ABOUT The Beyond Bricks and Bars Counselling Project

Beyond Bricks & Bars: Trans and Gender Diverse Decarceration Project is a trans-led specialist social work and advocacy service located in Naarm that provide support to trans and gender diverse people currently, formerly or at high risk of being incarcerated in Victoria.

The Beyond Bricks & Bars Counselling Project was developed in response to incarcerated trans and gender diverse people identifying need for mental health support. This pilot will deliver an accessible, gender affirmative (non-medical) telehealth counselling service for incarcerated trans and gender diverse people who are supported by Beyond Brick and Bars in prisons in Victoria. The Counselling Project sits alongside existing Beyond Bricks and Bars supports to provide targeted mental health interventions.

Both projects are supported by Flat Out, an advocacy and support service for women, trans, and gender diverse people who have been criminalised.

The "heart and soul" of Flat Out are the people we work with every day—inside and out. They are the experts on what they need to live free from the criminal legal system. For all our 36 years of operation, Flat Out has remained committed to listening closely to lived experience experts and following their lead.

Flat Out is seeking experienced volunteer counsellors to assist with a pilot counselling program, providing a safe and empowering therapeutic space for trans and gender diverse people in Victorian prisons. This is an opportunity for experienced counsellors to work alongside people currently experiencing incarceration and develop clinical skills alongside experienced colleagues.

About the role

We are currently seeking experienced counsellors who will commit to:

• Providing 2x 50 minute telehealth counselling sessions per week

• Attending monthly individual clinical supervision

• Attending bi-monthly group supervision with other volunteer counsellors
• Attending a brief induction and two day professional development program

We are looking for counsellors who are committed to abolitionist values and anti-oppressive practice and understand the significant challenges faced by trans and gender diverse people in carceral settings. Collaboration with the people we support and other members of the clinical team is an integral part of this program.

Successful applicants will have access to quality clinical supervision with an experienced supervisor, a two-day professional development program and monthly group supervision alongside other mental health professionals.

For the individual supervision component, volunteers will have the opportunity to bring external clinical cases or issues for discussion.

Queries relating to the role can be emailed to the attention of Zakaria Bin Shahruddin, Operations Manager, Flat Out via [email protected] using the subject line: Volunteer Counsellor enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.