Family and Relationship Services (FaRS) Practitioner

RAQ; Mackay Regional; On-site; AUD 82,000 - 100,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging up to $15,900

Extra Christmas leave days

Annual leave loading

Study leave up to 2 weeks/year

Parental leave

Wellbeing support through Telus Health

Job summary

Relationships Australia Queensland (RAQ) in Mackay seeks a Family & Relationships Services Practitioner for a part-time role (3 days/week) until the end of May 2027. You will provide high-quality counselling to individuals, couples, and families, with a focus on couples and work with young children.

Responsibilities include intake, risk and needs assessments, applying life span development and systems theory, and maintaining thorough records while complying with funding requirements.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate qualifications in Behavioural Science, Psychology, Counselling or Social Work.
• Demonstrated experience in couples counselling and working with young children.
• Strong understanding of family dynamics and evidence-based practice.

Responsibilities

• Conduct client intake, risk and needs assessments for all clients.
• Apply life span development theory to support families through transitions.
• Utilise a systems theory framework and evidence-based interventions.
• Recommend tailored interventions based on client history and goals.
• Maintain confidentiality and manage clinical risk and duty of care.
• Keep detailed client files and risk management documentation.

Skills

Couples counselling

Child development

Family systems theory

Education

Behavioural Science

Psychology

Counselling

Social Work

Job description

Family and Relationship Services (FaRS) Practitioner

About Us

At Relationships Australia Queensland (RAQ), we are proud to be Queensland’s leading provider of relationship and family wellbeing services. Our purpose is to provide individuals and families with the tools and support they need to build happier, healthier lives. Through education, counselling, and community programs, we help people develop the skills and resilience to navigate life’s challenges.

Our work promotes care and safety, embracing diversity to foster strong and connected communities. We are committed to expanding our expertise and leading conversations about relationships, mental health, and social connection.

By joining Relationships Australia Queensland, you can be part of a dedicated team making a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities.

About the role

We are excited to invite a passionate and skilled Family & Relationships Services Practitioner to join our Mackay team in a part-time (3 days/week) capacity until the end of May 2027.

In this vital role, you'll offer high-quality family and relationship counselling to individuals, couples, and families, with couples counselling and work with young children at the heart of your everyday practice. Your expertise will help clients navigate life transitions, strengthen relationships, and promote positive family outcomes.

Additionally, you will:

• Conduct client intake, risk, and needs assessments for all clients.
• Apply knowledge of life span and development theory to support individuals, couples, and families through transitions such as relationship formation, marriage, separation, remarriage, parenthood, parenting children of different ages, and retirement.
• Utilise a systems theory framework and evidence-based interventions to help clients achieve their service delivery goals.
• Recommend tailored interventions based on clients’ presenting issues, history, risk assessment, the impact on children, and their service delivery goals.
• Maintain confidentiality and understand its limits in the context of clinical risk management and duty of care.
• Keep detailed client files, case notes, and risk management documentation in line with organisational policy and procedure.
• Comply with legislative and funding requirements, ensuring timely and accurate collection and recording of statistical data.

About you

You care deeply about helping individuals, couples, and families move through life’s challenges with confidence and connection. You bring demonstrated experience in couples counselling and working with young children, backed by a strong understanding of family dynamics and evidence-based practice. If you thrive in a supportive team environment, are committed to growing professionally, and want to make a genuine difference in people's lives, we'd love to hear from you.

Additionally, you will:

• Possess appropriate undergraduate qualifications in Behavioural Science, Psychology, Counselling or Social Work
• Demonstrated experience and theoretical knowledge and application of Family Systems theories, evidence-based interventions for couples’ relationship work and developmental psychological theories
• Demonstrated experience working therapeutically with young children, including an understanding of child development and the impact of family transitions on children
• Demonstrated experience and theoretical knowledge in application of practice frameworks for working with family violence.
• Previous experience in the delivery of counselling to couples and families, across the lifespan, coupled with knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations relating to relationships counselling.

We Can Offer You

At RAQ, we believe in supporting our people both inside and outside the workplace. Here’s what you can look forward to as part of our team:

• Work-Life Balance - Enjoy a flexible, supportive culture that empowers you to thrive at work and at home.
• Boost Your Take-Home Pay - Access salary packaging options of up to $15,900 per year, significantly increasing your net income.
• Extra Time Off - Recharge with 3 additional paid leave days over the Christmas period, on top of your standard annual leave.
• Annual Leave Loading - Receive extra pay when you take annual leave - because your downtime matters.
• Study Leave - Pursuing further qualifications? We offer up to 2 weeks of paid study leave each year to support your professional growth.
• Generous Parental Leave - Take the time you need to focus on your family with our paid parental leave program.
• Wellbeing Support - Benefit from medical insurance discounts and free access to our Employee Assistance Program through Telus Health.

Annual salary on offer starts from $91,000 plus superannuation (pro rata for part-time) to be negotiated depending upon qualifications and experience.

Join us and experience a workplace where your wellbeing, growth, and success are our top priorities.

We are committed to a culturally safe and respectful workplace, where inclusion is embedded in how we work and support our people. We warmly encourage applications from First Nations peoples and recognise the value of lived experience in delivering meaningful outcomes for the communities we serve.