Program Manager - Forensic & Complex Youth

DCC Industry Group Careers; Ipswich City; On-site; AUD 99,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5 weeks annual leave

Regular supervision for professional发展

Employee Assistance Program

Permanent full-time role, Mon-Fri

Job summary

DCC Industry Group is seeking an experienced Program Manager for Forensic & Complex Youth Support in Ipswich. You will lead a high‑complexity residential program for adolescents with disability, integrating case management, house operations, and governance to ensure safety and therapeutic outcomes.

You will build a skilled, trauma‑informed team, coordinate with child safety, health and allied services, and maintain rigorous care standards in a dynamic risk environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Behavioural Science, Disability, or a related field
• 5+ years’ experience working with adolescents and young adults with forensic disability and complex psychosocial needs
• Demonstrated experience supporting young people with high-risk behaviours, including significant emotional or behavioural dysregulation
• Experience in child safety is desirable
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice, positive behaviour support, and therapeutic care frameworks
• Experience leading or mentoring staff in high-risk environments, including post-crisis support and reflective debriefing
• Confidence working within multi-system and multidisciplinary teams, including disability, child safety, mental health, justice, and allied health services
• The ability to remain calm under pressure and provide clear, supportive leadership during periods of escalation
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust with young people, staff, and external stakeholders
• Current Blue Card and Yellow Card
• Satisfactory LCS Check
• Satisfactory National Police Check
• Current Open/P2 Australian Driver's License

Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end operational leadership for a high-complexity single tenancy residential program.
• Deliver consistent case management and advocacy for the client, ensuring their voice, rights, and therapeutic needs remain central
• Act as the primary liaison with Child Safety, QLD Health, mental health services, allied health providers, and other key stakeholders within a multidisciplinary care framework
• Lead, supervise, and support a multi-disciplinary specialist care team, fostering a high-performance, trauma-informed culture
• Guide and embed therapeutic practice frameworks, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) and Team Teach
• Oversee behaviour support planning, post-incident responses, and structured post-crisis debriefing processes
• Coordinate rostering, staffing sustainability, and fatigue management in collaboration with People & Culture
• Provide senior-level on-call support, including after-hours decision-making during critical incidents or periods of escalation
• Support therapeutic engagement strategies, including family contact and community engagement where appropriate with a focus on safety and client capacity building
• Contribute to program development, quality assurance, and continuous improvement informed by forensic and complex disability practice

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Calm under pressure

Staff mentoring

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor degree in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Behavioural Science, Disability, or a related field

Job description

About the Role:

The Program Manager - Forensic & Complex Youth Support plays a pivotal leadership role in the delivery of a safe, stable, and therapeutically grounded single-tenancy residential program for an adolescent with disability and complex psychosocial needs transitioning into adulthood. The position is responsible for establishing consistency, fostering strong and trusting relationships, and promoting long-term well-being through trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and person-centred practice.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role that integrates case management, house operations, and overarching program governance. Operating outside the Model of Care (MOC), the Program Manager provides clear strategic direction, accountability, and oversight across all aspects of service delivery. The role has a strong focus on building, developing, and sustaining an agile and responsive team, ensuring staff are well-supported, skilled, and aligned to the individualised needs of the client.

The Program Manager is accountable for coordinating internal and external stakeholders, maintaining rigorous standards of care, and responding effectively to complex and dynamic risk environments. Through confident leadership and informed decision-making, the role drives a targeted, adaptable service response while embedding best practices in forensic disability and youth support.

Based at DCC’s Ipswich office, the role requires regular and responsive presence at the Logan-based placement to ensure strong on-site leadership, visibility, and continuity of care. This flexible and proactive approach supports program stability and enables timely, informed responses to emerging needs.

This position is well-suited to an experienced leader who demonstrates calmness under pressure, leads with authority and empathy, and is capable of guiding teams through high-risk and challenging situations while maintaining a strong focus on safety, quality, and positive outcomes for both the client and the care team.

