GROW SA

Role: Project Worker, “Get GROWin’ Mental Health, Personal Development and Wellbeing Program for Youth”

Location: Hove

Closing date: Friday 13^th January 2012

Our Mission: “To improve mental health and wellbeing through the use, promotion, coordination, and further development of the GROW Program”.

Preamble:

GROW SA

GROW has operated for over 50 years and was established and developed by people living with a mental illness. GROW’s program of personal growth, group method and sharing/ caring community has been developed from the findings and experience of people with a mental illness in the course of their recovery and rebuilding of their lives.

GROW members share their own experiences and coping strategies in order to help one another. Members don’t just benefit from each other’s experience but, through mutual sharing, and the establishment of trust. The mutual support and friendship developed creates an ongoing network of support and a community of caring and sharing.

People come to GROW because they have experienced mental illness; depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and mental and emotional distress. Participants do not need a diagnosis or referral from a medical practitioner.

GROW participants can join in weekly GROW meetings, attend education and information sessions and social activities. These are structured to assist participants with their personal growth and development.

GROW also encourages and supports its participants to undertake leadership roles allowing them to organise groups, chair meetings, be a contact person and arrange social events to name a few. This enables them to discover their potential and increases self-esteem.

Please also refer to our website, http://www.grow.net.au for a comprehensive overview of our organisation and the important work that we do.

Get GROWin’ – Youth program

The Get Growin’ program utilises the principles of the GROW program along with strengths, empowerment and mutual aid based principles to produce an initiative that focuses on the needs of young people. The overall aim of the Get Growin’ program has been to provide early intervention for youth at risk of developing a mental illness by cultivating life skills, relationships and resilience. This relies on a partnership with schools that support the program and their students to enable attendance and sustain learning.

The program is aimed at disengaged, disengaging and at risk youth. The Get GROWin’ program has been operating in SA since 2009 and GROW has delivered over 40 groups in 20 youth organisations and schools. There are measured outcomes for each group including school attendance and engagement. In 2011 the Get Growin’ Mental Health, Personal Development and Wellbeing Program for Youth Provided support for over 100 students across metropolitan Adelaide. These students presented with but were not limited to low self esteem, undiagnosed and diagnosed mental illness such as depression and anxiety, learning disabilities, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, parental and family seperation, child protection issues, legal issues, drugs and alcohol, self abuse, relationship tensions and breakdowns, peer isolation, bullying, cyber saftey issues, economic disadvantage, poor coping and problem solving skills and trouble with schooling. As such they find it hard to engage in the classroom because they are in a constant state of upheaval.

Purpose:

The aim of the Get GROWin’ program is to improve the social and emotional health and well being of school aged young people from the age of 12-18. Employing a prevention/early intervention program in schools we aim to increase their learning and earning potential through a strengths and empowerment based life skills program.

A peer model based on the principles of mutual aid and group work that creates a sense of community, mutual understanding and belonging.
Fosters positive change in relation to behaviours and attitudes.
Creates empowerment, helping youth to see they can change little things in their life whilst cultivating personal responsibility for their actions.
Provides practical useful tools for problem solving and enables rational thinking through emotional crises.
Provides a forum for youth to discuss / disclose personal issues.
Helps disengaging youth to build on strengths to assist positive re-engagement.
Addresses mental health issues in a social, non-threatening, non-clinical environment.

Duties:

In conjunction with the Branch Manager (BM) and the Branch Management Team (BMT), the Project Worker will :-

