Senior Youth AOD Worker

Help young people in your area navigate some of life's greatest challenges with Youth Projects.

As the Senior Youth AOD Worker at Youth Projects, you'll combine frontline alcohol and other drug (AOD) support with practice leadership and operational support, leading a team that helps young people overcome substance use-related challenges and build pathways towards recovery, wellbeing and independence.

Working within our Youth AOD Pathways program, you'll maintain a reduced client caseload while providing day-to-day supervision, mentoring and practice guidance to two Youth AOD Workers based in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Primarily, as the Senior AOD Youth Worker, you will be supporting the team to deliver high-quality AOD counselling, brief interventions, harm reduction and integrated case management, while providing guidance on complex cases, risk management and coordinated care.

You'll also play an important role in shaping the success of this emerging program and contributing to a broader research and evaluation project exploring how AOD support can strengthen pathways into employment, education and training. Working collaboratively across Youth Projects and external community services, you'll help young people overcome barriers to participation while gathering insights and evidence to inform service improvements. Through reflective practice, evaluation and continuous improvement, you'll contribute to the development of an evidence-informed, sustainable model of youth AOD support.

Please note: This is a fixed-term position from November 2026 to June 2027, supporting the Youth AOD Pathways Pilot across Melbourne's western suburbs.

What you’ll bring:

• Relevant qualifications in Alcohol and Other Drugs, Community Services, Social Work or a related discipline, including the AOD core competency skillset or Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs.
• Demonstrated experience supporting young people experiencing AOD-related harm, mental health challenges or other complex barriers.
• Experience in AOD screening, assessment, counselling, brief interventions, harm reduction and recovery-oriented practice.
• Strong case management, care planning, risk assessment and referral coordination skills.
• Ability to engage and support young people through flexible, trauma-informed and culturally safe approaches.
• Strong communication, documentation and organisational skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams and community services.

Does this sound like you?

• You're passionate about supporting young people experiencing AOD-related challenges and believe in providing safe, respectful and non-judgmental support.
• You're confident building genuine relationships with young people experiencing complex barriers, balancing empathy, practical action and clear professional boundaries.
• You bring a strong understanding of harm reduction, recovery-oriented practice and youth-centred case management, and know that meaningful progress looks different for everyone.
• You're organised, adaptable and collaborative, with a genuine interest in helping young people strengthen their wellbeing, independence and participation in employment, education and training.

Get to know us:

We are an independent, registered charity providing front line support to at-risk individuals across Melbourne to open pathways out of poverty and homelessness - breaking the cycle of disadvantage. Our work is focused on respect, client-centred care, and harm prevention. Through our holistic model of care, we support people to live longer, healthier lives with meaningful employment and a stronger sense of belonging, safety, and security.

Why should you work with us?

At Youth Projects we are very lucky to have a highly passionate and big energy team. We love what we do, and we have fun doing it, all the while keeping things professional! We are dedicated to providing a flexible environment to help you get on top of your work-life balance and we prioritise personal development every step of the way by providing regular training and internal development opportunities. Most importantly, every day you get to see the way your work impacts real people in your community. But wait, there’s more!

• Free & locally roasted coffee at the office, every day ☕
• Generous salary packaging benefits to boost your take home pay
• PLUS additional tax-free salary packaging on meals & entertainment expenses
• Flexible work environment & flexibility to take extra unpaid leave for travel while working
• 17.5% Annual Leave Loading to help you live your best life on your holidays
• Employee wellbeing initiatives like the Employee Assistance Program
• Additional paid leave for caregiving, wellbeing, family violence, study PLUS an extra five personal leave days

Have you made it this far?

If you’re still reading, we think there’s a strong chance you might be our kind of person.

👉 Send through your resume & Cover Letter by clicking "Apply for the Job." 👈

Recruitment for this position will be undertaken as applications are received, and only successful applicants will be notified. Please note that it is a requirement of all

Youth Projects positions that the successful applicant holds a valid Working Children’s Check or Police Check.

Our commitment to diversity: Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging: At Youth Projects, we value the unique experiences, perspectives and contributions that a diverse workforce brings. We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming workplace for all and actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people of all genders, sexualities and identities, including members of the LGBTIQA+ community

Safety screening: Youth Projects is committed to being a child-safe organisation, providing an environment where children who come into contact with the organisation feel safe. Youth Projects has zero tolerance