Honesty      Trust      Respect     Concern      Love

Trainee AOD Clinician – Community Programs
 

• Full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month traineeship program.  
• Based across Greater Melbourne and Metro Melbourne
• $67,553.68 - $73,705.02 per annum, plus super (dependent on qualifications)
• 17.5% annual leave loading and generous salary packaging options
• Progressive Workplace Flexibility options that enable genuine work life balance
• Will be provided with an OV laptop & OV mobile phone

Are you a keen learner with a passion for making a meaningful difference to people’s lives in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) sector?

Do you yourself have a Lived Experience of AOD use, and feel you can support and assist others on their journey to recovery?

Are you desiring a new start or looking for a change in your career doing challenging and fulfilling work?

If this sounds like you, please read below.

About Odyssey Victoria:

Odyssey Victoria (OV) is a place of hope and positive change for individuals working towards breaking their pattern of addiction. At Odyssey Victoria we believe that every person should have the opportunity to change and grow. Our diverse teams work with individuals, families, and communities to reduce alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, improve mental health, and reconnect people to their family and the community. OV is a dynamic and fast-growing organisation committed to excellence in service provision and innovation in responding to alcohol and other drugs use problems.
 

About this opportunity:

This 12-month traineeship program will commence on 28^th April 2025 and provide you with the opportunity to work full time with experienced OV Clinical Staff, undertaking on-the-job training with a combined study regime to launch you into a fulfilling career in the AOD sector.

Trainees will learn about what work in the AOD sector looks like within Odyssey’s Community Programs in a supportive and supervised environment. This role will also have a brief rotation to our Residential Programs to gain a holistic understanding of OV services. 

Applications from people with lived experience and those with no qualifications are encouraged.
 

This opportunity is not available to those who have:

1. undertaken paid client facing work in the AOD sector (not inclusive of volunteers, students and non-client facing roles).
2. participated in an Early Careers Program in any sector.

We encourage applicants with prior work experience in any capacity, excluding the roles described above to apply.

Key areas of focus:

• Case management and counselling (Community Programs)
• Day Rehabilitation Programs
• Youth & Family Services
• Kids in Focus
• Professional Development
• Administration

Duties include but are not limited to…

• Providing support and targeted interventions to enhance the client’s engagement and retention in treatment, including:
  • assessments of clients’ AOD treatment and recovery needs.
  • practical assistance.
  • motivational interviewing and supportive counselling.
  • harm reduction information and education; and
  • case conferences to facilitate integrated and consistent treatment across services.
• Conducting risk assessments, with focus on suicidality, children and family violence;
• Developing treatment plans and providing effective counselling interventions and assertive referrals to meet the individual needs of clients and their families, including those with complex needs;
• Provide information, education and practical assistance to clients to help them to reduce the harms of their substance use;
• Undertaking high quality case management and timely record keeping including case notes, revision of treatment plans and feedback to clients;
• Contributing to therapy team reviews, case reviews and other staff meetings by preparing documentation, presenting reports and ensuring progress evaluations are accurate and up to date;
• Maintain up to date progress notes, case files and data entry

For a copy of the position description which outlines the full key selection criteria, please click HERE.
 

All trainees will:

• Participate actively in Traineeship professional development activities, including:

• Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Alcohol and Other Drugs Skill Set (Odyssey Institute 4 units of Competency)
• Training through VAADA’s Elevate! Workforce development program
• A Trainee’s Communities of Practice (CoP) run by 360Edge
• First Aid
• Mental Health First Aid
• MARAM intermediate risk assessment training
• Various and targeted training available in the OV training calendar

A week in the role:

If you were here last week, you would have been supported to:

• Work alongside an AOD clinician to complete AOD assessments
• Work alongside an AOD clinician to undertake Family Violence MARAM risk assessments
• Accompany an AOD clinician on outreach visits
• Support an AOD clinician to undertake care and coordination support work
• Complete workplace training
• Participate in clinical supervision sessions

Key Selection Criteria:

We are looking for an eager individual with a passion for AOD work to undertake this traineeship and be ready to learn, grow and be challenged, all whilst sharing their thoughts and ideas.

You must meet the following criteria to be successful in this role…

1. A desire to pursue a career in the AOD sector.
2. A genuine interest in AOD work.
3. Lived Experience of problematic AOD use, with at least 2 years of recovery.
4. Alignment with Odyssey’s values.
5. Good communication skills, both verbal and written.
6. Resilient and willing to work through any conflict situations with a professional and sensitive approach.
7. Takes initiative, is organised, can work independently and adapt to changing organisational needs.
8. Problem solving mindset. Curious and committed to finding new and creative ways to work with clients to achieve better outcomes.
9. Able to convey empathy and concern and collaborate effectively with people from a range of different backgrounds in a respectful and compassionate manner.
10. Comfortable with engaging clients in dialogue and developing a therapeutic relationship.
11. Commitment to developing my practice by observing and learning from others.
12. Able to work well in a team, be accountable for one’s work and support others to enhance service delivery.
13. Ability to self-reflect, take on feedback, and use supervision opportunities to improve one’s work.

For a copy of the position description which outlines the full key selection criteria, please click HERE.

What we can give YOU!

In return we are committed to offering you an inclusive and transparent workplace culture where our people can develop to be their very best by:  

• Ongoing learning and development opportunities to upskill your clinical and AOD expertise.
• Providing work that is meaningful and challenging, with career development opportunities.
• Providing career pathways across diverse OV programs.
• Access to 24/7 counselling through our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP).
• Generous leave options such as 48/52 Purchase Leave, Study Leave etc.
• Flexible working arrangements (arrangements will vary based on role requirements).

In addition to the above, staff will also attend monthly Clinical Supervision sessions for professional development and personal wellbeing.

Application information

Please apply directly via our careers website (applications via external recruitment websites or via email will not be considered).

Applications should be addressed to Jane Williams, Executive Manager – Community Programs and include your CV and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and identifying your preferred location (Greater Melbourne or Metro Melbourne).

If you have any questions relating to the position, please send your enquiries to TraineeRecruitment@odyssey.org.au with the following subject heading ‘Community Programs – AOD Trainee Enquiry’. 

We will be assessing applications on a rolling basis and suitable candidates will be shortlisted immediately. This role will close once a suitable candidate has been selected which may be prior to the application deadline, so please don’t wait to apply! 

Our commitment to diversity

At OV we value diversity and believe that a range of backgrounds brings a variety of ideas, perspectives and experiences that will enhance our effectiveness. We promote a workplace that actively seeks to include, welcome and value unique contributions by encouraging people with a disability, Aboriginal Australians, LGBTQIA+, young people and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply for this position.

Safety screening

OV is committed to child safety and is a child safe organisation. All OV employees must undergo a Police Check and Working with Children Checks. Any person issued with a negative notice on their Working with Children Check will not be eligible for employment with us.

All Odyssey Victoria sites are smoke free for all employees.