The role

See more about the role below, including the responsibilities and skills we are looking for.



Harm Reduction Worker

Footscray, Australia

Reference: 6668195

Where excellence meets opportunity - discover your next chapter with cohealth!

  • Full time, fixed term role (Until June 2026)
  • $45.33 per hour + Super + Salary Packaging
  • Work for a multi-award-winning iconic community health organisation
  • Generous salary packaging options to reduce your cohealth taxable income

So why cohealth?

cohealth leads the way in reducing health and social inequity in partnership with people and the communities in which they live. Named Premier's Health Service of the Year (Primary) and the Supporting LGBTIQ+ Health Service at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards, cohealth's 1000 staff demonstrate courage, leadership, innovation, and agility in their commitment to providing inclusive and culturally safe health services that protect the human rights of all people of all gender identities, sexualities, ages, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, faiths, and abilities.

Our inclusive workplace culture enables staff to bring their whole selves to work, where uniqueness is valued, and people experience a feeling of belonging. Our aim is for everyone to thrive in their role. Please click here to find out more.

About the role

Based at Healthworks in Footscray, the City Outreach Van West program provides assertive street outreach in the west of Melbourne over a 7 day a week roster, working with clients to reduce the harms associated with substance use and other health and psychosocial needs.

The Harm Reduction Worker will provide assertive street outreach and harm reduction services to individuals and groups. Improving health, wellbeing and inclusion amongst People Who Use Drugs (PWUD), live with mental illness and who may be experiencing or have experienced homelessness is the key purpose of this position. The successful candidate will work both outreach shifts and on site at Healthworks, on a set roster, including weekday and weekend shifts.

Please refer to the Position Description for more information.

Your duties include:

  • Undertake assertive street outreach within a multidisciplinary team
  • Provide harm reduction education, advocacy, referral, needles/syringes and other injecting and disposal equipment to clients to support safer using and disposal through all modalities; onsite site, outreach and dispensing machines
  • Undertake community engagement, development activities and tasks which reduces stigma and promotes community safety and wellbeing.

What cohealth offers:

  • Exciting Parental leave benefits
    • cohealth offers primary carers 14 weeks paid parental leave upon completion of only 6 months of continuous service
    • Eligible co-workers will continue to receive superannuation on unpaid parental leave as well
  • Salary packaging to suit you - tax free amount of up to $15,900 p.a (mortgage, rent, or credit cards) and a further $2,650 p.a (meal, entertainment expenses and holiday accommodation) alongside generous reward programs from our salary packaging providers. Find out more on salary packaging here: https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Jobs-and-employment-types/Working-as-an-employee/Salary-sacrificing-for-employees/
  • Novated Leasing available
  • Counselling services for you and your immediate family through our EAP-Access provider, and mindfulness, resilience, and wellbeing programs
  • We offer inclusion, equality, and opportunity in a workplace where making a difference counts (based on our guiding principles and values)

Our ideal candidate:

  • Minimum certificate IV qualifications in Alcohol & Other Drugs, Counselling, Social Work or similar. Other appropriate tertiary qualifications may also be considered
  • Ability to work a rotating 7 day a week roster
  • Proof of qualification to be sighted
  • Valid Victorian Driver's License

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory Police Check, a Working with Children Check (WWCC), complete a Pre-employment declaration form, evidence of legal rights to work in Australia, and evidence of vaccination against COVID-19 (3 doses). Additionally, some roles will also require current AHPRA registration and/or NDIS Worker Screening Clearance.

Roles that are determined to be Risk Category A or B [staff that have direct and/or indirect contact with body substances and are at higher risk of occupational exposure to infections] will be required to provide evidence of immunisation assessment including Influenza prior to commencement [A] or within 12 weeks of commencement [B]. This is in accordance with the Victorian Minister of Health Mandatory Vaccination Orders for COVID-19 and legislated requirement for influenza vaccination.

Application Process

To apply for this job go to: https://cohealthcareers.org.au/Current-Jobs & enter ref code: 6668195.

You need to submit your CV/ resume and Cover Letter which addresses the key selection criteria outlined in the position description.

Only complete applications will be reviewed. We will be conducting interviews for this role as applications are received. This campaign will close on the mentioned date at 10.00 PM.

If you have any questions regarding this role, please contact Dean Rogut dean.rogut@cohealth.org.au


Applications Close: 08 Oct 2024