Group Facilitator - Alcohol and Other Drugs

Group Facilitator - Alcohol and Other Drugs

Role: Group Facilitator - Alcohol and Other Drug

Employment type: Max term until 24/9/2027 - parental leave replacement

Time fraction: Full time

Salary: SACS Level 4 - $46.70 - $50.25 per hour

Real change rarely starts with someone having all the answers. Sometimes it starts with the right conversation.

Picture this: someone joins the Making a Change program struggling to name what they're feeling. Over eight weeks, you watch them start to recognise their emotions, communicate differently with the people around them, set boundaries and build some routine back into their life.

That's the work.

Making a Change (MAC) is an eight-week, community-based alcohol and other drug rehabilitation program. As Group Facilitator, you'll create a safe space for people to have honest conversations, learn practical strategies and better understand their substance use and what they want to change.

What you'll actually do

This is skilled group facilitation, not just standing at the front of a room delivering a presentation.

You'll guide participants through topics including harm minimisation, self-care, emotional regulation and community connectedness. You'll get conversations started, encourage participation, know when to challenge and when to listen, and adapt when the group needs something different.

Outside the group, you'll:

• assess and prepare participants before they enter the program
• review and prepare evidence-based program content
• provide support before, during and after the eight week program
• connect participants with other AOD, health and community services when they need additional support
• build strong referral pathways and relationships across the region
• maintain case notes, program data and contribute to evaluation.

Helping people take what they learn in the room and turn it into real-world change, that's what it's all about.

What makes a great MAC Facilitator?

• You know how to bring a group with you. You can read the room, draw people into a conversation and create an environment where people feel able to participate honestly.
• You build trust and keep good boundaries. You can be warm, genuine and non-judgemental while remaining clear and consistent.
• You're comfortable adapting. Supporting different personalities, that bring different dynamics, experiences and needs. You can change tack without losing sight of where you're trying to go.
• You're curious. You want to keep learning, question what could work better and keep your practice grounded in evidence.
• You bring yourself to work. Warmth matters here. So does humour. You don't need to take yourself too seriously to take the work seriously.

The team

Serious about the work. Not themselves.

They're close-knit, they back each other and they genuinely enjoy working together.

This is a small team where trust matters. You'll work closely with your colleagues, the broader BCH AOD team and our regional MAC partners.

There will be serious conversations. There will also be plenty of laughs.

What you'll need

You'll hold, or be working towards, a relevant tertiary qualification in Community Services, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Mental Health, Social Work, Counselling or a related discipline.

You'll also need or have a willingness to undertake the AOD four core competencies and First Aid training.

About Ballarat Community Health

We're a not-for-profit community health organisation with around 300 people working across six locations in Ballarat and the Western Region. For more than 45 years, we've been part of this community, providing health, wellbeing and social care that helps people get the support they need, when they need it.

For our AOD team, that means honest conversations, practical support and helping people turn "I want things to be different" into what comes next.

• Salary packaging of up to $15,900 for everyday living expenses, plus up to $2,650 for meals and entertainment
• Flexible working arrangements
• Access to employee wellbeing programs and discounts
• Ongoing learning and development
• A close-knit AOD team that genuinely enjoys working together

If you're a skilled facilitator who brings curiosity, good boundaries, warmth and a sense of humour to your work, we'd love to hear from you.

Further information, applications, and accessibility

For a confidential discussion, please contact Mel Lishman, AOD Clinical Lead on telephone

BCH is committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. If you require adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact the People and Culture team at and let us know.

Safety and inclusion

BCH takes the safety, dignity and wellbeing of children, older people and vulnerable people seriously. We expect all staff to uphold these standards in their work.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We value different life experiences and perspectives and provide care to all members of our community, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, disability or sexual orientation.