Counsellor (Sts) Remote

Lifeline Direct; Melbourne; Remote; AUD 62,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Working from home

5 weeks annual leave

Salary packaging options

Clinical supervision & EAP

Job summary

Lifeline Direct in Australia is seeking a Counsellor (Specialist Targeted Services) to provide professional telephone and digital counselling and information/referrals to On the Line Australia clients. The role runs on a 6‑month contract with the possibility of extension, with a rotating roster including weekends and overnights.

You will hold a tertiary degree in a relevant field and have at least 456 hours of counselling experience, plus resilience to work in high‑risk contexts.

Qualifications

• A tertiary degree (minimum three years) in a relevant discipline (Social Work, Welfare Studies, Psychology or Counselling).
• Minimum 456 hours of counselling experience, showing strengths-based brief solution-focused work.
• High resilience to work in high-risk environments including suicide, domestic/family violence, anxiety and depression.
• Ability to work in a high-performing culture with KPIs and a set counselling framework.
• Commitment to professional development, openness to feedback and coaching.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional counselling to consumers of Specialist Targeted Services.
• Provide referrals and information to consumers.
• Engage and support consumers, assess needs and offer ongoing support options.
• Identify high-risk consumers or third parties and consult with the Clinical Manager.
• Collect consumer demographic data.
• Undertake professional development.
• Contribute to a positive high-performing culture.

Skills

Counselling

Phone counselling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Work / Welfare / Psychology / Counselling

Job description

Lifeline Direct (LLD) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lifeline Australia. LLD focuses on supporting the development and ongoing implementation of suicide prevention and community wellbeing programs in the regions which we operate while looking for opportunities to grow Lifeline’s services in geographical areas where they do not currently exist.

LLD encompasses Lifeline Centres in Hunter region, Central Coast, Eastern Suburbs-Bondi, New England North West, Northern NSW, Geelong and South West Victoria, Northern and Western Melbourne. Our specialised and targeted services operate nationally via a telehealth model.

About the role

At Lifeline Direct, we're committed to delivering high-quality crisis support, counselling and community services that lead us to our strategy of an Australia that is free of suicide.

The Counsellor STS (Specialist Targeted Services) role supports consumers by providing professional, specialist telephone and digital counselling, and providing information and referrals to consumers of On the Line Australia services. The role will contribute into the following key areas (but not limited to):

• Provide professional counselling to consumers of Specialist Targeted Services.
• Provide relevant and appropriate referrals and information to consumers.
• Engage and support consumers by making assessments, working with the consumer and communicating options for ongoing support, and equipping callers to support a person they are concerned about.
• Identifying consumers or third parties at high risk, consulting with the Clinical Manager as required.
• Collection of consumer demographic data.
• Undertake professional development.
• Contribute to a positive high performing culture.

Successful candidates will need to be:

• Prepared to work rotating roster, weekends, afternoon shifts and overnight shifts.
• Enthusiastic, and have high adaptability to change, is open to constructive feedback and have established self-care practices.
• Confident with technology and able to work with phone and live chat-based counselling.
• Understand this is a 6-month contract with the opportunity to extend or be made permanent.
  

What you bring to the role

• A tertiary degree (of minimum three-year duration) in a relevant discipline (Social Work, Welfare Studies, Psychology or Counselling).
• A minimum of 456 hours of counselling experience, demonstrating the ability to work in a strengths-based, brief solution-focused framework.
• A high level of resilience to work in an environment that is exposed to high risk, demonstrating the following presentations of suicide, domestic/family violence, anxiety, depression.
• Ability to work in a high performing culture, including the ability to demonstrate a high level of counselling within a set framework and KPIs.
• An enthusiastic and positive nature that can work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Awareness of self and engage in good self-care practices.
• Commitment to professional development and openness to feedback and coaching.
• High level of computer literacy with the ability to pick up new programs and systems quickly.
• Current Working with Children Check (for paid employment).
  

Working at Home Requirements

As this is a digital-based telephone and chat service, there are minimum setup requirements for you to adequately perform in this role when working at home, including:

• A safe and quiet workspace
• Stable and good quality internet connection
• You have strong IT skills and proficiency in telephony-based systems where you are comfortable navigating software, typing and talking at the same time
  

Salary and benefits

• $53.43 per hour base rate (plus superannuation) + penalty rates
• 5 weeks annual leave with annual leave loading (pro-rata for part-time employees)
• Access to clinical supervision, debriefing and EAP
• Working from home
• Salary Packaging options