Community Development Worker

Collingwood, Australia

Reference: 6752222

• Casual, Part time, and Fixed term roles available
• Work for a multi-award-winning iconic community health organisation
• Generous salary packaging options to reduce your cohealth taxable income

cohealth leads the way in reducing health and social inequity in partnership with people and the communities in which they live. Named Premier's Health Service of the Year (Primary) and the Supporting LGBTIQ+ Health Service at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards, cohealth's 1000 staff demonstrate courage, leadership, innovation, and agility in their commitment to providing inclusive and culturally safe health services that protect the human rights of all people of all gender identities, sexualities, ages, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, faiths, and abilities.

Our inclusive workplace culture enables staff to bring their whole selves to work, where uniqueness is valued, and people experience a feeling of belonging. Our aim is for everyone to thrive in their role. Please click here to find out more.

The Community Development Worker at the Needle and Syringe Program provides onsite and outreach harm reduction services to individuals and groups. Improving health, wellbeing and inclusion amongst People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) is the key purpose of this position. The program engages community to provide support and advocacy, education, brief intervention, linkages to treatment and referral services. Within an interdisciplinary team, care is provided in a safe, person centred, confidential and non-judgmental manner.

• Operate NSP outreach at nights, providing responsive access to equipment and education to reduce the harms related to substance use.
• Day-time assertive outreach to engage with service users, develop and sustain people's connection to health services.
• Support Innerspace drop-in space, including supporting meal preparation, community development activities, provision of NSP & Harm Reduction programs.
• Provide harm reduction education, advocacy, referral, needles/syringes and other injecting and disposal equipment to service users to support safer using and disposal through all modalities.

• Exciting Parental leave benefits
  • cohealth offers primary carers 14 weeks paid parental leave upon completion of only 6 months of continuous service.
  • Eligible co-workers will continue to receive superannuation on unpaid parental leave as well.
• Salary packaging to suit you - tax free amount of up to $15,900 p.a (mortgage, rent, or credit cards) and a further $2,650 p.a (meal, entertainment expenses and holiday accommodation) alongside generous reward programs from our salary packaging providers.
• Novated Leasing available.
• Counselling services for you and your immediate family through our EAP-Access provider, and mindfulness, resilience, and wellbeing programs.
• We offer inclusion, equality, and opportunity in a workplace where making a difference counts (based on our guiding principles and values).

• Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g. AOD, Community Development, Social Work), Certificate IV or higher with minimum two years relevant work experience.
• Proof of qualification to be sighted.
• Lived experience will be highly regarded.
• Sound knowledge of the health and social issues for people who use drugs such as blood borne virus prevention, pharmacotherapy treatment, stigma, discrimination and the service system.

To apply for this job go to: https://cohealthcareers.org.au/Current-Jobs & enter ref code: 6752222.

You will be asked to upload your CV/ resume and answer the Key Selection Criteria. We will be conducting interviews for this role as applications are received.

If you have any questions regarding this role, please contact Kit Regan at Kit.Regan@cohealth.org.au.

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC), a Working with Children Check (WWCC), complete a Pre-Employment Declaration Form, evidence of legal rights to work in Australia, and evidence of vaccination.

Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of immunisation assessment including Influenza within 12 weeks of commencement. This is in accordance with the Victorian Minister of Health Mandatory Vaccination Orders and legislated requirement for influenza vaccination.

Applications Close: 06 May 2025