Defence Social Worker

Department of Defence; City Of Rockingham; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Defence is seeking Defence Social Workers to deliver a broad range of support services and programs to Defence Command, members and families. The role includes conducting quality assessments, comprehensive psychosocial work, bereavement support, brief interventions and referrals to support Army, Navy and Air Force personnel and their families.

You will work autonomously and in a multi-disciplinary team, providing training, psychosocial programs, and community engagement.

Qualifications

• Strong assessment, counselling and case planning skills.
• Experience in report writing and capacity building.
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Willingness to travel to Exmouth and Karratha, including some after-hours and weekend work.

Responsibilities

• Conduct quality assessments and write reports to assist decision making processes.
• Provide complex social work services in a generalist practice framework, including comprehensive assessments, bereavement support, brief intervention and referrals to enhance social functioning of ADF personnel and their families.
• Provide support to Defence families to manage the military lifestyle.
• Provide training to Defence members and Command; psychosocial programs to Defence families.
• Assist Defence families engage with their communities and local services.
• Deliver DMFS’s suite of national programmes - partner employment, education and critical incidents to Defence families.
• Operate within organisational processes and policies providing brief interventions, critical incident management, psychosocial assessments, social work reports, and works across the multidisciplinary team supporting community capacity building.

Skills

Assessment

Counselling

Case planning

Report writing

Community capacity building

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

The Role Defence Social Workers deliver a broad range of support services and programs to Defence Command, members and families, plus undertake critical assessments to assist Commanders in making decisions that impact Defence families and Defence capability such as:

• Conduct quality assessments and write reports to assist in decision making processes;
• Provide complex social work services in a generalist practice framework, including comprehensive assessments, bereavement support, brief intervention and referrals to enhance the social functioning of Australian Defence Force personnel and their families;
• Provide support to Defence families to manage the military lifestyle;
• Provide training to Defence members and Command; psychosocial programs to Defence families;
• Assist Defence families engage with their communities and local services;
• Deliver DMFS’s suite of national programmes - partner employment, education and critical incidents to Defence families;
• Operate within the boundaries of organisational processes and policies providing brief interventions, critical incident management, psychosocial assessments, social work reports, and works across the multidisciplinary team supporting community capacity building.

About our Team Bring your skills and ambition to our team! Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) Branch is a diverse and inclusive workplace which offers a broad range of programmes and services to help Commanders, Australian Defence Force members and their families manage the military lifestyle. DMFS supports Defence families’ self-reliance and capacity to engage with community agencies. Defence Social Workers provide support to all three services - Navy, Army and Air Force. The role requires working both autonomously and collaboratively within a dynamic multi-disciplinary environment with Military Support Officers, Defence Social Workers, Family Liaison Officers, an Educational Liaison Officer and a Business Support Officer. You will have a Social Worker peer network across Australia. You will directly assist members and their families adapt to the requirements of a mobile military lifestyle.

Our Ideal Candidate You will demonstrate strong assessment, counselling, case planning, report writing and community capacity building knowledge and skills. You will possess the ability to work within multi-disciplinary teams and be part of an organisation where professionalism, innovation and the ability to find creative solutions to challenges is highly regarded.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• Applies professional expertise in social work;
• Operates within the boundaries of organisational processes and policies to provide brief interventions, critical incident management, psychosocial assessments and social work reports;
• Uses judgement to identify and resolve problems objectively;
• Builds and sustains positive relationships with team members, stakeholders and clients;
• Possesses strong stakeholder engagement skills;
• Possesses an ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines;
• Be able to participate in some after hours and weekend work including travel to Exmouth and Karratha and remain overnight.