ensure the safe and secure containment of prisoners, and that seek to rehabilitate people in our care by addressing the underlying causes of offending behaviour.
  About the Role
  The Family Engagement Worker is an integral part of a new Family Engagement Service offered at both prisons and will be responsible for assisting women prisoners and their families to maintain relationships or re-establish contact with family. Using a whole of family approach, the Family Engagement Worker will identify, assess, and coordinate family engagement planning and referrals for women and their families. This will include liaison with other Government departments, such as the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) Child Protection and working on strategies to assist women to transition to the family unit and the community in general.
  The Family Engagement Worker will also work closely with other prison staff and service providers to ensure activities that support women, and their families operate in a collaborative, integrated, and coordinated manner.

SOME OF YOUR DUTIES WILL INCLUDE:

• Assist women to re-establish and/or strengthen relationships with their children and other family members while in custody.
• Act as a point of contact with agencies such as DFFH Child Protection, including where women identify a desire to maintain/re-establish contact with their children who may be in out-of-home care arrangements.
• Coordinate and involve women in goal setting during all stages of imprisonment to encourage and support women and their families’ engagement during all types of contact.
  To learn more about this role before applying, please read the attached position description.
  About you

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL HAVE:

• Demonstrated knowledge of complexities associated with women in custody, including transition and reintegration issues and needs of women prisoners.
• Experience working with women and their families
• Experience in working with difficult to engage clients
• Capacity to work within a prison setting
• Experience delivering parenting programs (desirable)
  How to Apply
  Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.
  The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include national police checks and misconduct screening.
  If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.