_{02nd April, 2026}

• A part-time (0.8 EFT), ongoing position within a values-based organisation
• Based in our Dandenong office, with local parking and close to PT
• Salary of $135,395 (pro-rata to 0.8 EFT) + Super + NFP Salary Packaging

Rebuilding Shattered Lives – Supporting people of refugee background to recover from torture and other traumatic events

Your Impact
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture, also known as Foundation House, is a leader in delivering specialist trauma-focused services that work with the strengths and resilience of refugees, their families, and communities to rebuild lives shattered by torture and other traumatic events.

Foundation House recognises the critical link between the standard and quality of our services and the delivery of safe, person-centred, effective, and connected care, which yields the strongest client outcomes. The Practice Excellence Area of VFST is core to ensuring that the services provided by Foundation House to clients and communities are delivered to the highest standard and are in line with organisational purpose, priorities, and obligations.

The Practice Excellence Area is responsible for:

• Leading the design, delivery and implementation of practice development support and programs for all Foundation House staff in collaboration and partnership with the broader leadership team.
• Lead the design and delivery of external training aimed at supporting the work of the sector and broader mental health and wellbeing services to deliver trauma-informed care to communities from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
• Leading the coordination of quality improvement initiatives for the organisation's service delivery arms.
• Leading the coordination and reporting of performance and quality measures to inform quality improvement initiatives and maintain a focus on practice excellence.

The Role
The role of Practice Leader – Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHW) is to actively support the General Manager Practice Excellence and the Manager Practice Development to drive the design and delivery of professional practice support to Foundation House staff and external and internal sector training. Practice Leaders focus on strengthening and elevating practitioners' skills and knowledge across the organisation, working with individuals and communities from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

The objective of the role is to build and maintain a practice culture that upholds and integrates an understanding of contemporary best practices in line with research and evaluation. This occurs through the delivery of individual and group reflective practice, professional learning (internal and external), communities of practice, case consultations and case reviews and other supports and initiatives based on need.

Reporting centrally to the Manager Practice Development, Practice Leads will also play a critical role in the regions in supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing regional leadership team through the provision of advice regarding emerging practice issues as well as collaboratively leading initiatives at the regional and organisational level towards ongoing practice improvement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the provision of practice advice and provide support to the regional Mental Health and Wellbeing and Community and Sector Capacity Building leadership teams.
• Deliver regional and central practice support in line with Foundation House Professional Practice Development Framework. This includes the provision of group and individual reflective supervision, Critical Reflection on Practice (CROPs), Communities of Practice, Training, and complex case consultation.
• Identify and design responses to practice development needs regionally and organisation wide to support best practice Mental Health and Wellbeing Services.
• Contribute to the design, development and implementation of practice development and learning initiatives across the organisation and externally to support sector development. This may include audits, working groups, participating in accreditation, surveys, focus groups, etc.
• Inform organisational quality governance through the identification of practice issues, development of quality improvement initiatives and proactively contributing to the Practice Excellence leadership’s ability to drive continuous improvement in practice.
• Contribute to and support the implementation of key quality improvement initiatives in line with the Victorian Government's Community Services Quality Governance Framework as applied at Foundation House.

The role is available as an ongoing, part-time (0.8 EFT) position and is based in our Dandenong office.

What you’ll need to successfully apply
To be successful, you will need to positively respond to the below selection criteria:

• Post-graduate qualification in psychology or social work and/or other related discipline/s, with a practice and quality improvement focus.
• Experience in the delivery of and delivering professional learning and training in working with complex trauma.
• Demonstrated expertise in the delivery quality improvement initiatives.
• Senior experience in managing and overseeing complex clinical and psychosocial assessments, case planning and counselling and advocacy responses for individuals and families with complex trauma experiences.
• Proven experience in driving continuous quality improvement.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering and overseeing specialist trauma recovery models and psychosocial, community, and sector capacity-building initiatives.
• People with lived experience are encouraged to apply and bring their perspectives to this role.

In return
You’ll be rewarded with:

• an attractive remuneration package of $135,395 (pro-rata to 0.8 EFT) plus superannuation and annual leave loading
• salary packaging benefits of up to $18,550 and novated car leasing options
• a role with true purpose to make a difference in people’s lives
• a welcoming, highly diverse and supportive team environment
• access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for staff and family members.

About Foundation House
We are:

• a state-wide agency offering services throughout Victoria. We currently have approximately 250 staff across our six offices in Brunswick, Dallas, Dandenong, Ringwood, Sunshine and Werribee, and we also provide services in partnership with other agencies in regional and rural Victoria
• values driven and committed to improving the life outcomes refugee background survivors
• an inclusive and equal opportunity employer
• a Child Safe organisation committed to promoting and protecting the interests and safety of children. We also actively play a part in combating family violence, as reflected in our organisational policies, protocols and staff development.

How to apply
Please upload your CV and a cover letter (maximum one to two pages) outlining why you are suitable for this role and how you meet the selection criteria as described above.

Refer to the position description below for detailed information about the role and more information about our hiring process.

Position Description: https://tinyurl.com/mr45fd4d
Copy & paste link to download PDF

Applications are due to close 23rd of April 2026. Please note, applications may be considered as they are received, and job ads may close early.

For enquiries, please contact Justin Curreen-Harris – HR & Recruitment Specialist via jobs@foundationhouse.org.au or by phone on 03 9389 8985.

Appointment to the position is subject to a satisfactory National Police Check, Working with Children Check and Reference Check process. If you have lived for a continuous period of 12 months or more in another country within the last 10 years, an International Police Check from that country will also be required.

The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate proof of the Right to Work in Australia.

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