Senior Advocate, IMHA

Victoria Legal Aid; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 105,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Hybrid work model

Salary packaging up to AU$15,900

Annual salary progression 3%

Myki public transport discounts

Professional development opportunities

Free annual flu vaccinations

Gym and end-of-trip facilities

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Victoria Legal Aid – Melbourne Northern Suburbs VIC – is seeking a senior team lead for the Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) program. You will supervise and mentor IMHA advocates, manage workload, and uphold debriefing practices to support staff wellbeing.

This full-time role is based at our Broadmeadows office with a hybrid work arrangement. You will advocate for consumers, help them exercise their rights in the mental health system, and collaborate with partners to deliver

Qualifications

• People management and leadership to support a team of IMHA advocates.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Sound knowledge of issues affecting consumers and ability to champion for them.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively and foster a supportive team environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide supervision and mentoring to IMHA advocates.
• Monitor and manage workload.
• Ensure effective debriefing practices to support staff wellbeing.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Interpersonal communication

Consumer advocacy

Job description

Victoria Legal Aid – Melbourne Northern Suburbs VIC

Make a difference in the community leading a team of non-legal advocates to provide high-quality advocacy services to people at risk or subject to compulsory treatment orders.

• Full-time ongoing position
• Salary range: $104,925 - $122,409 plus super
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging, flexible hybrid work arrangement

About the role

Our Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) team is a non-legal advocacy program that is staffed and led by professionals with mental health consumer experience and/or backgrounds in community development, consumer advocacy, mental health advocacy, community sector advocacy, social work, mental health service provision or other similar fields.

You will provide advocacy services in complex matters and empower your consumers to know and exercise their rights within the mental health system, allowing them to participate in decisions relating to their own assessment, treatment and recovery.

As a senior team member, you will provide supervision and mentoring to the team, monitor and manage workload. Also to ensure that effective debriefing practices are upheld to support the health and wellbeing of your team members.

This role is based at our Broadmeadows office on Wurundjeri Country.

About you

As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• People management and leadership skills to support a team to work effectively together, and provide supervision, mentoring and debriefing to IMHA advocates.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated ability to liaise and communicate effectively with consumers from diverse backgrounds, various stakeholders and organisations.
• Sound knowledge of the issues affecting consumers and the ability to ‘stand up' and champion on behalf of consumers.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with others and foster cooperative and supportive work relationships and team environment.

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we strongly encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate.

About VLA

We offer legal representation, family dispute resolution and non-legal advocacy to those who need it most. With over 1500+ staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits

• A focus on work-life balance, including flexibleworking arrangements
• Hybridwork fromhome& office model
• Generous leave benefits, including:
  • Three days paid seasonal leave
  • Paid gender affirmation leave
  • Five days both paid reproductive and fertility leave per calendar year
• Annual 3% salary increase each December plus performance-related salary incentives
• Attractive salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 PLUS Novated Leasing
• Discounted annualMyki public transport passes
• Individual learning and professional development opportunities, tailored to your role and career goals
• Free annual flu vaccinations
• Access to gym and end-of-trip facilities at our CBD office
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program, including confidential counselling and access to a range of mental health and wellbeing resources.

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Wednesday 4th November 2026.

Other relevant information

It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.