Counsellor Allied Care

Employer: Melbourne City Mission
Location: Thornbury
Type: Part Time
Closing Date:  18 February 2024

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Summary

Melbourne City Mission (MCM) is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to safety. MCM embraces differences because we know that diversity and inclusion help us to attract, recruit, engage and retain talented people.

MCM is a leading not-for profit-for-purpose organisation that offer a broad range of services in Early Years, Disability, Homelessness, Palliative Care and Education.

About the role

Allied care provide the psychosocial and holistic support for MCM’s Palliative Care Services, delivering counselling, social work, resourcing & advocacy, massage therapy, volunteer services, education and bereavement support.

Working within the Palliative Care counselling team, you will provide counselling, and psychosocial support to MCM Palliative Care clients and carers within an interdisciplinary team model, in accordance with the vision, values, policies, and procedures of Melbourne City Mission.

Support and outreach is provided face to face, in client/carer homes, MCMPC office, via telephone and telehealth and group settings.

This role is an ongoing part-time opportunity (3 days a week, 24 hours per week - Wednesdays and Fridays at the office)

We are looking for someone who can:

• Provide appropriate assessment, and responsiveness through counselling, psychosocial support, and welfare needs of clients and carers, friends, and family, including those with complex and high-risk needs. This may also involve appropriate referrals to internal or external stakeholders. 
• Provide cover for the wider Allied Care counselling team (Bereavement, Aged Care) in the provision of therapeutic counselling and psychosocial support as needed. 
• Initiate and participate in ongoing advance care planning and assist clients and carers to resolve issues that arise from these discussions.
• Provide appropriate support, information, education and advocacy for clients and carers of diverse ages, cultures, and backgrounds.
• Contribute to promoting respectful and constructive team relationships within the interdisciplinary teams, ensuring awareness to quality loss, grief, and bereavement support for Melbourne City Mission Palliative Care clients and carers

Selection Criteria

• Tertiary qualifications in a discipline, with an emphasis on psychotherapeutic practice such as Counselling, Social Work or Psychology.
• Eligibility for membership or registration to relevant professional association.
• Demonstrated experience in providing counselling and psychosocial support in a palliative care, community health or related field.
• Understanding of loss and grief across the lifespan.
• Demonstrated competence in providing counselling support to people of varied social, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
• Experience in conducting psychosocial spiritual assessments.
• The ability to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team setting.
• Demonstrated competence in implementing and maintaining self-care routines including reflective practice.
• Demonstrated experience in aligning practice with professional standards.
• Competence with electronic client and carer records and computer skills.
• Experience in working with people living with a life-limiting condition and their carers.
• Prior experience in providing peer or professional support and debriefing.

What is offered

Benefits of working with MCM include:

• Inclusive Employer by the Diversity Council of Australia 
• Attractive Salary Packaging benefits 
• Supportive learning and development environment 
• Culture of continuous improvement