Counsellor

Job Description:

Role title: Counsellor (Level 1-2)

Role type: Permanent, part time (24 hours per week)

Shift details: Monday to Friday position

Department and location: Alcohol and Drug Outpatients Service (ADSOP), St Vincent’s Public Hospital, Sydney

Salary: $79,419.00 to $113,301.00 Pro-rata + Super + Salary Packaging

Welcome to St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney

Join a team built on a proud legacy of world-class care, true compassion, and deep community roots.

Founded by the Sisters of Charity and powered today by St Vincent’s Health Australia, the Sisters' legacy of compassionate service is our living heartbeat. As Sydney’s premier and iconic inner-city public hospital, we serve the entire population, providing world-class care to all people, including the most vulnerable in our community. Across our renowned precinct, we feature cutting-edge programs and surgery infrastructure, fostering clinical excellence and professional growth.

Located in the vibrant heart of Darlinghurst, we are positioned just minutes from Kings Cross station, with direct, high-frequency bus connections from the east, and seamless links from Gadigal and Museum stations right to our doorstep.

Read on to explore this exciting role and the fantastic perks waiting for you here.

About the role

• Deliver high-quality, evidence-based assessment, counselling and therapeutic interventions to people who use alcohol and other drugs, supporting improved physical, psychological and social wellbeing.
• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial and mental health assessments, intake consultations, brief interventions and ongoing therapeutic sessions tailored to individual client needs.
• Develop, implement and review multidisciplinary care plans, coordinate referrals and collaborate with internal and external services to ensure integrated, client-centred care.
• Facilitate therapeutic groups, contribute to community development initiatives and provide education on stimulant use to service providers and community stakeholders.
• Participate in clinical reviews, routine outcome measurement, discharge planning and accurate documentation within the electronic medical record in line with service and organisational requirements.
• Contribute to continuous service improvement through active participation in supervision, professional development, team meetings, policy development, quality improvement activities and clinical research initiatives.

About you

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Work, Counselling or a related behavioural science discipline, together with eligibility for membership of the relevant professional association.
• Demonstrated experience supporting people with alcohol and other drug (AOD) concerns, including clients with complex needs, using a range of evidence-based therapeutic modalities.
• Strong clinical assessment and intervention skills, with experience delivering brief interventions and care to clients experiencing substance use and co-existing mental health issues.
• Sound understanding of the health and social factors impacting people who use drugs, as well as contemporary treatment approaches and models of care.
• Commitment to harm reduction and strengths-based practice, with the ability to deliver person-centred, recovery-oriented support.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, complemented by strong computer literacy and experience using Microsoft Office and electronic patient record systems.

What we can offer you

• Exceptional Rewards: Competitive pay and not-for-profit salary packaging to maximise your income
• World-Class: Be part of a renowned precinct alongside the Garvan & Victor Chang institutes
• Excellence: Premier heart/lung transplant program, advanced robotics, & pioneering HIV/AIDS initiatives
• Cutting-Edge Oncology: Deliver advanced cancer care and trials at the renowned Kinghorn Cancer Centre
• Community: Support vital programs for First Nations, homelessness, mental health, & drug and alcohol care
• Professional Advancement: Accelerate your career with study leave and Curran Foundation scholarships
• Health & Wellbeing: Fitness Passport, discounted private health, & cultural recognitions and celebrations
• Coming from NSW Health?: Smooth transfer of your qualifying service and leave entitlements

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

Please note, visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For this role you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or have an Australia visa that grants you the work rights necessary for the role.

Equal opportunity

We celebrate diversity & inclusion and are committed to equal employment opportunity for everyone.

As part of our commitment to reconciliation, we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply and join us in delivering care that heals body, mind, spirit and community.

How to apply

The closing date for applications is 12th November 2026.

Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.

Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter highlighting how your interest, skills, and experience align with each of the things listed in the About You section of this job advert. 

Respectfully, this role is not open to recruitment agencies.

Reconciliation Action Plan:

At St Vincent's we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

For further information, visit https://www.svha.org.au/about-us/reconciliation or get in contact at indigenouscareers@svha.org.au

View Reconciliation Action Plan

Code of Conduct:

View Code of Conduct