Community Health Worker – Health Works

12 month Fixed Term contract, Part time (32 hours per week, 4 days X 8 hours per day)

“To create healthy and connected communities in Melbourne’s West through the delivery of high quality, accessible community and health services.”
The Western Region Health Centre (WRHC) provides a range of health and community support services and are committed to innovation and quality in all we do.

Western Region Health Centre is a non-for-profit organisation in Melbourne’s west which provides a broad range of services including community and allied health, medical, dental, counselling, support, and outreach. Our programs and services, addressing specific individual and community needs, actively cater for clients with a range of abilities and cultural backgrounds.

Health Works, a program of the Western Region Health Centre, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people who inject drugs in the western suburbs of Melbourne. The service provides a range of programs including:
• a needle and syringe program which provides people who use drugs with new injecting equipment
• a drug safety worker who provides education and health promotion activities for people who use drugs
• a Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese worker who works with these communities to foster a greater understanding of harm reduction
• a community education worker who raises harm reduction issues with the broader community
• a health care team, who provide holistic health services to people who inject drugs
The Community Health Worker role involves the delivery of clinical (including first aid and post-test counselling for blood borne viruses) and non-clinical primary care services to people who inject drugs. Community Health Workers are part of a multidisciplinary team that works alongside clients to address their health needs in a holistic manner.

We are seeking a committed and experienced individual to undertake the role of a Community Health Worker in the Health Care Team. The successful applicant will ideally have experience working in a complex health setting. It is expected he/she would have a working knowledge of harm reduction, the social model of health and BBV/STIs, particularly hepatitis C and HIV. A lived experience of injecting drug use is desirable. This position is fixed for one year.

Mandatory:
• Tertiary Qualification in a relevant discipline (i.e. Social Work, Psychology, Alcohol and other Drug Studies, Community Development), or other relevant professional or personal experience
• Experience of working with people who inject drugs and have complex needs
• Knowledge of and a commitment to community health principles and practices and a sound understanding of harm reduction. In particular, issues relating to injecting drug use, blood borne viruses, health care access and other health care risks
• A sensitivity to and understanding of the issues and needs of people from culturally and linguistically (CALD) communities who inject drugs
• Commitment to teamwork and a collaborative approach to service delivery
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• High level or computer literacy, including word processing and database skills and hold a current driver’s licence

Wages and Conditions: Community Health Centre (Stand Alone Services) Multi Employer Certified Agreement 2005 – As Varied 24 May 2011, classification Community Development Worker Class 2B (year dependant on experience). Attractive salary packaging with the option to salary package meals/entertainment and also venue hire (e.g. holiday accommodation) over the threshold, as well as FBT free items. This role offers a supportive team environment and flexible work arrangements to ensure a work life balance.

For a position description please visit our website at www.wrhc.com.au or for further queries, please contact Human Resources at jobs@wrhc.com.au .

Closing date for applications is Sunday 16th December 2012 at 5pm.
Please submit your application via email to jobs@wrhc.com.au , to the attention of Bernadette Suter and include:
• current resume
• covering letter
• a separate response to the Key Selection Criteria (located within the position description) – please note that applications will not be considered without this

A pre-employment criminal record check is mandatory.

WRHC is an equal opportunity employer.

“The Kirketon Road Centre (KRC) is a primary health care facility located in Kings Cross, which is involved in the prevention, treatment and care of HIV/AIDs and other transmissible infections among ‘at risk’ young people, sex workers and injecting drug users. It also operates a low threshold methadone access program (MAP) which targets street-based opioid dependent injecting drug users (IDUs) who have had difficulty accessing or being retained in other methadone treatment programs. This position is responsible for the provision of day-to-day, quality medical care for KRC clients within the framework of primary health care as well assessment and treatment of marginalised IDUs.

Career Medical Officer :up to 36 hours/ Week Permanent P/T

Essentials:

Medical Practitioner fully registered in NSW At least two years relevant postgraduate clinical experience Commitment to harm minimisation philosophies

Desirables

Postgraduate training and or experience in primary care, alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, HIV medicine, women’s health, adolescent health

Contact: Dr Craig Rodgers 02 93602766,

Full Details on

http://www7.health.nsw.gov.au/healthjobs/Default.cfm?ID=1234&ID_HJJobs=5 “

“BURNET INSTITUTE

CEPHR undertakes research into the use of illicit drugs and associated risks (such as overdose and blood borne virus transmission). CEPHR also undertakes research into sexually transmitted infections in the community and the risk behaviours associated with their transmission.

The Research Fellow will organize and supervise the conduct of interviews with participants in a series of studies involving injecting drug users. The studies, conducted in a variety of sites across Melbourne, involve innovative recruitment strategies and analysis methods that will provide the Research Fellow with significant opportunities for career development. To this end the Research Fellow will manage a team of researchers, write-up project results for publication, and contribute to the design and implementation of new and innovative research projects in the area of alcohol and other drug use in the community. The Research Fellow will be expected to contribute to the development of research directions in other areas of CEPHR and the Burnet Institute more broadly.

The successful applicant will have postgraduate qualifications in epidemiology or public health or a related discipline and experience in analysis of epidemiological data. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and experience in report writing and preparation of manuscripts are also required. Familiarity with issues related to injecting drug use and related harms is desirable.

Attractive salary packaging arrangements apply. For further information and a position description contact Associate Professor Paul Dietze on (03) 9282 2134, mobile 0409 530 027 or email pauld@burnet.edu.au or visit the Burnet website at http://www.burnet.edu.au/home/general/employment

Written applications addressing the selection criteria and a detailed CV including the names and contact details of three professional referees should be sent to the Human Resources Manager, The Burnet Institute, email: paulduffy@burnet.edu.au

Applications close 21 April 2008.”