Social Worker - Counselling and Early Response Team

I Work For Sa; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging benefits

Fitness Passport

Employee Assistance Program

Relocation assistance

Job summary

SA Health’s Women’s and Children’s Health Network in North Adelaide seeks a Social Worker to deliver trauma-informed social work services to survivors of rape and sexual assault, aged 16+. The role provides therapeutic support, advocacy and guidance across health, legal and community services.

The position emphasizes feminist practice, comprehensive intake and risk assessment, and coordination of complex care with internal and external partners. AASW-eligible applicants are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Degree enabling full membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
• Experience in crisis, trauma, or sexual violence settings.
• Strong counselling skills with both brief and longer-term therapy experience.
• Experience conducting intake, psychosocial and risk assessments, and care planning.
• Ability to manage complex client presentations with trauma-informed approaches.
• Excellent advocacy, communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• Ability to prepare clear reports and documentation for professional and legal use.
• Commitment to feminist, trauma-informed, victim-survivor-centred practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide trauma-specialist counselling to victim-survivors of sexual violence within feminist and victim-rights frameworks.
• Undertake comprehensive intake, risk assessment, care planning and triage processes.
• Deliver brief interventions and ongoing therapeutic counselling tailored to client needs.
• Coordinate care and advocacy with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support clients to navigate health, legal and community services and resources.
• Provide specialist information on impacts of rape and sexual assault and access pathways.
• Contribute to training, professional education and community awareness initiatives.
• Prepare high-quality reports and documentation for legal and criminal justice processes.

Skills

Trauma counselling

Crisis experience

Advocacy

Report writing

Stakeholder engagement

Risk assessment

Care planning

Trauma-informed practice

Education

Bachelor of Social Work

Job description

Social Worker - Counselling and Early Response Team

Social Worker - Counselling and Early Response Team

SA Health
Job reference: 953527
Location: 5006 - NORTH ADELAIDE
Job status: Ongoing
Eligibility: Open to Everyone

• Women's and Children's Health Network, Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual Assault Service, North Adelaide 5006
• Salary - AHP2, $94,997.00 - $110,052.00 + 12% Superannuation and Salary Sacrifice Benefits
• Full Time, Ongoing/Permanent

About WCHN

Join the Women's and Children's Health Network (WCHN), South Australia's leading provider of care for women, babies, children and young people. We're shaping the future of healthcare through compassion, innovation and excellence — with our communities at the heart of everything we do.

What WCHN Can Offer You

• Access to salary packaging benefits of up to $9,010 each FBT year for living expenses (e.g. mortgage, rent, utilities, groceries), plus an additional $2,650 each FBT year for meal entertainment expenses.
• Access to Fitness Passport (workplace health and fitness program that gives you and your family access to a wide choice of gyms and pools across South Australia.)
• Support for you and your family via our Employee Assistance Program.
• Relocation financial support may be negotiated, subject to eligibility. Click here for details and contact the enquires person for further information.

About the role

The Social Worker is responsible for delivering high-quality, trauma-specialist social work services to people aged 16 years and over who have experienced rape or sexual assault. Working within a feminist, victim-survivor, and rights-based framework, the role provides therapeutic support, advocacy, and guidance to help individuals navigate their recovery and access appropriate services and systems.

Key duties of the role

• Provide trauma-specialist support and therapeutic interventions to victim-survivors of sexual violence, underpinned by feminist and victim-rights practice principles.
• Undertake comprehensive intake, risk assessment, care planning, and triage processes.
• Deliver brief interventions and ongoing therapeutic counselling tailored to individual needs.
• Manage complex client matters, including coordinated care, advocacy, and consultation with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support clients to understand and navigate health, legal, and community service systems, ensuring access to appropriate resources and supports.
• Provide specialist information and advice regarding the impacts of rape and sexual assault and available support pathways.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of training programs, professional education, and community awareness initiatives.
• Prepare high-quality written reports, support letters, and documentation for use within legal and criminal justice processes.

Skills and Experience

• Appropriate degree or equivalent qualification which gives eligibility for full membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.
• Demonstrated experience providing services within crisis, trauma, and/or sexual violence settings.
• Strong therapeutic counselling skills, including experience delivering both brief interventions and longer-term therapeutic support.
• Proven ability to conduct comprehensive intake, psychosocial assessment, risk assessment, and care planning.
• Experience managing complex client presentations using sound clinical judgement and trauma-informed practice.
• Well-developed advocacy, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to prepare clear, professional reports and case documentation.
• Commitment to feminist, trauma-informed, and victim-survivor-centred practice principles

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of victim-survivors while working as part of a specialised, supportive, and multidisciplinary team committed to providing compassionate, evidence-informed care.

To learn more about this role — including key selection criteria, special conditions and minimum requirements — please refer to the attached role description and the document checklists below:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply.

Application Closing Date: Thursday 12 November 2026 at 11:55pm

Flexibility Statement

The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.