Expired: Mental Health Social Worker – Criminal Section

About NAAJA:

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Ltd (NAAJA) provides legal assistance and justice services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory. We have offices in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. We are recognised as a leading legal service and have received national and local human rights and crime prevention awards for our work.

NAAJA’s legal practice is the largest in the Northern Territory, providing high quality, culturally proficient and accessible advice, casework and court advocacy in both criminal and civil law. NAAJA particularly seeks to achieve social justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through strategic litigation, law reform and education.

The criminal law practice consists of criminal solicitors working in the areas of youth, summary, indictable and appellate crime, supported by administrative and client service staff who play a vital role in ensuring the provision of effective legal services to our clients.

• Flexible working arrangements
• Salary Packaging options
• Leave Entitlements

Position overview:

The Mental Health Social Worker position is part of NAAJA’s specialist mental health team within the criminal law practice. The Mental Health Social Worker works collaboratively with all members of the mental health team to support clients appearing before the Darwin Local Court and the Northern Territory Supreme Court.

The Mental Health Social Worker identifies and helps to address factors contributing to the client’s offending behaviour and works with the client’s wider support networks to address these behaviours. This position requires a multi-skilled, self-motivated person who has a working understanding of Aboriginal culture. The position also requires a person to have a working understanding of mental health issues and structural issues Aboriginal peoples face when engaging with the criminal law system. This includes an understanding of level reports including the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. There may be travel to Bush Courts with legal staff including overnight stays.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply. 

Duties:

1. Conduct assessments to ascertain any unmet psycho-social needs of mental health clients and facilitate and be responsible for following up supported referrals. This includes obtaining relevant information about the client to provide to internal and external service providers.
2. Work in collaboration with lawyers in the development and implementation of bail and sentencing plans for clients appearing before the courts, and clients who are subjects to Part IIA orders in the Northern Territory Supreme Court. Liaise with other agencies and service providers including Community Corrections, NDIA, Forensic Mental Health Services, Department of Health and Top End Mental Health Services, Mental Health Review Tribunal, Darwin Correctional Centre’s Complex Behaviour Unit, and the Public Guardian, when preparing these plans.
3. When necessary, provide welfare checks and court support to clients facing criminal charges.
4. Undertake risk assessments in a manner that is appropriate to NAAJA’s clients.
5. Subject to priorities, provide support and assistance to clients post-release from prison including working with clients natural networks to develop plans to support the client in accessing support services such as accommodation, mental health support and NDIS.
6. Subject to priorities, provide case management through individual case planning where appropriate.
7. Promote, attend and proactively engage in networking. Maintain strong relationships and work collaboratively with key stakeholders.
8. Develop and maintain procedures for the role. Practice appropriate file management and record relevant data for statistical and funding purposes and use this information to report on project outcomes.
9. Advocate on behalf of clients to facilitate access to external services and supports.
10. Identify service gaps and needs, and contribute to relevant policy development, law reform, community education and training.
11. Engage in external clinical social work supervision with a qualified senior social worker to ensure that a critical, trauma informed, and culturally safe practice is being adopted.
12. Other duties as reasonably directed.

Selection criteria (essential):

1. Relevant qualifications in Social Work that meets membership eligibility requirements of the Australian Association of Social Workers and meets AASW criteria for the provision of clinical social work supervision.
2. A working understanding of the legal system in the Northern Territory and how it relates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially those living with mental health conditions.
3. A working understanding of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
4. Demonstrated awareness and understanding of Aboriginal culture and proven experience in working effectively with clients and families/carers of diverse cultural and social backgrounds.
5. Well-developed communication, interpersonal skills, negotiation, and conflict management skills, with experience working in a team environment to achieve positive client outcomes; with a particular capacity to communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
6. Knowledge and understanding of the key factors driving the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system, especially those involved in the forensic mental health sector.
7. Experience/demonstrated ability in office procedures including words processing, file management, data management and reporting.
8. Proven ability to manage a high-volume workload efficiently and effectively with limited supervision, and ability to manage time and meet deadlines.
9. Proven ability in liaising with other agencies, developing networks and contacts in other associated services such as NDIA, NDIS support services, Darwin Correctional Centre, Community Corrections, Top End Mental Health Services, and other services as identifiable through the role.
10. Hold a current ‘C’ Class driving licence.
11. A current Ochre Card or the ability to gain one.
12. Availability to travel to remote communities to attend bush courts if required.
13. Satisfactory criminal history check and no history of disqualification from employment by a legal practice.

How to apply:

Applicants for this position must address the selection criteria in their written application, which should be sent to Recruitment@naaja.org.au.