APS 6 Clinician

DVA; Ipswich City; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling, part of the Australian public service, seeks APS 6 Clinicians to deliver counselling services to current and former ADF personnel and their families.

You will apply your background in psychology, social work, counselling, occupational therapy, or nursing to build rapport, assess needs, and develop goals that improve mental health and wellbeing, while keeping confidential records.

Qualifications

• Clinician role requires background in psychology, social work, counselling, occupational therapy, or nursing.
• Experience with evidence-based assessment and treatment.
• Ability to maintain confidential care plans and notes.

Responsibilities

• Provide counselling services to veterans and their families.
• Conduct assessments, formulate treatment plans, and deliver evidence-based interventions.
• Collaborate with Open Arms staff and external providers as needed.

Job description

JOB OVERVIEW Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling (formerly VVCS) is Australia’s leading provider of high-quality mental health assessment and clinical counselling services for Australian veterans and their families. We are focused on meeting client needs through a combination of proven clinical practices and new and emerging evidence-based approaches.

You will be supported through the provision of ongoing learning and development opportunities and funded clinical supervision.

Clinicians (APS 6) work within the Open Arms Division of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) providing counselling services to current and formerly serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, their partners, and families. They apply extensive knowledge and experience gained from a relevant background in psychology, social work, counselling, occupational therapy, or nursing to build rapport with clients, understand their unique experiences and work with them to identify goals that will enhance mental health and wellbeing.

Clinicians provide evidence-based assessment, formulation, and treatment for a range of psychological conditions, and keep confidential care plans and clinical notes to reflect counselling progress. They may also provide co-facilitation for group programs alongside fellow Open Arms staff or external clinicians. With clients’ consent, Clinicians will liaise with additional treatment providers, family members and/or key Open Arms and DVA stakeholders to enhance therapeutic support.

Reporting to the Assistant Director (EL 1) Clinicians are required to attend regular case reviews and operational supervision to discuss client progress and complex cases with the Assistant Director and other Clinicians. They are required to make decisions, problem solve and navigate complex client issues, whilst adhering to relevant legislation, ethical guidelines, and policies. Critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills are paramount, and Clinicians must demonstrate high levels of integrity and emotional intelligence. Bringing knowledge of veterans’ and their families’ experiences to the role, Clinicians will demonstrate respect for all clients and uphold a strong commitment to confidentiality and privacy.

DUTIES

As an APS 6 you will be required to:

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the above, one of the following:

ELIGIBILITY

NOTES

This recruitment process may be used to fill ongoing and/or non-ongoing position/s. For more information about the role, please see the Candidate Information Pack.

A merit pool of suitable applicants may be created which may be used to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies should they become available over the next 18 months.

Successful applicants engaged into the APS will be subject to a probation period.

We welcome people with diverse skills, experiences and perspectives. DVA is committed to building a workforce that reflects the community we serve and encourages applications from:

We are a Veteran Employer of Choice! This means you benefit from a workplace actively supporting veterans and families of veterans – one that understands and values military experience. You’re joining an organisation publicly recognised for its commitment to fostering veteran‑friendly employment pathways and long‑term career success.

The Australian Public Service (APS) values the unique skills, perspectives, and experiences that veterans gain during their Australian Defence Force (ADF) employment and encourage veterans to apply. Support may be available to veterans transitioning to meaningful APS careers through participation in VetPaths, which offers veterans an opportunity to participate in a six‑month program offering formal learning and development, career mentoring and activities for wellness and peer support. More information can be found on the DVA Website.

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme, you will be invited to participate in further assessment activities for the vacancy if you choose to opt‑in to the scheme, declare you have a disability and meet the minimum requirements for the vacancy. All requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered and managed in consultation with you.

CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK

The candidate information pack is available below.

Candidate Information Pack