Family Life - Transforming lives for stronger communities

Work locally in the Bayside Area and make a difference within the Community

Full-time, permanent opportunity

Enjoy flexible work options and a great team culture

Level 6 SCHADS Award $110,102 + Generous Salary Packaging + Super

Work with us at Family Life and be part of our supportive, people-focused culture.

The Opportunity

The Men's Support Services team provides specialist family violence services that utilise strength-based and trauma-informed approaches to support behavioural change in Adults Using Family Violence (AUFV). The service is designed to support AUFV to take responsibility for and stop their use of violence through individual interventions, group work and case management.

The Dad's In Focus (DiF) Practitioner provides tailored, therapeutic support to fathers engaged in the Dad's In Focus program, focusing on improving their parenting skills and relationships with their children. The program helps fathers address the impact of family violence and trauma on their children and encourages them to take responsibility for their behaviours, adopt positive parenting strategies, and manage their own emotional triggers. The Practitioner works to support fathers in developing a safe, supportive environment for their children, either during or after separation from the mother or caregiver.

Key Responsibility Areas

The key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Deliver individual counselling sessions to fathers, focusing on addressing the impact of family violence and trauma on their children and family relationships.

Help fathers develop and strengthen their parenting skills, focusing on safe, responsible parenting practices that support the emotional and psychological well-being of their children.

Assist fathers in understanding the effects of their behaviour on their children and help them rebuild and strengthen bonds, even in cases where there is limited or supervised contact.

Explore the power and control dynamics in family relationships and their influence on parenting.

Use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, motivational interviewing, and other therapeutic approaches to support fathers in making positive, child-focused behavioural changes.

Work with fathers to understand their own experiences of trauma and how these may influence their parenting choices.

Provide education and counselling on topics such as parenting styles, child development, and the impact of family violence on children.

Help fathers manage the emotional challenges of co-parenting or separated parenting, working with them to adopt strategies that prioritise the safety and well-being of their children.

Offer counselling sessions both face-to-face and through remote delivery methods (telephone, video-based) to meet the individual needs of fathers in the program.

Provide flexible support tailored to the father's circumstances, taking into account Intervention Orders, ongoing family law court, child protection, or Magistrates’ court involvement.

Liaise with Family Safety Advocates, Case Managers, and other practitioners to ensure a holistic approach to supporting fathers.

Although this role does not manage direct referrals, work closely with case management teams to provide recommendations for additional services (e.g., family dispute resolution, mental health support, children's contact services).

Conduct risk assessments in line with the MARAM framework, focusing on the father’s behaviour and its impact on the safety and well-being of children.

Support fathers in developing safety plans that address potential risks to themselves, their children, and other family members.

Maintain accurate, professional documentation of all counselling sessions and interventions in accordance with program and legislative requirements.

Contribute to the evaluation and reporting on client progress and program outcomes.

Attend regular reflective practice groups, supervision sessions, and professional development opportunities to ensure continuous improvement in service delivery.

Participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings and liaise with external stakeholders such as Child Protection, Corrections Victoria, and The Orange Door as necessary.

Our Ideal Candidate at Family Life

Growth Mindset - You pride yourself for your commitment to resilience and continuous improvement. You see growth opportunities as opposed to failures, and you are always on the lookout for an improved workflow or process. You think creatively, value input and feedback from peers, and adapt to changing or unforeseen circumstances.

Curiosity - You naturally seek out learning opportunities and further information without being prompted to by your manager. You clarify the ‘Why’ and like to investigate and explore further information.

Proactivity - You are a positive influence on your colleagues, you opt-in to support organisational projects, and always lend a hand to support others.

The Community Connector Practitioner will be required to work flexibly, with hours that are aligned with the needs of the client, which will include outside normal business hours and occasional weekend work. Additionally, whilst primarily based from Family Life’s Sandringham, Hampton East and Frankston locations, this role will involve working across partner agencies to deliver support to families engaged in the response.

Who we are

At Family Life, we believe every child deserves to thrive in a safe and healthy family environment. Family Life is a specialist family services provider that has worked with children, families and communities for more than 50 years. Our vision is to work with clients and partners to create capable communities, strong families and thriving children.

We are known for our innovation and whole-of-community collective impact approach. Our teams are committed to transforming the lives of our clients and communities to build resilience and healthy relationships. We are proudly purpose-driven, independent and not for profit. We support our community through our specialist family services, community strengthening programs, a network of op shops, a vibrant engaged volunteer community and passionate skilled staff.

Working at Family Life - more than just a job!

It’s the feeling of knowing that your work is contributing to making the community in which you live a better place and working with others who feel the same way.

Additionally, you will have access to:

● Flexible work options and a great team culture

● Salary packaging (receive up to an extra $18,500 in tax-free pay per year)

● Paid Wellbeing Leave

● Paid Study Leave

● Additional Paid Leave for End of Year Closedown

● Purchased Annual Leave Scheme

● Rostered Day Off Scheme for Eligible Employees

● Employee Assistance Program, a free and confidential counselling service for employees

How to Apply

You can view the full position description and submit your confidential application—including a CV and cover letter addressing the key selection criteria—via the Family Life Careers.

For further information regarding the position please contact Vivien Nguyen, Team Leader
Men's Supports Services on (03) 8599 5433.

*We will be reviewing applications as they are received, therefore this role may close sooner if we find the right candidate. Please apply now to ensure you do not miss out!

All offers of employment are subject to the Family Life Safety Screening process, including a Working with Children Check and Police Records Check. Any person issued with a negative notice on their Working with Children Check will not be eligible for employment with Family Life.

Family Life values diversity and welcomes applicants who meet the position criteria, irrespective of race and ethnicity, colour, age, gender, gender identity, disability, religion and sexual orientation.

Family Life is a trauma informed organisation and recognises the unique skills, contributions and insights that come from lived experience.