What Katie says about working at
Lives Lived Well
“Do it! Lives Lived Well cares about the person you are – your authenticity, compassion, optimism and openness. You’ll learn everything else once you get here –
but take that first step.”
Careers at Lives Lived Well
Become part of our long and respected history of providing support for people impacted by alcohol, drugs and mental health concerns. Apply cutting-edge best practice, backed by the latest research in treatment, to walk alongside and guide people on their recovery journeys. See in action that what you do works and be inspired by the people you support.
At Lives Lived Well, we are passionate about the possibilities, for our employees as well as the people we support. It’s not just about what we do; it’s about how we do it.
Our Story
Since the 1970s, Lives Lived Well has provided treatment and support to people whose lives are impacted by alcohol and other drugs. We have come a long way from the early days of shaking tins at traffic lights to raise money to keep going. In fact, we have tripled in size over the past few years, meaning we now can deliver more services to more people in more places.
Through planned growth, service diversification and friendly mergers, our team is now over 450 staff in 40+ locations across Queensland and New South Wales with AOD services as diverse as the communities we work in. We now also support people with mental health and gambling concerns and those transitioning from correctional centres. You might have heard of headspace? We are the lead agency for headspace on the Gold Coast and Upper Coomera. We also deliver NewAccess – a low intensity mental health program developed by Beyond Blue across South West and Western Queensland. Last year, we started our first social enterprise.
We seek out evidence in treatment approaches. We partner with the University of Queensland to conduct leading edge research in AOD treatment. We want to know that what we do works – that people are supported to make real changes in their lives. And that goes to the heart of our reason for being – We believe that with the right support people can change their lives.
Want to know more about working with us?
Hear directly from Jess, Grace and Mikel , members of our clinical team who have progressed their careers at Lives Lived Well.
Got itchy feet? Sea change, tree change, big city life, wide open land – we can offer all these lifestyles across our many locations.
Capable people is one of our strategic anchors – that means we see learning as critical to our success. From comprehensive induction through to specialised training, we invest in developing our team providing in-house, workplace and external learning experiences. We also offer paid study leave.
Whether a new graduate, making a career change or an experienced hand in our field, you bring the enthusiasm, commitment and curiosity and we’ll provide a pathway.
As Abi, our Registered Nurse at residential service, Wunya, says “At LLW you get what uni doesn’t teach and money can’t buy.”
Values and Culture
Our values reflect who we are and what we believe in. When we live our values, we do our best work – for each other, for clients and the communities we work in. They are a benchmark we set for ourselves and measure ourselves against. It is a promise we make to you about the kind of experience you will have working for us.
“We need to work towards our shared vision as a collective. Fostering a culture of self-care is vital for us to provide the best support to our clients.”
While you support others, we support you.
Our work can be tough at times – the people we support can have challenging life experiences. We have a strong focus on health and wellbeing.
LLW Leave – most staff have access to 5 extra paid leave days per year. You can use this to support wellbeing, work/life balance or to cover leave at Christmas.
Wellbeing and self-care – you can access exclusive online resources and practical tips, join in wellness activities and celebrate our annual Wellness Week.
Clinical Support – we provide regular clinical supervision, case conferencing and debriefing.
Employee Assistance Program – this external program is available to all staff and immediate family – emotional, psychological, financial counselling and wellbeing services available.
One to one time – all about you – your leader will meet with you to check in, discuss your work, seek feedback and ideas and consider your developmental goals.
Communication and connection – all new staff attend a comprehensive induction and meet the Executive Team. Everyone has regular 1:1 conversations with their team leaders and attends team meetings. Skip meetings (meet with the next level leader), focus groups, communities of practice, Town Halls and surveys are some of the ways you can contribute ideas. Our communication hub, Wellspring gives you access to organisational information and news and you can interact with others.
The other goodies
Salary Packaging – Increase your real take home pay by paying for living and entertainment expenses from your pre-tax salary using our salary sacrificing benefit. Watch a YouTube explainer video from our salary sacrifice provider, Eziway, here
Vehicle lease option is available through our salary packaging provider. Watch a YouTube explainer video, here
Discounts – Wellspring, our online rewards portal allows you to access a wide range of discounted commercial services and retail products.
Paid Parental Leave – we “top up” the government paid parental leave scheme so you will receive your usual salary for 8 weeks.
Flu Vaccination Program – we arrange flu shots on site at no cost to you, or reimburse you for the cost of your own vaccination.
PS and don’t forget LLW Leave – up to 5 extra paid leave each year.
We are passionate about the possibilities – for our clients, our colleagues and the community.
