Helpline Practitioner Stop It Now! The Men's Project - Melbourne / Work from Home

About the organisation

Jesuit Social Services is a social change organisation working to build a just society where all people can live to their full potential. We reflect on the critical factors shaping our contemporary world; the social, political and economic contexts, and we adapt our practice to work with those most in need.

Since 1977, Jesuit Social Services has provided services to some of the most disadvantaged in our community.

We place a high priority on advocacy and are a leader in policy development and research.

What Jesuit Social Services can offer you:

• An organisation that lives its values, through its day to day work
• A welcoming and supportive relational environment
• A comprehensive Induction and Orientation program
• Ongoing training and development related to your role
• Employee assistance program
• A competitive salary plus salary packaging benefits
• Generous leave

About the role

As a Helpline Practitioner you will use your specialist knowledge to provide evidence-informed psychoeducation, support and advice to individuals contacting Stop It Now! Australia Helpline due to concerns about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts or behaviours towards children.

This role will engage with individuals contacting the Stop It Now! phone and chat helpline with an empathetic approach, supporting them to take accountability, reduce risk, and build motivation for positive change to prevent offending.

This role will also maintain best practice and service quality by engaging in supervision, reflective practice, and professional development, while contributing to a supportive and collaborative team culture dedicated to innovation in offence prevention, and the protection of children.

Competitive remuneration, plus salary packaging benefit, is offered together with ongoing professional and career development as well as opportunities for personal growth.

We have multiple part-time roles available to cover a range of shift patterns across our helpline operating hours. We are seeking around a 0.4 FTE (flexible). The salary is in line with SCHADS Level 4.4.

We are hiring for hybrid positions for candidates based in Melbourne, and remote positions for candidates located elsewhere.

About the program

Stop It Now! Australia

Stop It Now! is a child sexual abuse prevention program which works with individuals concerned about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts or behaviours towards children. It was first established by a victim-survivor of child sexual abuse in the U.S 30 years ago, and we have been delivering the service here in Australia for over two years. We have recently received federal funding to expand and develop a larger scale Offender Prevention Service based on the Stop It Now! Pilot program. We are currently building an exceptional new team to help lead the national expansion of this prevention service.

The program’s key feature is an anonymous phone helpline for people who are worried about their own sexual thoughts and behaviours in relation to children, as well as professionals and family members who are concerned about the behaviour of others. The service also includes a website with advice, self-help materials and guidance to raise awareness around child sexual abuse. Stop It Now! Australia is dedicated to preventing the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and seeks to achieve this by engaging with adults who may go on to harm children, and other protective adults. While the service can be accessed anonymously, all mandatory reporting guidelines are complied with.

The Stop It Now! Australia service sits within the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention team and is part of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services. 

The Men’s Project

The Men’s Project is an initiative of Jesuit Social Services launched in 2017. It provides leadership on the reduction of violence and other harmful behaviours prevalent among boys and men and builds approaches to improve their wellbeing and keep families and communities safe. Our vision is for good men, respectful relationships and safe communities.

We will achieve this by:

• research to understand the behaviours and underlying attitudes of men and boys including related to violence, child sexual abuse and the well-being of men and boys themselves.
• promoting positive change around gender norms related to what it means to be a man in the 21st century as well as building skills to intervene to prevent violence; and
• developing innovative ways to stop cycles of violence and harmful behaviour among boys and men.

Current priorities for The Men’s Project include:

• drawing on our Man Box research and child sexual abuse prevalence study, building a greater understanding of perpetration including opportunities for prevention and early intervention;
• supporting people who work with men and boys every day (e.g. teachers, sports coaches, social workers) to prevent violence and improve the well-being of men and boys;
• developing new early intervention approaches with adolescents at-risk of using violence;
• strengthening early intervention responses for adults and young people to prevent child sexual abuse; and
• drawing on our grounded practice experience, advocating for systemic changes that seek to prevent violence and child sexual abuse.

The Men’s Project builds on Jesuit Social Services’ over 45 year engagement with boys and men in trouble, but it also involves us leading new work to reduce violence, to improve the wellbeing of boys and men, and to keep families and communities safe.

About you

This role will suit a candidate with the following skills and experience:

1. Commitment to and demonstrated practice experience:
2. with people who are concerned about their sexual thoughts towards children or have perpetrated child sexual abuse.  

AND/OR

1. with children who are at risk of experiencing child sexual abuse and their families

AND/OR

1. supporting other professionals and non-offending family members respond to concerns related to child sexual abuse.

AND/OR

1. working on a helpline managing difficult and challenging topics

 AND/OR

1. other relevant fields (e.g., family violence).
2. Knowledge of practice frameworks and approaches for working with serious offenders, child protection issues and/or men’s behaviour change, including a commitment to a compassionate and empathetic approach when working with a diverse range of service users and staff. Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks is desirable.
3. Strong commitment to child protection and the prevention of child sexual abuse, with motivation and a willingness to continually build knowledge and skills in safeguarding and behaviour change practice.
4. A team player who works collaboratively with colleagues, contributes to reflective practice, and supports the shared goal of preventing child sexual abuse.
5. Ability to use modern technologies for helpline service delivery including strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate, confidential case note records in line with agreed policies and procedures.
6. Experience working with or knowledge of priority groups as defined by the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 (victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and their advocates, children and young people and their support networks, First Nations peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people, people living in regional and remote communities).

How to apply

• Upload your resume and cover letter incorporating your responses to the Key Selection Criteria from the Position Description.

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and the closing date may be subject to change without notice.

Jesuit Social Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We celebrate and welcome all people regardless of ethnicity, cultural background, age, gender, sexuality, disability or religious affiliation.

We strongly encourage applications from all community members including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, members of the LGBTIQA+ community, people with a disability, people of culturally diverse backgrounds and working parents.

Jesuit Social Services is a Child Safe organisation and is committed to protecting children and young people from harm. We require all applicants to undergo an extensive screening process prior to appointment.