Therapeutic Specialist

Key Assets (Australia); Stirling; On-site; AUD 115,000 - 120,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging up to $15,900

5 weeks annual leave after 2 years

Birthday leave

Hybrid work arrangements

Job summary

Key Assets Australia is seeking a Therapeutic Specialist based in Stirling to deliver individual, family and systemic therapy for children and young people in OOHC and Complex Care. This 0.8 FTE, part-time role supports a values-driven culture within a not-for-profit context.

Reporting to the Principal Practitioner, you will partner with carers, families and multidisciplinary teams to provide trauma-informed, culturally safe care, balancing direct therapy with assessment, plan development and

Qualifications

• Formal qualification in psychology, occupational therapy, family therapy or equivalent.
• Current registration, or eligibility, with AHPRA.
• Experience with complex care presentations including developmental trauma, attachment disruption, and placement instability.
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams and reflectively.
• Commitment to culturally safe practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist therapeutic support for children and young people with complex presentations.
• Conduct trauma-informed assessments and develop Therapeutic Plans.
• Support carers and families to strengthen relationships and placement stability.
• Lead or contribute to risk assessments and safety planning.
• Collaborate with cultural practice leads and partner agencies to ensure culturally safe care.

Skills

Trauma-informed care

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Reflective practice

Cultural safety

Education

Formal qualification in Psychology or OT or Family Therapy

Job description

Therapeutic Specialist

• Permanent, part-time 0.8FTE role based in our Stirling office
• Community based organisation, steeped in a values-driven culture
• Not-for-profit salary packaging available (up to $15,900/annum)
• Generous leave provisions including birthday leave and 5 weeks annual leave after 2 years of service!

We Are Key Assets Australia

Key Assets Australia (KAA) is a leading not-for-profit, children, family and community services agency, founded in Australia in 2007. We provide foster care and family services. Operating across all states, ACT and Norfolk Island, our purpose is to achieve positive and lasting outcomes for children, families, and communities. To achieve that, we need people like you!

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and embrace and celebrate the diversity of all people within our communities. Our diversity helps us provide the best support possible to carers, families, children and young people and all of our external stakeholders.

A little about the role

As a Therapeutic Specialist, you will provide individual (carer/parent), family and systemic therapy, alongside specialist therapeutic consultation, to strengthen the quality of care for children and young people in Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) and Complex Care. You will support recovery, healing and developmental wellbeing, recognising carers as primary agents of change.

Reporting to the Principal Practitioner, you will partner with carers, families, youth workers, cultural practice leads and multidisciplinary teams to respond to highly complex presentations. You will balance direct therapeutic intervention with specialist assessment, case formulation, Therapeutic Plan development and oversight, consultation, capacity building and reflective practice. Your work will promote consistent, evidence-based, trauma-informed and culturally safe care across home, education and community settings, including rural and remote communities when required.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide specialist therapeutic support and consultation for children and young people with complex presentations, including developmental trauma, neurodevelopmental differences, disability, mental health challenges, high-risk behaviours and placement instability. Support carers, families and care teams to develop integrated responses that promote safety, connection, regulation and resilience.
• Provide evidence-based and trauma-informed therapeutic assessment and intervention to carers in applying therapeutic care to children and young people who have experienced complex trauma, recognising carers as primary agents of change.
• Implement brief and longer-term intensive clinical services to foster carers and families to strengthen family relationships, support placement stability, enhance attuned and sensitive caregiving, and support the family’s emotional wellbeing.
• Provide specialist case consultation and shared case formulation with multidisciplinary teams, including social/case workers, youth and support workers, schools, internal and external therapists and partner agencies. Advocate for children and young people and promote consistent therapeutic responses across care, education and community settings
• Take a lead role in promoting reflective practice across the service, facilitating reflective groups, consultations and learning opportunities that strengthen staff capacity to think systemically, maintain therapeutic curiosity, and apply trauma-informed approaches in their work with children, young people, carers and families.
• Conduct or contribute to holistic and specialised trauma, sensory and attachment assessments within your professional scope of practice. Lead the development, implementation, oversight and review of strengths-based Therapeutic Plans that integrate assessment findings, developmental needs and cultural needs.
• Support the development and ongoing review of risk assessment, risk management and safety plans, helping care teams identify triggers, protective factors, coping strategies and appropriate intervention pathways.
• Work alongside cultural practice leads, families, Elders and community organisations to support culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, strengthening identity, belonging and connection. Promote inclusive practice across diverse communities.
• Maintain accurate clinical documentation and prepare professional assessments and reports with clear recommendations to support care planning, case coordination and multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Uphold safeguarding, legal, ethical and professional requirements, and participate in ongoing clinical supervision, professional development and reflective learning. Travel to rural and remote regions when required.

