Honesty Trust Respect Concern Love
Community AOD nurse
- Full-time , Permanent.
- Based at Footscray
- $54.3811 per hour per annum, plus super
- 17.5% annual leave loading and generous salary packaging options
- Progressive Workplace Flexibility options that enable genuine work life balance
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 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.
Role Purpose:
The Community AOD Nurse will offer interventions for withdrawal and other AOD-related issues within the community, usually on an outreach basis. In this role, you will provide holistic support to clients with AOD challenges, including comprehensive care plans and linkages as well as assistance with reducing or ceasing substance use.
We are seeking an individual who can embed intersectionality into their practice and incorporate lenses that include mental health, family violence, child safety, CALD, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Rainbow communities.
You will be rewarded with a positive and invigorating work culture, team mates that are friendly and committed as well as a large and engaging scope of practice.
Key areas of focus:
- Assist cleans to reduce or cease AOD use
- Provision of wrap around nursing interventions for those who use AOD
- Collaboration with other services
Duties include but are not limited to…
- Provide nursing interventions in an outreach setting
- Respond to the acute and primary health needs of clients who use alcohol and other drugs
- Provide harm reduction interventions (e.g. safer injecting practices, provision of Naloxone training etc)
- Facilitate suitable clients to withdraw from alcohol and other drugs in the community (usually in a home-based environment) in collaboration with a GP, Addiction Specialist or Nurse Practitioner.
- Assist clients to reduce their substance use whilst in the community (inclusive of binge pattern use)
- Facilitate the commencement and stabilisation of pharmacotherapy with clients who use opioids
- Assist clients with pharmacotherapy conversions i.e. Methadone to Suboxone or Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine (LAIB)
- Support complex clients before and after residential/in patient detox as needed
- Dynamically manage risk, inclusive of but not limited to medical, mental health and family violence related, involving managers and clinical leaders.
- Develop close connections with pharmacotherapy networks and access to DACAS (Addiction Medicine Specialists - AMS) and DANA guidelines
- Maintain file records, data collection processes and reporting as required.
For a copy of the position description which outlines the full list of responsibilities, please click HERE.
Who are WE looking for?
To be successful in this role, you must hold the below qualifications/experience…
- Relevant Nursing qualification (Div 1) and registration with AHPRA
- Certificate IV in AOD or have completed the required competencies* (or able to complete within the first 12 months of employment) and competencies in dual diagnosis (or able to complete within the first 24 months of employment).
- Experience with the provision of nursing interventions with people who use drugs and alcohol
- Sound understanding of alcohol and other drug withdrawal, overdose, and intoxication
- Sound knowledge of evidence based AOD interventions, such as harm reduction principles, motivational interviewing etc
- Experience working with complex clients
- Experience with the provision of providing in the home or outreach services
- Proven ability to work with a range of people and organisations (including specific groups such as Aboriginal, CALD and forensic clients) in a respectful and non-judgmental manner.
- Proven ability to collaborate with other service providers and stakeholder engagement.
For a copy of the position description which outlines the full key selection criteria, please click HERE.
*Appendix A (AOD Competencies)
OV requires staff in clinical positions to have the following competencies (or their equivalent). Where people do not already have these competencies, OV will invest in the staff’s professional development by providing them through our registered training organisation (RTO).
The competencies required in the first 12 months of employment are:
- CHCAOD001 – Work in an alcohol and other drugs context
- CHCAOD004 – Assess needs of clients with alcohol and other drugs issues
- CHCAOD006 – Provide interventions for people with alcohol and other drugs issues
- CHCAOD009 – Develop and review individual alcohol and other drugs treatment plans
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 capabilities.
- Providing work that is meaningful and challenging, with career development opportunities.
- Providing career pathways across diverse OHV programs.
- Access to 24/7 counselling through our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP)
- Generous leave options such as 48/52 Purchase Leave, Study Leave and Sabbaticals
- Flexible working arrangements such as monthly RDO’s for full-timers (arrangements will vary based on role requirements).
In addition to the above, staff will also be provided 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 Olivia Nichols and include your CV and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria.
If you have any questions relating to the position, please contact Olivia Nichols, Operations Manager – AOD Programs - NW on ONichols@odyssey.org.au or 0466 319 415.
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, 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 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 Police Records 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.
