About the role

The Sexual Assault Support Worker provides trauma-informed support for women and girls who have experienced sexual violence. This support can be provided either whilst in prison or in the community following release from Brisbane Youth Detention Centre (BYDC), West Moreton Detention Centre (WMDC), Wacol Youth Remand Centre (WYRC), Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre (BWCC), Southern Queensland Correctional Centre (SQCC), Helena Jones Correctional Centre or Numinbah Correctional Centre. Many participants will be Aboriginal women and girls and Torres Strait Islander women and girls. The Worker provides continuity of support to help women and girls recover from the trauma of past violence and imprisonment.

Key responsibilities

- Model SIS values in practice, including engaging warmly with criminalised women, girls and their children

- Provide one-on-one crisis and longer-term counselling and support to criminalised women and girls who have experienced sexual violence

- Use a customised, culturally informed, empowering approach with each participant according to her perception of the nature and complexity of her needs

- Support women and girls to address trauma arising from their experience of imprisonment

- Ensure continuity of support for criminalised women and girls both within and outside prison as required

- Particularly ensure participants' access to trauma support immediately post-release

- Accept referrals from SIS workers in BYDC, BWCC, Gatton, Numinbah and Helena Jones

- Offer group support activities if preferred by participants

- Liaise with appropriate service providers on behalf of individual women

- Participate in the planning and evaluation of the SIS Sexual Assault Program, and other SIS services as required

About you

- Understanding of SIS's Values and a commitment to working within the organisation's Values, Vision, model of service, policies and procedures

- Understanding of racial-gendered violence, and experience addressing sexual,



domestic and/or family violence

- Understanding of the nexus between violence and imprisonment, including the impact of imprisonment on women and girl survivors of violence

- Substantial experience working alongside Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people, and an understanding of the issues and needs of criminalised First Nations women and girls

- Experience in one-on-one counselling based on a sound knowledge of at least one trauma-informed, culturally-competent therapeutic framework consistent with the SIS model of service and the needs of First Nations women and girls

- Ability to work equally effectively as a cooperative team member and independently (with minimal supervision)

- Ability to communicate effectively with a range of people (including criminalised women and girls, their dependents/families, non-government service providers and government authorities)

- Significant lived experience relevant to working with criminalised women/girls; experience working with criminalised or other highly disadvantaged and marginalised women/girls; and/or tertiary qualifications in the social or behavioural sciences

- Holder of a current Queensland Class C Driver's License

- Suitability Card from the Queensland Commission for Children and Young People (Blue Card)

About us

Sisters Inside is an organisation developed and driven by formerly incarcerated women. It exists to advocate for the human rights of criminalised and imprisoned women and girls, and their children, and provides services in response to their unmet needs. SIS is a particularly values-driven organisation committed to involving criminalised women in all facets of the organisation. We are committed to being culturally appropriate, employing Aboriginal workers and Torres Strait Islander workers whenever possible and maintaining solid linkages with First Nations Elders, organisations and communities. SIS both strategically advocates for the collective interests of women and girls in the legal system and provides services to address their more immediate needs.

📌 Sexual Assault Support Worker (Community) (Brisbane)
🏢 Sisters Inside
📍 Brisbane