Gambling Help Counsellor and Educator in Freshwater

Employment Term: Maximum Term to 30 September 2026, Part Time (60.4 hours per fortnight)

Location: Cairns

Remuneration: $51 p/hr + Super + NFP Salary Packaging (save tax and increase your take home pay)

Make a meaningful difference with UnitingCare Queensland. At UnitingCare we are leaders in crisis response, the protection of vulnerable people and children, financial resilience and family wellbeing. Our FaDS (Family and Disability Services) team work passionately across Queensland to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

The Gambling Help Service provides counselling to individuals, couples and families adversely affected by addiction, specifically gambling. This client‑centred work assists clients to address problematic gambling, the impacts to themselves and/or family members, and the circumstances or issues that may underpin the issue.

The Gambling Help Counsellor & Educator will:

• Provide empathetic and non‑judgement gambling counselling to individuals, their families and significant others.
• Promote greater public awareness about the social issues associated with problem gambling through the provision of information to specific target groups and the community.

What makes a difference for us?

• Hold a Diploma in Counselling or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience working in a counselling environment.
• Have experience, and theoretical knowledge of working therapeutically with addiction, specifically gambling.
• Experience in developing and delivering education and awareness programs, as well as an understanding of theoretical frameworks and models of adult education and community development.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in therapeutic and counselling skills that is applicable to addiction and trauma.
• Demonstrated case management skills with a focus on outcomes, data and practice improvement.
• Demonstrated knowledge of strength‑based interventions and approaches in trauma/addiction counselling or the ability to acquire the skills.
• Experience in group facilitation and community education or the ability to acquire the skills.
• Current Drivers Licence.
• Suitability Card for Child Related Employment (Blue Card).

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and therefore may result in the role closing early if the right applicant is found.

What makes a difference for you?

• Flexible work arrangements to support work‑life balance.
• NFP Salary Packaging: Save tax and increase your take home pay by salary packaging your everyday living expenses and bills (up to $15,900) and meal entertainment (up to $2,650) per annum.
• A recognition and rewards platform, providing employee discounts at hundreds of retailers, including everyday expenses, holidays, health insurance, annual awards celebration, wellbeing and employee assistance programs.
• 12 weeks paid parental leave and 2 weeks paid partner leave, available after 6 months service, in addition to the government scheme.
• Diversity and inclusive leave, offering paid gender affirmation leave and cultural leave options (paid and unpaid) for those who may celebrate Lunar New Year, Diwali, Ramadan, NAIDOC weeks and other significant cultural events.
• Career development opportunities to challenge yourself, grow and make a meaningful difference.
• A positive and inclusive team based on respect, shared standards, strong values and a commitment to serving others.

We’d love you to be part of our UnitingCare family. Joining our FaDS team, you’ll also be welcomed as part of the UnitingCare family. The second‑largest Queensland employer, we’re a proud not‑for‑profit with more than 16,500 staff and 9,000 volunteers across our brands of BlueCare, Lifeline, ARRCS, The Wesley Hospital, Buderim Private Hospital, St Stephen’s Hospital, and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, and have been leading by example for more than 100 years.

Child safe, Child friendly:

• Provide welcoming, safe and nurturing services for children.
• Implement measures to prevent child abuse and neglect within our services.
• Appropriately and immediately address child abuse and neglect if it does occur.

Diversity & Inclusion:

Our approach is simple– everybody is welcome here. At UnitingCare, diversity is at the core of our who we are, our mission and our values. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees no matter their sex, race, culture, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. Demonstrating our commitment to reconciliation and building long‑term employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, UnitingCare strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for this position.

Safe workplace:

We work hard to make our services welcoming and safe for every person. We are united in keeping children, young people and the elderly safe from harm, within our services, workplaces and the communities we support. We are committed to speaking up loudly for their safety.