1. Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising and analysing wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling for a range of mental health issues.
2. Demonstrated experience in planning and implementing evidence-based intervention strategies for clients with complex needs.
3. Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and strategies relating to mental health and wellbeing.
4. Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
5. Ability to provide leadership and professional learning that informs and influences the work of others involved in the engagement and wellbeing of children and young people.
6. Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding privacy of health information. 

The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative provides for a suitably qualified mental health professional in all government secondary school campuses.

Operating in collaboration with the Department of Education and Training's Area-based multi-disciplinary teams, this role will have the following functions:

provide direct counselling support and other early intervention services for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health needs;
coordinate supports for students with critical needs both within and external to the school, including proactively working with regions and other health professionals to engage further support as required; and
enhance promotion and prevention activities in the school by contributing to whole school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to manage student health and wellbeing, and helping to embed mental health promotion and prevention programs and strategies in the school.

Education Support Class Level 1 Range 4

The successful applicant will be an experienced professional who will carry out their duties and responsibilities, relative to their professional discipline, with a high level of autonomy and with minimal reliance on professional supervision. The successful applicant will be responsible for the development and implementation of professional support programs within an educational environment, including guidance to other professional staff.

As an education support class position, this role supports the educational services being provided to students, but will not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).

For more information on the responsibilities of an Education support class level 1 range 4 employee, please visit:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/workm/Pages/rolesTS.aspx

1. Deliver professional support service/s in a school/s, including the direct counselling for students with a range of mental health issues, applying sound theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.

2. Plan and implement evidence-based intervention strategies for students with complex needs including collaborating with families, other professionals and agencies when appropriate, and manage the associated risks.

3. Work collaboratively with the school to contribute to policies and operational practices that will guide the work of others, including other school wellbeing staff and teachers.

4. Demonstrate leadership and provide professional learning to others, such as teachers and other school wellbeing staff, to build the capacity of schools to improve students’ learning and developmental outcomes.

5. Liaise with other Department areas (including secondary school nurses and Student Support Services staff) and external service providers where necessary to provide support to students.

6. Maintain professional competence and continued professional learning, including attending professional development activities throughout the year.

7. Meet relevant policies and legislative requirements in relation to student health information privacy.

Please note:
• The relevant enterprise agreement underpinning this position is the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2017.
• Continued professional learning is a registration requirement under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Required

• Applicants must be qualified as a psychologist, social worker, mental health nurse or occupational therapist. Specifically:
  • For Psychologists, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA
  • For Mental Health Nurses, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA and hold a postgraduate qualification in mental health
  • For Social Workers, applicants must be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers
  • For Occupational Therapists must hold full registration with AHPRA
• Have demonstrated direct counselling experience
• Have a current Working With Children Check

Desirable

• For Psychology applicants, specialisation in education and/or developmental psychology.
• For Mental Health Nurse applicants, hold a Mental Health Nurse Credential and membership with the Australian college of Mental Health Nurses.
• For Social Work applicants, hold membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers and an Accredited Social Worker Trade Mark.

The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms – gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department.  The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces.  It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants can contact Brett West, Yamatji man, in the Koorie Outcomes Division to talk about the recruitment process, the Department and supports for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in the Department. Mobile: 0477 726 801 or email on: brett.west@education.vic.gov.au

Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the Department’s exemplar available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/protect/Pages/childsafestandards.aspx

The Department’s employees commit to upholding DET’s Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. DET’s Values complement each school’s own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the DET values is available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/workm/Pages/Public-Sector-Values.aspx

• All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
• Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
• A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
• Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx

• All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
• Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
• A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
• It is required that applicants have a drivers licence to travel between campuses.
• Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx

Sunshine College operates as a two site multi-campus school in North and West Sunshine with responsibility for serving the educational needs of around 1000 young people, employing approximately 140 staff. We are currently entering an exciting renewal phase in our teaching and learning practices and physical structure, including the opening of new facilities.

The Sunshine community is wonderfully diverse, with a strong sense of pride and identity.

Our college reflects this diversity with a wide range of teaching & learning programs across both campuses. Our successful mainstream programs being augmented by the curriculum delivered at Harvester Technical College, located adjacent to the North Campus of Sunshine College. The Harvester Technical College through its teaching staff provides innovative best practice approaches in vocational education based around applied learning. We have developed strong links with major industries and business partners, in guiding the curriculum development and in building relationships to support outcomes for students. Teachers at the HTC operate in a team environment, integrating curriculum around learning projects for a dynamic year 10-12 student cohort.

Teachers across both 7-12 campuses of Sunshine College are expected to be creative of new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, with an understanding that students learn best through discovery, research & development processes and especially when this learning is linked to applied situations.

Our student’s average growth rate in NAPLAN Reading and Numeracy from Year 7 to Year 9 is better than state averages.

A major and exciting challenge for us is to become one of the leading schools in Victoria on how literacy issues are positively addressed. Students in Years 7 to 11 are involved in the SunLit program, receiving structured literacy lessons throughout the week.

Maths staff are regular presenters at the Mathematics Association of Victoria Annual Conference and were acknowledged for their work in Numeracy in winning the Lindsay Thompson Award for Excellence in Education.

Each year our students achieve high ATAR scores and have won Premier’s Awards and the VCE Achiever of the Year Award placing them among the top elite students in Victoria. The duxes of the school over the last years are studying Commerce, Law, Medicine, Engineering and Dentistry. Our outcomes for students graduating from the HTC into apprenticeships, work or further study are exceptional.

The College supports the broader community in several ways through community curriculum initiatives, largely coordinated in our pathway courses run at Years 7 to 10. 

We are committed to maximising learning outcomes and life opportunities for our students by providing high quality learning experiences which will empower them to continue to learn, adapt to changing circumstances, and create opportunities for themselves, while valuing self, others, and their environment.

Our core school values focus on GROWTH, LEARNING, WELLBEING and RELATIONSHIPS. These values guide our philosophy in how we educate and support our students and nurtures our belief that all students can learn.

Staff work in supportive Focus Groups, at times they team teach and are committed to continual personal and professional growth and accept new educational challenges as a natural part of their professional lives.

Staff at Sunshine College have worked together to develop what we call a “core plus” instructional model that allows for domain specific innovation and creativity but is underpinned across all domains by five core instructional practice principles~

• Learning Intention articulated and reflected on
• Readiness for Learning determined
• Activities that Target Individual Success delivered
• Quality Feedback provided
• Reflection undertaken

We believe that our teaching staff are by far the most valuable resource of the school.  We know that it is our teachers who ultimately make the difference for students, and we support them accordingly.

The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office tabled a report in the Victorian Parliament titled “The Effectiveness of Student Wellbeing Programs and Services.” Sunshine College was chosen to talk to representatives of the VAGO about our programs, which have led to consecutive years of ‘exemplar’ results within the Victorian Student Attitudinal Surveys.

Our performance and development culture is based around the collaborative work of staff in professional learning teams where curriculum is collegiately designed and consistently delivered across classrooms and campuses and where self-reflection is critical to enhancing the craft of teaching.

Sunshine College promotes the safety, participation, and empowerment of all children, including those with a disability. Our culture is based on Collaboration, Aspiration, and Inclusion. Our College is culturally safe for indigenous children and for those from culturally and linguistically diverse background. We encourage applications from indigenous peoples and from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

If this is a school, you would like to be part of I would encourage you to formally apply for the position.

Applicants will need to hold valid tertiary qualifications and be able to meet Victorian Institute of Teacher registration requirements.

Please note Sunshine College reserves the right to contact colleagues other than those listed as referees