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To Jo Read My name is Joseph Zizys and I am writing to apply for the position of L2P Project Officer at Good Sheperd Young People’s Services. For the past 18 months I have been working as a Community Mental Health Practitioner at the Frankston Youth Prevention and Recovery Centre, a short term, ten bed residential facility for young people aged 16 - 25 experiencing mental ill-health. In that role I have led groups in mindfulness meditation, facilitated communal meal programs and been deeply involved in working with young people in group situations to facilitate positive outcomes and achieve goals. My role at YPARC also involves one on one work based around firstly the recovery model and secondarily DBT based strategies. One on one work is strength and recovery based, encompassing counselling, collaboration and facilitation of the young persons own priorities and plans. I have a good understanding of the requirements involved in working with young people. I would bring my experience in working with young people to bear in sourcing and mentoring volunteers for the program. I also have experience in administration, having worked for the Centre for Multicultural Youth as the Administration Officer. I worked with a diverse range of youth workers, trainers, young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and pattern organisations in the sector and in government. I have also been a volunteer myself. I spent two years volunteering for the Lifeline telephone service, and was exposed to their fantastic and professional training, mentoring, and management. I learned an enormous amount from my time there. Finally I have experience managing people. In my previous career as an I.T developer I worked as a programming team leader at CBD Online managing a staff of around half a dozen full time programmers to deliver web interfaces for building automation systems. I am a calm, communicative people manager who believes in continual feedback, active listening and modelling best practice in my own professional behaviour. I am also an excellent driver btw! I would love the opportunity to interview for this position. My team leader Bill Buckley, Frankston YPARC, Mind Australia can be contacted on 92388600 to provide a reference. Kate O’Sullivan, Settlement Team Leader at Whittlesea Community Connections (currently on maternity leave), who I worked with at the
