Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Specialist - GEO Group

Fulfilling position leading positive change and addressing AOD specific needs.

Join a supportive, purpose-driven team where your work changes lives, strengthens communities and makes a difference every single day

At Ravenhall Correctional Centre, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Services is creating exciting new opportunities for people who want their work to make a real difference.

Our redesigned services brings specialist expertise closer to the frontline, strengthens support from custody to community and creates clearer pathways for professional growth. It is more connected, more responsive and built to achieve stronger outcomes for people with diverse and complex needs.

Bring your expertise, ideas and commitment to change. Join a collaborative evidence-based team shaping the future of rehabilitation and reintegration at Ravenhall Correctional Centre where your work changes lives, strengthens communities and makes a difference every single day.

About The GEO Group Australia

We are the country's leading provider of outsourced correctional services, operating in VIC. GEO aims to deliver better corrections and create safer communities. We focus on providing a continuum of care and integration of services to make a real difference in the lives of people we work with. Our company is defined by us always acting with Integrity, showing everyone Respect without fail, being Accountable at all times, always being Agile and continuously looking for opportunities to be Innovative. For more information about our organisation visit our website www.geogroup.com.au

To view our videos, including the type of individuals we seek to join our business, click here.

About Ravenhall Correctional Centre

Ravenhall is Victoria’s largest, medium security prison for adult sentenced and unsentenced males. Its contemporary campus-style design provides a safe and humane environment that enables and nurtures GEOs Continuum of Care operating philosophy.

Ravenhall also has a dedicated Forensic Mental Health Unit, a specialised Closed Supervision Unit for prisoners with significant challenging behaviours, and a small Mission Based Unit for prisoners who have never been in custody before. In recognition of the importance of Continuum of Care, Ravenhall extends its presence into the community by providing ex-prisoners with access to post-release support at GEO’s Community Reintegration Centre.

With key focus on young adult offenders, Aboriginal and those with complex and mental health needs, prisoners at Ravenhall have significant opportunities to engage in work, education, programs and services, through an evidence based approach to reduce re-offending.

Ravenhall’s unprecedented emphasis on offender rehabilitation and reintegration is evidenced through collaborative and integrated relationships with key Alliance service partners including Forensicare, GEO Healthcare Plus, YMCA, Honeywell and Bendigo Kangan Institute of Tafe.

To learn more about Ravenhall Correctional Centre, click here.

About The Opportunity

The Senior AOD and Wellbeing Specialist has a primary focus on the health and wellbeing of people who have entered custody including those who require AOD supports. Working within a multidisciplinary team, the Senior AOD and Wellbeing Specialist role is responsible for the supervision, management and oversight of AOD Specialists and Wellbeing Support Facilitators who conduct screening and assessment and facilitate intervention for people in custody.

The Senior AOD Wellbeing Specialist role has a focus on harm minimisation and provides supervision for the facilitation of programs that support and promotes awareness of harm reduction strategies. The role will apply an innovative approach to ensuring timely and responsive program delivery for remand and short sentenced offenders.

As the Senior AOD and Wellbeing Specialist you will:

• Lead high quality engagement, assessment and support services to individuals through evidence based, therapeutic interventions
• Ensure best practice in AOD service delivery, including harm minimisation and recovery-oriented approaches
• Provide demonstrated AOD expert knowledge, support and mentoring to the broader AOD Team
• Monitor program outcomes and drive continuous improvement and innovation
• Development of new initiatives to address emerging substance use and wellbeing issues
• Allocate and manage workload for team consistent with resource allocation
• Develop pathways for a strengthened and connected approach to substance use and wellbeing with multidisciplinary partners including Healthcare
• Provide individual and group supervision to team members including AOD Specialists and other staff
• Contribute to case-management planning and case reviews and community reintegration plans, providing prisoners with exit and post treatment support plans to promote continuity of care
• Participate in release planning along with other members of the broader AOD network and prison reintegration services, ensuring continuity of care post release
• Collaborate with custodial and non-custodial staff, Health Services, and other Alliance Partners, to develop effective working relationships
• Lead in the development and delivery of training in harm reduction and relapse prevention strategies
• Participate in supervision and professional development opportunities consistent with the role.
• Ensure appropriate documents, reports and data, program attendance are maintained and recorded in accordance with Departmental needs and adherence to the GEO policy

Your Skills & Experience

To be successful in the role of Senior AOD and Wellbeing Specialist you will have:

• A relevant tertiary health qualification such as social work, counselling, psychology and/or nursing or Certificate IV/Diploma in AOD
• Two or more years of experience in providing AOD support, treatment and interventions in a correctional, clinical or other relevant setting, preferably with mandated clients
• Demonstrated experience and broad expert knowledge in AOD assessment, harm minimisation education, and person-centred care and recovery-focused support for people with AOD concerns and dual diagnosis
• Demonstrated experience in leading and managing a multidisciplinary team of professionals including the provision of supervision, guidance and mentoring
• Demonstrated experience facilitating group programs with a focus on drug awareness, harm reduction, and relapse prevention.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills with a participant–focused approach
• Experience completing quality client case notes, treatment summaries and reports and entering data into information management systems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and an ability to build and maintain positive collegial and stakeholder relationships
• A commitment to professional development through participation in further training, supervision, and mentoring
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others both cross agency and as part of a multidisciplinary team of professionals

For further information on how to apply, please click the Apply Now button.

About the Benefits

Joining GEO is your chance to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of prisoners, their families and the community. Benefits of working for GEO, include but are not limited to:

• Role diversity and internal career progression opportunities
• Ongoing funding for professional development opportunities (including further education sponsorship)
• Support with Professional Registration costs
• Flexible working arrangements
• Competitive salary and rewards scheme
• Free parking
• Employee Assistance Program
• Staff gym
• Subsidised meals
• Fitness Passport to promote wellbeing. Discounted gym and pool access for members and their families to over 1500 fitness facilities across Australia.
• REACH Program
• Discounted Private Health Insurance (Medibank Private)
• VCEA (Victorian Correctional Employees Association)

How to Apply

To initiate the application process, click on the "Apply" button and proceed through the application questionnaire located beneath the job advertisement.
The application process has several stages, and should your application advance, you will be expected to engage in the following steps:

• In-Person (preferred) or Virtual Interview Attendance.
• Reference checks will be conducted following the interview.
• National Police Certificate Authority Clearance
• Pre-Employment Medical and Fitness Assessment, which will be covered by our organisation. The evaluation will likely include various aspects, including assessed lifting capacity, aerobic fitness, lung function, grip strength, upper body strength, lower body strength, and core strength.

Important: Please note that Pre-Employment clearance can take up to approximately 6-8 weeks.

Please note: Only permanent Australian residents, Australian citizens or candidates with unrestricted visas and the right to work in Australia are eligible to apply for these positions.

Don't meet every requirement? At Ravenhall Correctional Centre, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

To be considered for this role, applicants must submit a cover letter and a current resume.
For any enquiries, or to discuss these positions in more detail please contact Recruitment at ravenhallcareers@geogroup.com.au
This is a rare opportunity to join an organisation that is growing and dedicated to improving our communities. Don't wait - Apply Now!
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are highly encouraged to apply

Applications close at 11:59pm, Thursday 15th October 2026 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The GEO Group reserves the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date; therefore, early applications are encouraged.

We are always looking for people to join our company who share the values that we stand for:

INTEGRITY RESPECT ACCOUNTABLE AGILE INNOVATIVE

Apply Now