Work with and further develop established curriculum for delivery in class rooms based on GROW’s method and principles
Facilitate GROWs Youth program to groups of disengaged youth across Adelaide and SA
Market project to stakeholders
Set effective sales targets and KPI’s to achieve financial viability of Program in line with BMT directions. (i.e avg no of paying group sessions per term, contacts to gain bookings etc)
Sourcing fundraising and other financial assistance (i.e. grnt submissions etc) for project dvelopment and sustainability
Rally local government for greater resource allocation to youth mental health
Maintain high level of confidentiality/ high level of negotiation skills/ conflict resolution
Liaise with agencies and community groups i.e DECS, ICAN, High Schools, Job Services
Perform media interviews to educate the community about Get GROWin’
Write articles for GROW’s newsletter to educate the community about Get GROWin’
Demonstrate high level of autonomy working under minimal supervision, including indepedently marketing as well as facilitating Get Growin groups across Adelaide to a students from a variety of educational settings, backgrounds, socio economic circumstances, ages and with varying issues and needs.
Conception and organisation of special interest programs with in youth demographic ie primary school to high school transitions
Maintain cultural sensitivity regarding indigenous clients and clients from diverse cultural and personal backgrounds
Maintain sensitivity regarding youth with varying learning and comprehension levels
Collaborate with program organisers (such as scool counsellors) to deliver a service that is appropriate and individualised to student and school needs, ensuring the program is flexible and responsive on a group by group basis
Implement and quality control regular school/youth GROW meetings in SA schools and youth organisations
Work with and develop appropriate measurement tools enabling regular assessment and improvement
Compile monthly reports on programs progress and achievements
Expand on marketing materials for the program
Attend monthly Staff Team meeting
Help develop a regular ongoing feeder Youth GROW group ‘off campus’
Ensure that all monies generated are receipted and accounted for
Ensure that receipts are obtained for all Project monies expended
Participate in the monthly review and assessment of budget vs. actual expenditure
Conduct school information forums on aspects of mental health and wellbeing
Other duties as directed by the Branch Manager

The Project Worker is responsible directly to the Branch Program Coordinator.

Key Selection Criteria

Essential

Minimum Certificate 4 in youth work or similar ( Social Work, Psychology, Teaching)
Confidence and experience working with young people from a variety of diverse backgrounds.
Demonstrated ability to develop rapport with disengaged and/or vulnerable youth
Understand unique needs that disengaged and vulnerable youth possess
Child Safe Environment Training or willing to acquire as soon as practicable
Strong marketing skills to secure paid groups
Strong networking skills to secure new networks as well as ensure continued patronage with established stakeholders
Ability and motivation to work well with limited guidance or supervision and to be able to independently source information/resources/supervision as required
Ability to work within an ethical and evidence based framework for working with vulnerable young pople

10. Current Motor Vehicle Drivers licence

11. Experience in community development and in facilitating community programs

12. Knowledge of the education services and/or mental health sector

13. Clear Communication and interpersonal skills - verbal and written

14. Strong organisation and time management skills with an ability to plan, organise and follow through with all activities, to completion within a designated time frame

15. Good word processing and spread sheet computer skills

16. Satisfactory result of a Police Check- will also be required to obtain a DECs Criminal History screening and Catholic Police Clearance in order to work in all schools.

17. Ability to work well in a team

18. Understanding of or Experience in using the GROW Program and knowledge, or a willingness to acquire same

19. Ability to animate and enthuse others

20. Ability assist in building a caring and sharing community

Desirable

Experience and confidence in public speaking or a willingness to acquire same;
Experience and confidence in communicating with professionals or willingness to acquire same;
Experience in planning, preparing and presenting training and education activities or willingness to acquire such skills;
Current First Aid Certificate or willingness to acquire same as soon as practicable.
Group work experience
Youth Mental Health First Aid or willingness to acquire the same
Experience working within a school/educational environment and/or with school aged young people
Experience working in the field of Mental Health and/or Education
Understanding of FLO (Flexible Learning Options) program and ICAN in SA

10. Knowledge in the field of Education (Ie: Teaching qualifications)

11. Willingness to build of Professional Development

12. An understanding of Not-for-profit Non Government organisations

13. Have an understanding of (and possible networks withing) local agencies to collaborate with and refer students/families/schools to.

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Applications:

Along with a cover letter and resume please briefly address essential criteria 1 through to 12.

To submit your application or for more information or queries please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Applications to: Katherine Eden

Youth Project Officer

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