Creative Arts Therapist

CatholicCare Sydney; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional supervision

Hybrid work

Salary packaging

Career development

Supportive team

Job summary

CatholicCare Sydney’s SPARK Child and Family Wellbeing Program in Sydney’s Inner West seeks a Creative Arts Therapist to deliver trauma-informed, child-centred therapy for children aged 5–11 and their families within a multidisciplinary team.

You will run individual and group sessions, promote emotional regulation and resilience through expressive modalities, and collaborate with families, schools and community partners to drive positive outcomes in a flexible, hybrid work setting.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Creative Arts Therapy, Art Therapy, Play Therapy, or a related discipline.
• Professional membership, registration or eligibility for registration with ANZACATA, PACFA, ACA or another relevant professional body.
• Demonstrated experience delivering therapeutic interventions to children aged 5-11 years and their families.
• Sound knowledge of child development, attachment theory, trauma-informed practice and child mental health.
• Experience facilitating individual and group-based therapeutic programs.
• Strong skills in engagement, assessment, therapeutic planning and intervention.
• Ability to build positive therapeutic relationships with children, families and carers.
• Excellent communication, collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• Current NSW Driver Licence.
• Current Working with Children Check.

Responsibilities

• Deliver trauma-informed, child-centred therapeutic services to children aged 5-11 years through individual and group Creative Arts Therapy interventions.
• Utilise evidence-informed Creative Arts Therapy approaches and other therapeutic modalities appropriate to qualifications, registration and scope of practice.
• Facilitate therapeutic groups that promote emotional wellbeing, resilience, social connection, self-expression, and the development of self-regulation and co-regulation skills.
• Support children to explore emotions, strengthen coping skills and build confidence through creative and expressive therapeutic activities.
• Work collaboratively with parents and carers to support children's social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing.
• Deliver services from the Lakemba Family Support Hub, Bankstown Family Relationship Centre, and within school and community settings where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with children, families, schools and community stakeholders to support positive outcomes.
• Participate in case conferences, multidisciplinary discussions and collaborative care planning to support coordinated and effective outcomes for children and families.
• Ensure services are welcoming, accessible, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, child-safe and inclusive.
• Maintain accurate case notes, client records, outcome data and reporting requirements in accordance with organisational and professional standards.
• Participate in supervision, professional development, service improvement activities and multidisciplinary case discussions.
• Deliver services in accordance with the SPARK Model of Care, organisational policies and relevant legislative requirements.

Skills

Creative Arts Therapy

Child development

Trauma-informed practice

Engagement skills

Therapeutic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Cultural responsiveness

Driver licence

Working with Children Check

Education

Creative Arts Therapy degree

Related disciplines qualifications

Job description

Join CatholicCare Sydney’s SPARK Child and Family Wellbeing Program in Sydney’s Inner West. As a Creative Arts Therapist, you’ll provide early intervention therapeutic support to children aged 5–11 and their families, working as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team.

• Full-time opportunity based in Sydney's Inner West
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance
• Competitive salary plus Superannuation and Salary Packaging
• Professional supervision, training and career development opportunities
• Opportunity to be part of an innovative early intervention program supporting children and families

About the Service

The SPARK Child and Family Wellbeing Program is a Primary Health Network (PHN) funded initiative providing early intervention mental health and wellbeing support to children aged 5-11 years and their families in Canterbury.

The program delivers child-centred and family-focused support that promotes positive mental health, strengthens family relationships, builds parenting capacity and improves outcomes for children experiencing vulnerability or emerging wellbeing concerns.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the program provides coordinated and accessible support through community-based, home-based, school-based and office-based service delivery.

About the Role

As the Creative Arts Therapist, you will provide trauma-informed, child-centred therapeutic support to children aged 5-11 years and their families through creative and expressive modalities. Working within the multidisciplinary team, you will support children to develop emotional regulation, resilience, self-expression, social connection and wellbeing through evidence-informed Creative Arts Therapy interventions.

You will deliver individual and group-based therapeutic services and work collaboratively with families, schools and community stakeholders to support positive outcomes for children participating in the SPARK Program.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver trauma-informed, child-centred therapeutic services to children aged 5-11 years through individual and group Creative Arts Therapy interventions.
• Utilise evidence-informed Creative Arts Therapy approaches and other therapeutic modalities appropriate to qualifications, registration and scope of practice.
• Facilitate therapeutic groups that promote emotional wellbeing, resilience, social connection, self-expression, and the development of self-regulation and co-regulation skills.
• Support children to explore emotions, strengthen coping skills and build confidence through creative and expressive therapeutic activities.
• Work collaboratively with parents and carers to support children's social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing.
• Deliver services from the Lakemba Family Support Hub, Bankstown Family Relationship Centre, and within school and community settings where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with children, families, schools and community stakeholders to support positive outcomes.
• Participate in case conferences, multidisciplinary discussions and collaborative care planning to support coordinated and effective outcomes for children and families.
• Ensure services are welcoming, accessible, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, child-safe and inclusive.
• Maintain accurate case notes, client records, outcome data and reporting requirements in accordance with organisational and professional standards.
• Participate in supervision, professional development, service improvement activities and multidisciplinary case discussions.
• Deliver services in accordance with the SPARK Model of Care, organisational policies and relevant legislative requirements.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Tertiary qualifications in Creative Arts Therapy, Art Therapy, Play Therapy, or a related discipline. Additional qualifications in counselling, mental health, psychology, social work, occupational therapy, or a related discipline will be highly regarded.
• Professional membership, registration or eligibility for registration with ANZACATA, PACFA, ACA or another relevant professional body.
• Demonstrated experience delivering therapeutic interventions to children aged 5-11 years and their families.
• Sound knowledge of child development, attachment theory, trauma-informed practice and child mental health.
• Experience facilitating individual and group-based therapeutic programs.
• Strong skills in engagement, assessment, therapeutic planning and intervention.
• Ability to build positive therapeutic relationships with children, families and carers.
• Excellent communication, collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• Current NSW Driver Licence.
• Current Working with Children Check.

The Benefits

• Professional Growth: Access ongoing learning and development opportunities, professional supervision and a supportive multidisciplinary team environment.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy flexible and hybrid working arrangements with a Family Inclusive accredited employer.
• Salary Packaging: Increase your take-home pay through generous not-for-profit salary packaging benefits.
• Generous Leave Entitlements: Access above-award leave provisions and a range of wellbeing supports.
• Purpose-Driven Work: Make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families through an innovative early intervention wellbeing program.

Choose a workplace that cares about your growth, wellbeing and professional success. Join us today.

Need More Information?

Emma Larkins
Director Child and Family Safety Services
Email: ************@catholiccare.org

About CatholicCare Sydney

People are at the core of everything we do, from supporting children, young people and families to nurturing the growth and development of our staff.

CatholicCare Sydney is a leading not-for-profit organisation and the social services agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. We support people from all walks of life and are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse and supportive workplace where our staff can make a meaningful difference.

We welcome applications from individuals of all ages, cultures, identities and abilities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people living with disability.

CatholicCare requires the preferred applicant to undertake a National Criminal History Record Check prior to employment. A Working with Children Check will be required for this position.

Applications will be reviewed as received and may close prior to the advertised closing date.