Kenneth Buraje

Seasoned Multicultural Child, Family Practitioner specializing in situational assessments, conflict resolution, and effective communication. Services clients to promote optimum mental, emotional and behavioral health in collaboration with other members of health care team.

Demonstrates psycho-social assessment, treatment planning and advocacy skills. Dedicatedly offering over 25 years of youth peer counseling and crisis intervention expertise.

A comprehensive background in social services and psycho-education, as well as strong interpersonal, organizational and computer skills. Builds client rapport and assesses needs to provide appropriate resources. To seek and maintain full-time position that offers professional challenges utilizing interpersonal skills, excellent time management and problem-solving skills.

• career counselling
• volunteering
• gardening
• singing
• drums
• cooking
• Rotary International
• National Association of Social Workers
• Lions Club

• Lord Mayors Student welcome Award- City of Melbourne
• Excellence in Customer service- Bunnings Warehouse
• Supervised team of 11 staff members.
• Collaborated with team of 15 volunteers in the development of Foundation Springs Of Supports- Australia to Africa- Project.
• Resolved product issue through consumer testing and Sales through service customer care expertise.
• Documented and resolved youth educational school attendance issues which led to robust enrolments.
• Pioneered Foundation Springs of Supports- Australia to Africa; an early interventions project for community services development.
• Family dynamics- certified positive parenting principles practitioner.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in providing parenting support to vulnerable families that is child focused and family centered including counseling, case management and parenting support.
• Demonstrated case management experience in the context of child and family services and facilitating case conferences.
• Demonstrated experience with in-depth child and family assessments with the understanding of child development and the impact of trauma on children including neglect.
• Trained in Awareness of and sensitivity to Aboriginal culture, and history and knowledge of factors influencing the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and families in Central Australia.
• I practice sound casework/ case management experience including holistic assessment of client needs and development of case plans
• Experienced in working competently with staff and clients from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds with respect and humility
• I have a well-developed interpersonal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated effectiveness in contributing to interagency collaboration and ability to lead collaboration, advocate and network with internal and external stakeholders (which can include statutory and law enforcement agencies)
• Posses capacity to be adaptive and resilient and to work independently in a self-directed manner, and also as a member of a team

• Wwcc
• Through their eyes
• NDIS quality safety and you- frameworks
• CPR
• Mental health first aid
• Peg Tube management training
• Mental Health awareness in prison - 2023
• Introduction to radicalisation prevention in Prisons.
• Fundamentals of Trauma Processing, and violent behaviors in youth
• Intimate Partner Violence training
• Certified Professional Life Coach.
• Alcohol and other drugs in Youth
• LMHC - Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• Certified applied behavior analyst - [2023]
• Infant safe - In safe hands
• Autism spectrum
• Mental Health Diploma
• Fundamentals of Trauma Processing
• Mental Health studies- suicide, Violent Behaviour and substance abuse.

• Sathya Sai edu-Care Pedagogy
• W.i.ld success
• Certified Professional Life Coach
• Youth Mental Health Practitioner
• Researcher- Centre For Healthcare Strategies USA.
• Corrections Academy- Lisbon Portugal
• 
  

- Relocation subsidies.

- in youth programs I had the opportunity to work together with people, partners and across places to enable young people especially the most vulnerable, to have positive life choices and opportunities.

-Helped achieve these outcomes through developing and delivering initiatives, programs and interventions to:

• Increased community safety and reduce rates of youth offending
• Improved wellbeing of children and young people in and transitioning from youth justice
• Reduced the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in the youth justice system.
  
• . Worked effectively within a statutory environment to manage the dual roles of monitoring young offenders' compliance with court orders and intervening to address issues that place them at risk of re-offending.
• Proactively worked to reduce re-offending using culturally appropriate, collaborative and evidence-based assessment and intervention skills, processes and programs including restorative justice activities.
• Worked collaboratively as part of a team including a range of internal and external stakeholders, to achieve positive outcomes for victims, young offenders, their families, and the community.
• Prepared and present verbal and written reports to the Children's heads of departments Conducted pre and post court interviews, prepare quality pre-sentence reports, affidavits, and other relevant documentation to support best practice outcomes for young people in the justice system.
• Undertook record keeping and information management tasks to ensure accountability.
• Actively participated in a range of continuing professional development activities to continuously improve your ability to contribute to organisational goals, including training, supervision, and relevant accreditation.
• Sound casework/ case management experience including holistic assessment of client needs and development of case plans
• Experienced in working competently with staff and clients from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds with respect and humility
• Well-developed interpersonal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated effectiveness in contributing to interagency collaboration and ability to lead collaboration, advocate and network with internal and external stakeholders (which can include statutory and law enforcement agencies)
• Proven capacity to be adaptive and resilient and to work independently in a self-directed manner, and also as a member of a team
• worked sensitively and respectfully with parents, family members, children or young people
• worked collaboratively with other agencies and engage in complex problem solving
• assisted families in formulating goals that align with their needs, addressing safety and well-being concerns, and provide appropriate assistance through home visits
• developed safety plans and complete risk assessments
• managed cases and situations including working with high needs and high-risk clients and their families
• was involved in court processes, including the preparation of court documents and attending court
• participated in individual and group best practice and reflective professional development.
• Supported young people in line with Youth Services model of care and associated Frameworks
• Built effective relationships with clients that encourage self-determination and participation
• Provided ongoing assessment of client's issues, safety, needs and circumstances from initial intake to exit
• Developed individual case plans in collaboration with clients including a range of interventions that address the clients needs
• Assisted clients to access support services and establish community supports including referrals to appropriate specialized agencies
• Maintained accurate up to date client records including case notes using organizational information systems

I am a Tiriki man by clan, speak 5 dialects, and belong to major language speakers called Luhya of Western Kenya, a sub-language of the Bantu. We have a few similarities in culture to the Aboriginal community. I began working with young people when I was 21 years old in remote Western Kenya-where I grew up growing crops on a small farm. Moving to Australia, I have a major interest in indigenous studies, I like to do dot paintings and to buy or support multicultural art and culture. I believe that their creativity is worth centuries of rich culture and that even money is not a measure of it, it is worth more. I share my African culture with indigenous youth during service deliveries and let them know how strong and determined I am by being a good example to them so that they grow into determined young people whom the nation can rely on. I encourage them to be part of innovation and preserve First Nations' cultural identity through composing music, learning their local language, living together in harmony, and keeping the law of the land.

Youth need to think and believe in their inborn capacities to start businesses and become self-reliant. Utilize Artificial Intelligence to solve existing community and individual emerging challenges of this century. I look forward to being among the first team of staff to facilitate an educational tour for a team of youth to visit Africa and share their culture, sport, and recreational ideas with other youth from remote parts of Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, and Ghana. Service Education is one of the best ways to help young people learn by doing. For Youth workers to see improvements in the behaviors of youth, we have to be ahead of them in designing exciting new strategies that shall engage youth positively, and they shall be inspired to discover, be proactive, think critically, and analyze what is right from wrong and do the right thing. Utilize the internet to sell products and create income, use hydroponic agriculture to grow vegetables, cook and eat healthy meals, and learn resilience. Learn financial literacy, and contribute to lifting the lives of their parents, siblings, selves, and the whole community. This shall be part of keeping them away from being idle hence alleviating time spent in planning a crime or being peer influenced into deviant ways.

Diploma or Advanced Diploma in a related discipline and/or substantial relevant experience in community services. Cumulative 20 Years in the Community Services sector.