Description:
- Utilise your expertise to supports the women in our care to ensure their disability support needs are met to build funcitonal life-skills.
- Full Time, Fixed Term Opportunity until 30 June 2026 to work with a high-performing and passionate team.
- Allied Health 3: $95,102 - $107,905 plus superannuation.
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking a Disability and Complex Needs Service (DCNS) Practitioner to provide a critical role at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
About the Business Unit
The Corrections and Justice Services (CJS) group, comprising Corrections Victoria, Justice Health and Justice Services, plays an integral role in developing safer and more resilient communities and in delivering a trusted justice and community safety system.
Corrections Victoria is responsible for the implementation of policies, programs and services that ensure the safe and secure containment of prisoners, and that seek to rehabilitate people in our care by addressing the underlying causes of offending behaviour. Corrections Victoria also sets strategy, policy and standards for the management of the state's system of correctional facilities whilst also developing programs for the management and rehabilitation of prisoners and the community-based supervision of individuals.
As part of the CJS group, the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC) is a 694-bed maximum-security facility for female individuals located within the West Metropolitan Region, Department of Justice.
About the Role
DPFC is undertaking a project for the women in custody who have cognitive and intellectual disabilities and physical, sensory or mobility impairments, the Disability and Complex Needs Service (DCNS). The DCNS team work out of the Rosewood Unit, providing consultancy and support to custodial and other prison staff to support the positive behaviour change and the development of functional and life-skills. Specialist training is provided to staff working within the Rosewood Unit to enhance their knowledge and skills to be better able to understand and respond to the behaviours of women with disability and complex needs who are living in Rosewood Unit.
The Disability and Complex Needs Service Practitioner supports the women in our care to ensure their disability support needs are met and to assist in addressing the complex needs experienced and related behaviours of concern. This is achieved through the development of behaviour support plans (BSP) and care plans for women with complex needs who meet the DCNS Criteria. The DCNS Criteria is focused on providing options for women who have cognitive and/or intellectual disabilities including acquired brain injuries, behaviours of concern and/or physical, sensory and mobility impairments.
As the DCNS Practitioner, some of your duties will include:
- Completing initial intake screening for women who have either a confirmed or suspected cognitive impairment to determine their immediate and ongoing support needs.
- Promoting positive behaviour support, collating assessments and developing positive behaviour support plans appropriate for custodial settings.
- Working collaboratively with correctional staff, disability services and therapeutic organisations to facilitate positive outcomes and ensure their support needs are met whilst in custody and during release planning.
To learn more about this role before applying, please read the attached position description.
About you
To be successful in this role, you will have:
- Experience in providing case coordination across a number of internal and external stakeholders for vulnerable cohorts who display complex needs (mental health, cognitive and/or physical disability).
- An understanding of positive behaviour support and experience in working with clients who live with intellectual disability and/or who display behaviours of concern.
- An understanding of disability services and particularly the NDIS, and how they intersection with the DJCS policies and procedures.
Qualifications
- A tertiary qualification in Disability or Allied Health (Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Social Work, Behavioural Sciences, Nursing) would be highly regarded.
- Considerable experience within the Disability sector would be highly regarded.
- Previous experience in a relevant setting is desirable.
How to Apply
Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.
The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and misconduct screening.
If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.
FOR INTERNAL VPS EMPLOYEES:
- For this particular vacancy, priority consideration applies to Victorian Public Service (VPS) and select employees of the Victorian Public Sector who apply through the Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) jobs board platform.
- For all VPS employees, due to the new Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) policy, please apply through the JSE to be eligible to be considered for this position in the first round.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT:
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.