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Provide end-to-end operational leadership for a high-complexity single tenancy residential program, including day-to-day oversight of care delivery, staffing, and environment safety

• Deliver consistent case management and advocacy for the client, ensuring their voice, rights, and therapeutic needs remain central to all planning and decision-making

• Act as the primary liaison with Child Safety, QLD Health, mental health services, allied health providers, and other key stakeholders within a multidisciplinary care framework

• Lead, supervise, and support a multi-disciplinary specialist care team, fostering a high-performance, trauma-informed culture focused on safety, reflection, and continuous improvement

• Guide and embed therapeutic practice frameworks, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) and Team Teach, supporting staff capability, confidence, and professional growth

• Oversee behaviour support planning, post-incident responses, and structured post-crisis debriefing processes to support emotional regulation, learning, and staff wellbeing

• Coordinate rostering, staffing sustainability, and fatigue management in collaboration with People & Culture, ensuring program continuity and workforce stability

• Provide senior-level on-call support, including after-hours decision-making during critical incidents or periods of escalation

• Support therapeutic engagement strategies, including family contact and community engagement where appropriate with a focus on safety and client capacity building

• Contribute to program development, quality assurance, and continuous improvement informed by forensic and complex disability practice

About You:

You are an experienced and values-driven leader with a strong background supporting adolescents and young adults with forensic disability, psychosocial disability, and high-risk behaviours. You understand how trauma, disability, and system involvement intersect, and you bring a calm, stable presence to environments where safety, consistency, and skilled decision-making matter.

You have extensive experience working with young people who present with complex behaviours, including anti-social behaviour, emotional dysregulation, and justice or statutory involvement. You are comfortable leading teams in high-risk settings and know how to balance therapeutic care with clear boundaries, structure, and accountability.

For experienced leaders currently working with strong, values-aligned teams, DCC supports continuity of practice and understands the importance of established professional working relationships.

What's On Offer:

• Permanent full-time employment, Monday to Friday

• $110,000 per annum plus superannuation

• 5 weeks of annual leave

• Regular supervision to support professional development, career growth and progression

• An opportunity to build on strong, established ways of working and current working relationships

• Access to Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications/Requirements:

• A Bachelor degree in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Behavioural Science, Disability, or a related field

• 5+ years’ experience working with adolescents and young adults with forensic disability and complex psychosocial needs

• Demonstrated experience supporting young people with high-risk behaviours, including significant emotional or behavioural dysregulation

• Experience in child safety is desirable

• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice, positive behaviour support, and therapeutic care frameworks

• Experience leading or mentoring staff in high-risk environments, including post-crisis support and reflective debriefing

• Confidence working within multi-system and multidisciplinary teams, including disability, child safety, mental health, justice, and allied health services

• The ability to remain calm under pressure and provide clear, supportive leadership during periods of escalation

• Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust with young people, staff, and external stakeholders

• Current Blue Card and Yellow Card

• Satisfactory LCS Check

• Satisfactory National Police Check

• Current Open/P2 Australian Driver's License

About DCC:

At DCC Industry Group, we're committed to creating meaningful opportunities that empower individuals, strengthen families, and build thriving communities. As a proudly Indigenous-led organisation and NDIS-registered provider, we deliver person-centred services across Youth & Communities, Foster and Kinship Care, Workforce, Allied Health, and Disability Services.

Guided by our values of Respect, Justice, Equality, Humility and Courage, we work alongside individuals, families and communities to deliver culturally responsive, evidence-based support that creates lasting outcomes.

When you join DCC, you'll become part of a growing organisation where collaboration, innovation and genuine purpose come together to make a real difference in communities across Queensland.

Should you have further questions or require more information, please contact [e-mail]

We are proud to be an Indigenous-led organisation, and we value diversity and are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and culturally respectful workplace for all. We have zero tolerance for discrimination and uphold the highest standards of child safeguarding in line with the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 (Qld).

We welcome candidates from all cultural backgrounds, abilities, genders, and identities who share our commitment to child safety, cultural safety, and the wellbeing of children and young people.