The role of a counsellor/advocate working at a CASA
Centres vary across the State and work may involve sexual assault counselling with either adults or children; or with both adults and children, and/or with children with problem sexual behaviours and sexually abusive behaviours up to 15 years of age. Some CASAs are also funded to provide family violence counseling.
The detailed position description and position time fractions will vary between CASAs but the role generally includes the following. Contact the relevant Centre Against Sexual Assault for a position description.
Position objectives
- Provision of counselling and advocacy services to victim/survivors of sexual assault, their families and significant others.
- Provision of public education and professional training on sexual assault and anti violence issues
- Social planning and processes related to reducing societal violence
Major duties and/or responsibilities
Counsellor/Advocates provide a range of counselling/advocacy services to victim/survivors of recent and past sexual assault and their non-offending family members and support people. Work may be Centre and/or outreach based.
These include:
- Provision of face to face and telephone crisis counselling/advocacy and short to medium term and longer term counselling/advocacy;
- Provision of crisis care services for recent victim/survivors (this may include after hours on call work)
- Provision of duty/intake services
- Provision of specialist support and information regarding victim/survivors rights and options with legal and medical issues;
- Information, support and referral for community members;
- Development and implementation of group work programs;
- Liaison and consultation with other professionals, including Child Protection workers, Police, SAAP services, Mental Health Services, Courts and Medical Services,
- Community education
- Training of other professionals
Other activities include:
- Attendance and participation in staff meetings.
- Participation in quality improvement activities.
- Participation in individual supervision and professional development activities.
- Participation in annual performance review and appraisal processes
- Participation in OHS
Qualifications, key skills and competencies
- Demonstrated counselling skills and experience in supporting victim/survivors of sexual assault
- Well developed verbal and written communication skills and experience in preparing written reports for therapeutic and legal purposes
- Understanding/knowledge of the issues surrounding sexual assault and its impact on victim/survivors
- Ability to work within a team, with a range of professionals and people within the community
- Relevant tertiary qualifications, i.e. Social Work, Psychology
- Membership of relevant professional bodies i.e. AASW, APS
- Current Victorian driver's licence, Police check and Working with Children check