Why join us? Please do, if you:
Share in our belief in recovery
Live out our values
Think in a curious and critical way
Thrive on learning and change
Get passionate about the possibilities for yourself and others
Why others join us! Hear from members of the Lives Lived Team – Jess, Mark and Abi:
Jess,
an AOD Counsellor & Case Manager
Mark,
a Treatment Facilitator
Abi,
a Registered Nurse
Other staff have simply told their stories. Be inspired by their career journey and what brought them to Lives Lived Well.
Meet Travis, an AOD Team Leader:
“I feel heard by the organisation; they respect my skills and craft. We are all leaders in our own way, and I think Lives Lived Well really see that. The organisation actively helps you grow into the person and professional you seek to become. Read Travis’ story
Meet Katie, a Family Counsellor:
“In Africa, a village raises a child. In Australia, I’ve found people often lack community support – especially parents and families. I felt that there was a really significant need to help these people. Read Katie’s story
Meet Jason, a Case Manager and Counsellor
“I feel I have great empathy when it comes to the challenges that others are facing, because I’ve struggled as well. It helps to relate, and to build rapport. Read Jason’s story
Meet Elizabeth, a Case Manager and Counsellor
“I have a strong sense of social justice – particularly for people in society who others might look down upon. My core belief is that every person, just by their nature of being human, has incredible intrinsic value. Read Elizabeth’s story
Meet Tame, a Youth AOD Counsellor
“I’ve always been treated well and felt respected, and that goes right to the top. There are no titles when you speak with members of the Executive Team – they talk to you as a person. They want to hear your story.” Read Tame’s story
Meet Grace, an AOD Team Leader
“Lives Lived Well is my family. I always feel so accepted, loved and cherished. They want to build me into whatever I want to be and give me the tools and resources to do that.” Read Grace’s story
Meet Mikel, an AOD residential services Manager
“I am enjoying the lifestyle change. I live a half-hour drive away on the coast in Yeppoon – a beautiful part of the world. I love the outdoors, travel and experiencing new things, so I’m loving exploring this region from 4WDriving in national parks to visiting the islands. I’m itching to buy a boat!” Read Mikel’s story
Want to work in mental health at Lives Lived Well?
We offer a number of mental health roles across our headspace centres at Southport and Upper Coomera, our Lighthouse program on the Gold Coast, within our gambling programs and through NewAccess, a free mental health program developed by Beyond Blue that we deliver across the south west and western Queensland regions, and on the Gold Coast. Roles vary across these programs. They may include psychologists, medical practitioners, clinicians, counsellors and social workers.
Want to work as a private practitioner at Lives Lived Well?
We have rooms available for private practitioners to work out of headspace Southport and Upper Coomera, as well as at the Lives Lived Well Specialist Centre at Burleigh Heads. Our practitioners experience full calendars with very low do not attend rates, choice of own specialties and administrative support.
We also contract allied health practitioners at the Lives Lived Well Specialist Centre is in a leafy setting on the same site as our live-in service Mirikai. This is a stand alone general medical and allied health practice open to our co-located drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre clients, the general public and practitioners’ own client lists. Lives Lived Well has recently released a video about what it’s like working as a private practitioner at our headspace centres.
To find out what it’s like to work as a private practitioner at our headspace centres, watch the video below. If interested in learning more, email [email protected]
Are you a student wanting to put your learnings into practice?
Consider applying for a student placement at Lives Lived Well where you can get the chance to extend your practical knowledge and gain workplace experience. Student placements are a great way to be part of an inspiring team, with the chance to network with people across Lives Lived Well and the local communities. We will help you apply your learned knowledge, so you can get your career off to a great start.
Have questions or want to register? Email [email protected] and use Student Placements inquiry as your subject heading.
Want to get involved as a volunteer?
We appreciate the support of our many volunteers at Lives Lived Well who help us deliver our services and programs. Many of our volunteers are based at our residential services, where they can assist in people’s recovery journeys.
If you’re passionate about volunteering, find out more about our volunteer programs by emailing [email protected]
Let’s Connect
Join Lives Lived Well
Search the currently available positions at Lives Lived Well on our Job Opportunities platform.
Keep up to Date
Read Lives Lived Well’s news and what staff have been up to in the latest and past issues of our e-newsletter Well Notes.
Lives Lived Well acknowledges the peoples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia, respecting their continuing connection to land, culture and community. We pay our respects to elders past, present and future.
Lives Lived Well celebrates diversity and is committed to providing inclusive services. Everyone has the right to live well, with dignity and respect. We offer support to all people without judgment or discrimination.
