Anchor - Child and Family Counsellor – Children and Families

Uniting NSW & ACT; Campbelltown City Council; On-site; AUD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading community support organization seeks a Child and Family Counsellor to provide individual, family, and group therapy for children and their parents. The ideal candidate will have qualifications in psychology or social work and experience with children, young people, and trauma-informed practices. This role involves collaborating in a multidisciplinary team to support families navigating issues related to separation and trauma.

Benefits

Salary packaging benefits

Wellbeing support programs

Comprehensive training and development

Ex-gratia leave days

Family violence leave

Qualifications

• Experience in delivering long-term counselling or group therapy.
• Familiarity with the Family Law Act 1975 and relevant legislation.
• Training in trauma-focused approaches.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual therapy and family therapy to children and young people.
• Facilitate therapeutic group programs for children and parents.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams for case discussions.

Skills

Counselling skills

Trauma-informed practice

Child protection understanding

Group therapy experience

Sensitivity in complex situations

Education

Tertiary qualifications in psychology, social work, or counselling

Job description

Anchor - Child and Family Counsellor – Children and Families

Uniting Counselling and Mediation The Anchor Program is expanding our support to children and young people (0–18), and their parents. This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a new specialist Anchor counselling model, designed to recognise children as victims in their own right and provide them with longer-term, trauma-informed care.

As an Anchor counsellor, you will provide individual therapy, family therapy and group-based support to children and young people. You’ll also engage with parents to help strengthen the parent-child relationship and reduce the chronic stress and trauma symptoms children are experiencing post-separation.

About you in the role

You will help children and young people, and their parents navigate the challenges of parental separation and divorce through a 6 to 10 session model. You will deliver long term trauma-informed therapy (up to 20 sessions) for children and young people impacted by DFV.

• Facilitate therapeutic group programs for children, young people, and parents.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team through regular case discussions, team meetings, and professional development.
• Client-facing work per day, with time dedicated to supervision, documentation, and training.
• Contribute to the rollout of modality-specific interventions, including trauma-focused CBT.
• Provide high quality individual, child, youth and family therapy to repair and strengthen family relationships.
• Provide family therapy in conjunction with other Uniting Counselling and Mediation Staff (e.g. family dispute resolution practitioner) in a multi-disciplinary approach.
• Provide child consultation as part of child inclusive practice to families after separation and divorce, including involuntary and court-ordered clients.
• Assist in the development, facilitation and promotion of clinical group work programs within the centre, and with external stakeholders such as community services and schools.
• Under the direction of the Centre Manager/Supervisor, you’ll liaise and network with relevant agencies to facilitate effective and high-quality services to our clients including the development and implementation of specific case management models.

About You

You will have tertiary qualifications in psychology, social work, counselling or related field and experience working therapeutically with children, young people (0–18), and/or parents. Understanding of child protection issues and trauma-informed practice is essential.

• Eligibility for membership with a relevant professional body.
• Experienced in working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities and individuals from a range of cultural backgrounds.
• Able to remain neutral and exercise discretion and sensitivity in complex situations.
• Experience delivering long-term counselling or group therapy.
• Knowledge of and experience working in the context of DFV and high-conflict family dynamics.
• Training in trauma-focused approaches (e.g., CBT, play therapy).
• Experience in adult individual counselling, couple and family therapy.
• Experience working with court ordered and involuntary clients.
• Experience in working within a Family Law context.
• Familiarity with the Family Law Act 1975 and other relevant legislation (e.g. Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection Act).

Why Work at Uniting

At Uniting, we care for you while you care for others. We offer salary packaging benefits, wellbeing support, comprehensive training and development, and a strong clinical and supervision framework.

• Salary packaging benefits – increase your take-home pay.
• Wellbeing support – tools and programs to support your physical and mental health.
• To have a career that matters in an organisation that focuses on making an impact.
• Receive comprehensive training and development in areas of child, youth and family counselling and to learn within a supportive work environment.
• To work within a strong clinical and supervision framework.
• Up to 4 ex-gratia days (on top of annual leave) at the end of the year.
• Up to 76 hours of family violence leave.