The base salary for this position is $115,337.04-$120,440.32/annum (based on 1.0 FTE) + super + vehicle allowance & fuel card + salary packaging options up to $15,900 per annum.

This position is part-time (0.8 FTE) and ongoing, working 8 days / fortnight

About you

To be successful in this role, you’ll come with:

• Demonstrated experience working therapeutically with complex care presentations, including children and young people impacted by developmental trauma, attachment disruption, disability, neurodiversity, mental health challenges and/or placement instability.
• Training and experience in reflective practice, reflective supervision, or other approaches that support the development of reflective capacity within individuals, teams and organisations.
• Ability to facilitate reflective practice discussions and systemic thinking within multidisciplinary teams, fostering a culture of learning, curiosity and trauma-informed care.
• A recognised formal qualification in your area of practice (i.e., Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Family Therapy, other) - if obtained overseas must be able to show Australian recognition.
• Current registration, or eligibility for registration, with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), or membership or eligibility for membership of the relevant professional association for your discipline.
• The ability to model a positive, solution focused team culture.
• Have a commitment to child safety, ensuring that the wellbeing and safety of all children is at the forefront of decision making across the team.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct or contribute to holistic and specialised assessments, translate findings into shared case formulations, and develop and review Therapeutic Plans within your professional scope of practice.
• Experience contributing to risk assessment and safety planning, maintaining accurate clinical records, and preparing clear professional reports and recommendations.
• A commitment to culturally safe and responsive practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities, and to working collaboratively with cultural practice leads and diverse care networks.

My Key Assets

The health and wellbeing of our people is at the core of our employee and client experience. All employee offerings are intentionally curated with care, allowing you to bring your best self to work, every day. Knowledge sharing, ongoing learning and development, engagement and recognition are key pillars in our culture and values.

• Work-Life Balance: We are well equipped to support a hybrid approach to the future of work and have developed a flexible work framework to support these arrangements. We understand that work-life balance is important and accommodate flexibility for team members wherever possible. Flexible, family-friendly working arrangements and remote work – just ask us!
• Health and Wellbeing: We promote health and wellbeing for our people, just like we would for the children, families and communities we serve. We provide discounted health insurance memberships, confidential counselling services and offer 5 weeks’ of annual leave after 2 years’ continuous service with us!
• Professional Development: We provide both digital eLearning and ongoing face to face training as well as an online library. Your continual professional development is always top of our priority list - you’ll have access to apply to our Annual Learning fund for subsidised professional development opportunities!
• Salary Packaging: part of your wage is paid tax free each pay, saving thousands in tax each year!

The fine print

• Applications close: 29 November 2026, 5pm WST
• For any questions regarding this role, please contact Katy Stephenson, Principal Practitioner, [e-mail] or 0438 952 496
• Successful candidates will be required to undergo a 395 Department of Communities Check, hold (or be willing to obtain) a valid WWCC.
• Full (not provisional), clean Australian driver’s licence. Travel between sites is required.

Key Assets Australia is committed to Equal Opportunity, ethical practice and the principles of cultural diversity and social inclusion.

Key Assets is a Child Safe organisation, committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people.