Advocate roles, Independent Mental Health Advocacy

About this role

Ringwood positions

• Part time (0.8FTE) ongoing position
• Full time or part time maximum term position up to 2 years
• Salary range: $89,029 - $104,924 plus super plus up to $15,900 in salary packaging

Dandenong positions

• Full time or part time ongoing positions
• Salary range: $89,029 - $104,924 plus super plus up to $15,900 in salary packaging

Frankston positions

• Full time or part time ongoing positions
• Part time (0.8FTE) maximum term position up to 12 months (parental leave cover)
• Salary range: $89,029 - $104,924 plus super plus up to $15,900 in salary packaging

About the role
You will provide services to people at risk of or on compulsory treatment orders, assist people to understand and exercise their rights and to enable them to participate in decisions about their treatment, care, and recovery including coaching for self-advocacy and referrals.  

Your will be responsible for: 

• Responding to enquiries from users of the program, mental health organisations and services including hospitals, peer support workers, social workers, lawyers, caseworkers and other advocates.   
• Providing services in person to inpatient units, community settings and via phone and email, with regular travel to designated mental health services at Latrobe Health and Peninsula Health (Frankston role) and Monash Health (Dandenong Role).

About you
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• A qualification in a relevant field such as health, community development, community health, community mental health or social work (highly desirable).
• Mental health consumer lived experience (desirable).
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with an ability to quickly build trust and rapport with a diverse range of consumers and internal and external stakeholders.   
• A deep understanding of the challenges impacting Victorians when accessing mental health support services, and an ability to ‘stand up' on behalf of consumers.   
• Experience in one or more areas including community development, consumer advocacy, mental health advocacy, community sector advocacy, social work, mental health service provision or other similar fields.    

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we strongly encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate.

About IMHA: 
Our Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) team is a non-legal advocacy program that is staffed and led by professionals with mental health consumer experience and/or backgrounds in community development, consumer advocacy, mental health advocacy, community sector advocacy, social work, mental health service provision or other similar fields.   

About VLA
We offer legal representation, family dispute resolution and non-legal advocacy to those who need it most. With over 1400 staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits

• A focus on work-life balance, including flexible working arrangements
• Hybrid work from home & office model 
• Generous leave benefits, including:
  • Three days paid seasonal leave (to be taken between Boxing Day and New Year's Day public holidays)
  • Paid gender affirmation leave
  • Five days both paid reproductive and fertility leave per calendar year
• Annual 3% salary increase each December plus performance-related salary incentives
• Attractive salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 PLUS Novated Leasing
• Discounted annual Myki public transport passes
• Individual learning and professional development opportunities, tailored to your role and career goals
• Free annual flu vaccinations
• Access to gym and end-of-trip facilities at our CBD office
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program, including confidential counselling and access to a range of mental health and wellbeing resources.

How to apply
To be considered for this role, please submit your current resume and a completed candidate application form (listed within the file attachments) including the location/s you are applying for.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.

For further information, please review the attached position description or contact Jenny Bretnall, Manager – IMHA on (03) 9093 3763 or recruitment@vla.vic.gov.au.

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Sunday 22 March 2026.

Other relevant information
It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.