Youth Worker – Youth Housing First

About the Opportunity

MCM’s Youth Housing First for young people (Housing First Young People Leaving Care) program is an innovative five-year program focused on providing housing and support to eligible young people leaving care. It will be delivered across South-East regions of Victoria, in partnership with Quantum Support Services and Junction Support Services and compliment existing supports for young people.

This program is the first of its kind in Victoria and Australia for young people leaving care, and we are very excited to lead this with our partners and work with young people to shape this program into the future.

Housing First is a program that will provide housing, personalised case work and tenancy support for young people leaving Residential care, other care types, or custodial settings.

This program will:
•    Provide housing stability that enables young people to achieve their transition goals across housing and independent living, health and wellbeing, education, employment and community connections, strengthen social, community, cultural and where appropriate, family connections
•    Improve health outcomes for young people and increased educational attainment and employment participation rates
•    Reduce the risk of homelessness and contact with the justice system.

The role of the Youth Worker, Youth Housing First is to provide Young People with flexible support that is tailored to their needs, with the level of support varying during the Young Person’s time in the program.
Ensuring the program is led by Advantaged Thinking, Sustaining Tenancies, Housing First, and Healing Informed principles allows us to respond creatively to build capacity, relationships, create space for healing, and assist Young People to strengthen community connections, sustain housing, and divert away from the experience of youth homelessness.

About you

We are looking for someone who can:

•    Effectively manage work with a dedicated number of young people and develop advanced goal directed case planning and crisis interventions underpinned by Advantaged Thinking to meet the needs of Young People presenting with multiple needs, including risk assessments and safety plans.
•    Assist Young People with multiple support needs to firstly access allocated program housing and at transition access ongoing accommodation options, particularly supported accommodation, family reconciliation, private rental, shared housing and social or transitional housing in accordance with the case plan.
•    Use a sustaining tenancies practice approach to assist young people to establish a new tenancy, settle well into new housing, intervene/prevent ongoing tenancy issues, manage a tenancy long term, and as required, end a tenancy on the best positive note.
•    Facilitate access to relevant specialist support services, including health, mental health, AOD and therapeutic interventions and where appropriate, external services in accordance with the case plan.
•    Maintain up to date knowledge of MCM’s programs and relevant external service providers to ensure an integrated service response to people.

Benefits of working with MCM include:

• Diverse and inclusive organisation
• Attractive Salary Packaging benefits
• Supportive learning and development environment
• Culture of continuous improvement

Essential:

• Bachelor’s qualification in Social Science Youth Work, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, related disciplines.  
• Demonstrated experience working within an individual planned support framework (case management) with young people with multiple support needs.
• Understanding of mobile, assertive, and community-based outreach support and interventions.
• Understanding or experience working with young people in the Child Protection system, at risk of experiencing homelessness, including knowledge of healing-oriented trauma informed approaches.
• An extensive understanding of the homelessness service system with knowledge of patterns, trends, systemic issues, and principles in working with people.
• Knowledge of / experience in Advantaged Thinking, Housing First, Sustaining Tenancies principles and practice.
• Knowledge on the impact of abuse and trauma on development in order to meet clients’ needs in a developmental, individualised way.
• Provide tailored and appropriate responses to people who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Regular travel between North Fitzroy (Primary team site) and other MCM sites across the SE region is required.
• Proficiency in planning and report writing independently and can demonstrate the ability to coordinate or network with other stakeholders for their implementation or follow up.
• Capacity to work effectively both independently an as part of a team, demonstrate accountability and willingness to take direction.  Including ability to work in an integrated way with partner agencies.
• Ensure services are delivered within the framework of MCM’s policies and procedures, practice framework, legislative requirements and meet the relevant standards. All employees are required to comply with Child Safe Standards. 

Screening Criteria:

• National Police check
• Working with Children check and NDIS Worker Screening check or ability to obtain
• Valid Victorian Drivers license
• Right to Work in Australia

Applications for this role will close on 30th May 2025 or Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early. Please include your current resume and cover letter.
Please review the position description to understand more about the role and responsibilities. If you have any needs throughout the recruitment process that have not already been catered for, we encourage you to contact recruitment@mcm.org.au to let us know how we can better support you to apply.

About MCM

MCM is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to safety. MCM embraces differences because we know that diversity and inclusion help us to attract, recruit, engage and retain talented people. 
We are a leading not-for profit-for-purpose organisation that offer a broad range of services in Early Years, Disability, Homelessness, Palliative Care and Education.

Our commitment to Safety

MCM is committed to the safety of its clients and employees, taking a zero-tolerance approach to violence within the workplace and abuse, including child abuse and abuse of people with disability. All employees are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards.

Our commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Equity of Access

At MCM we embrace our differences because we know that diversity helps us to innovate and make the biggest impact possible. Our DEI Strategy supports and drives an inclusive workplace culture. We embrace the learning opportunities that come with authentic commitment to equity of access for all. We particularly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates to apply.