Family Connections Specialist Practitioner

Position

Family Connections Specialist Practitioner

Team

Family Connections

Role Classification

SCHADS level 6 

Employment Type/Hours

Full-time, Permanent
 

Location

Frankston and Sandringham

Reports To

Team Leader Family Connections 

Effective Date

July 2025 

Overview of Program 

Family Connections (FC) is a trauma- informed program that provides specialised counselling, enhanced supervised contact visits and psychoeducational groups for parents and children where there are court orders in place.  

FC supports children to spend time with separated family members in a safe, friendly, and neutral environment. The program aims to assist families to move from high levels of conflict around their post separation parenting arrangements, to insightful, sensitive, and competent parenting, always focusing on their children.

Position Objective

The Family Connections Specialist Practitioner provides trauma-informed, evidence-based support to separated families to effectively manage their parenting arrangements and understand the impact of conflict on their children. 

Key Responsibilities

The key responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Conducting professional intake and assessments, ongoing service provision and counselling with separated families in terms of their court directed orders. 

• Liaising with internal/external stakeholders pertaining to referral intakes and ongoing  work with families.  

• Conducting ongoing risk assessments and developing safety plans where appropriate. 

• Ensuring that the needs and safety of the families always take priority. 

• Working knowledge of the complexities of family violence. MARAM Tier 2 - Please refer to MARAM Responsibilities Guide for more information.  

• Delivering services to quality standards, complying with relevant legislation and
  contractual requirements. 

• Facilitating groups for separated parents, including coordinating entry of participants into the program.  

• Facilitating groups for children, including coordinating entry of participants into the program.  

• Supporting supervised visits with children and their families. 

• Actively contributing to the reduction and management of service waiting lists. 

• Fostering positive relationships with the children, families, and relevant program Stakeholders. 

• Maintaining professional documentation and administrative systems according to program and legislative requirements, including planning and documentation of group and education programs.  

• Remaining abreast of professional trends and literature relevant to family transitions and service intervention and support strategies. 

• Compliance with the organisation’s Program Planning and Evaluation Framework. 

• Meeting KPI’s for research, evaluation data and surveys. 

• Assisting with the promotion and delivery of programs as .  

Key Selection Criteria

1. Bachelor qualifications in Social Work, Family Therapy or Psychology. 


2. Eligible for membership of AASW, AAFT, APS or PACFA member associations. 


3. Demonstrated experience with separation, family law, mental health, sexual abuse, alcohol and other drugs and family violence issues.  


4. Demonstrated clinical experience working with multidisciplinary teams to provide a high level of performance and innovation preferably relating to Family Relationship/Family Support areas.
    


5. Demonstrated ability in undertaking assessments and working effectively with parents individually and in small groups who have experienced high levels of conflict. 


6. Experience in working with and understanding of developmental and therapeutic needs of children who have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. 


7. Ability to respond to challenging behaviours and an understanding of the origins of these behaviours when working with children including trauma and attachment.  


8. Counselling experience with a particular emphasis on work with children and families.  


9. Demonstrated conflict resolution skills.  


10. Knowledge and experience applying Systems Theory.  


11. Demonstrated organisational and administration skills, including report writing with ability to manage and prioritise workload in a timely, efficient manner.  


12. Information technology skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, Google Suite, online video platforms and client management systems.