Join Our Team as a GP+ Social Worker

Position: GP+ Social Worker
Type: Part-time (3.0 days per week) – 2-year contract with potential for extension

Location: St George Region, Central and Eastern Sydney
Program: GP+ Program
Application Deadline: 23/5/25 5pm

About Us:
Lilly Pilly Counselling Inc is a registered charity offering tailored counselling services for individuals, couples, and families. We value collaboration, integrity, and compassion and our team is passionate about creating a supportive and nurturing environment for our clients and staff. We are looking for like-minded individuals to join our team and contribute to our mission of enhancing physical and mental wellness for all.

We are implementing the new GP+ Social Work Program that provides essential social work services in smaller and solo general practices to better support people with chronic diseases who may struggle to access private allied health services. GP+ Social Workers will an independent service shared across multiple participating general practices in the St George region.

Why Join Us?
This is a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative initiative that delivers essential social work services to smaller and solo general practices in the St George region. As a GP+ Social Worker, you will play a vital role in supporting vulnerable populations and improving health outcomes for patients with chronic diseases.

Key Responsibilities:
- Provide in-practice social work services, offering psychosocial support and assisting patients to navigate health and social systems.
- Conduct psychosocial assessments and deliver basic counselling support to patients with chronic diseases.
- Collaborate with GPs and allied health teams to identify and address the psychosocial needs of clients.
- Support general practices in managing patients requiring additional assistance, including advocacy for services like My Health Record and Centrelink.
- Engage in data collection and program monitoring to ensure continuous improvement of services.

What We’re Looking For:
- Bachelor or postgraduate degree in Social Work and eligibility for the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

- Minimum of 3 years experience in counselling/casework, with knowledge of chronic disease and mental health.

- Knowledge and experience navigating the health and social support system on behalf of clients

- Skills and experience to operate autonomously with minimal direct supervision, independently managing caseloads and triaging referrals.

- Strong capacity and experience building effective working relationships within multidisciplinary teams with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

- Flexibility to adapt to changing daily priorities and needs of individual practices, multiple workplaces and teams.

- Strong computer literacy, including confidence using electronic medical records, client management systems and the Microsoft 365 Office suite.

- A National Police Check (Vulnerable Persons) and Working with Children Check

- A current NSW Drivers Licence and willingness to travel between general practices using your own registered and insured motor vehicle, with travel reimbursement provided

What We Offer:
- Excellent Salary on the Health Professional Employee Professional Award Level 3 Scale + Superannuation and not for profit salary packaging benefits of up to $18,500.

- A flexible and personally rewarding role that makes a meaningful impact for people

- A supportive and collaborative team environment with access to ongoing professional development and clinical supervision, working for a highly respected and reputable not for profit organisation.
- Flexibility in service delivery and a chance to adapt your skills to meet the diverse needs of the practices you serve.

-Administrative support.

-Extensive supervision, support and debriefing.

-Networking opportunities for future private practice success.

- Laptop and mobile phone.

Read Full Position Description below for more details about the role and the full list of essential and desirable criteria.

How To Apply?

-Send applications outlining how you meet the criteria in the attached Job Description and your resume to [email protected]

-For enquiries about the role please phone Karen or Rebecca on 02) 8358 4008.

Position Description

GP+ Social Worker, GP+ Program

Award

Health Professional Employee Professional Award, Level 3

Location

Multiple general practices in the St George Region in Central and Eastern Sydney and Lilly Pilly Counselling Inc’s Rockdale Office

Reports to

GP+ Lead Social Worker

Working hours

Part-time 3 days per week, 2 year contract with possibility for extension.

GP+ Program Overview

The new GP+ Social Work Program provides essential social work services in smaller and solo general practices to better support people with chronic diseases who may struggle to access private allied health services.

GP+ Social Workers are an independent service shared across participating general practices in the St George region:

· They will rotate across practices on a weekly or fortnightly schedule.

· Time in each practice will vary based on factors such as patient load, number of staff, and available administrative support.

· A minimum of four hours per week per practice is anticipated, with social workers initially attending one clinic per day.

· Workers will be rostered consistently to the same clinics to build trust and maintain continuity.

The GP+ SWs will also have access to an off-site office space in Rockdale.

GP+ Social Worker Role

The GP+ Social Worker supports multiple general practices to improve the outcomes for patients with chronic conditions by providing social work services in line with the AASW Social Work Scope of Practice in Health. Specific responsibilities will vary as the in response to the needs of each practice’s client cohort, but will include:

GP+ Social Work services

· Build strong relationships with general practice staff and establish appropriate referral and care coordination pathways for each unique practice and their patient cohorts.

· Conduct psychosocial assessments, provide basic counselling, and assist with simple socio-legal issues for patients with chronic conditions.

· Develop comprehensive care plans and participate in care coordination to ensure timely, appropriate support.

· Assist patients to navigate health and social systems and link them to relevant services such as My Health Record, My Medicare, My Aged Care, Centrelink, and housing or social services.

· Collect service delivery data and administer patient reported outcome and experience measures.

· Participate in any onboarding process required by general practices (eg use of client management systems).

· Attend regular supervision and professional development opportunities to maintain service quality and professional growth.

· Contribute to continuous program improvement and evaluation activities.

· Provide leave coverage for other members of the team.

Organisation accountabilities

· Adhere to all Lilly Pilly Counselling policies and procedures.

· Actively ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of yourself and others at work in accordance with the Work Health Safety Act 2011.

· Abide by your profession’s code of ethics and maintain a professional level of behaviour and conduct in the workplace, at all times.

· Attend relevant team meetings and team events and to undertake team related duties from time to time.

Qualifications & Essential Criteria

Bachelor or postgraduate degree in Social Work and eligibility for the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

A minimum of 3 years’ experience in counselling/casework, with knowledge of chronic disease and mental health.

Excellent understanding of, and experience in navigating, national and state-level services and supports (e.g. Centrelink, My Aged Care, NDIS etc) as well as services within the St George region

Strong time-management, organisational, problem-solving and reasoning skills to operate autonomously with minimal direct supervision, independently managing caseloads and triaging referrals.

Strong capacity and experience building effective working relationships within multidisciplinary teams with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Flexibility to adapt to changing daily priorities and needs of individual practices, multiple workplaces and teams.

· Strong computer literacy, including confidence using electronic medical records, client management systems and the Microsoft 365 Office suite.

· A National Police Check (Vulnerable Persons) completed within the last 2 years and a current Working with Children Check

· A current NSW Drivers Licence and willingness to travel between general practices using your own registered and insured motor vehicle.

Desirable Criteria:

· Experience providing social work services in a health care setting

· Fluent in a relevant community language or experience with multicultural communities.

· Experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

· Experience working with older people.

Working arrangements

GP+ Social Worker will:

· operate within core business hours, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

· be reimbursed for travel using the standard Australian Tax Office per km formulae.