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Mental Health Practitioner

Job posted: 25/11/2024
Applications close: 08/12/2024 (Midnight)
1 day remaining

1 day remaining

Job Description

Location: Melbourne | Southern Metropolitan

Job type: Full time / From 28/01/2025

Organisation: Schools (Government)

Salary: Salary not specified

Occupation: Health and Allied Health

Reference: 1454401

Reference: 1454401

Occupation: Health and Allied Health

Salary Range: Salary not specified

Work location: Melbourne | Southern Metropolitan

Selection Criteria

  1. Ability to implement a range of small group and whole-school mental health prevention and promotion activities aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing, including the delivery of capability building and awareness raising activities for staff and/or students on key mental health and wellbeing issues affecting the school’s student population.
  2. Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies aimed at enhancing mental health and wellbeing prevention, promotion and early intervention.
  3. Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising and analysing wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling support to clients with a range of mental health needs.
  4. Demonstrated experience in coordinating supports for young people with complex needs including referrals to a range of specialist services as appropriate.
  5. Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
  6. Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding privacy of health information.

Role

The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative was announced by the Minister for Education in late 2018 to expand mental health and wellbeing support in government schools. The initiative provides for a suitably qualified mental health professional in all government secondary school campuses and specialist school (with secondary-aged enrolments) settings.

Operating in collaboration with the relevant Department of Education Regional Mental Health Branch, this role has the following functions:

  • Enhancing mental health prevention and promotion activities in the school by contributing to whole-school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to address matters relating to student mental health and wellbeing, and helping to develop and deliver appropriate programs and strategies in the school according to specified school priorities
  • Providing early intervention services (including short-term counselling) for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health concerns; and
  • Coordinating supports for students with complex needs both within and external to the school, including proactively working with regions, local mental health service providers and other health professionals to engage further support as required.

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 the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/industrial-agreements/resources

Responsibilities

  1. Providing advice and professional learning to others, including teachers and other school wellbeing staff, to build the capacity of schools to improve students wellbeing, learning and developmental outcomes.
  2. Delivering professional support services in a school, including mental health prevention and promotion activities and early intervention activities (including short-term counselling) for students with a range of mental health needs, applying sound theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.
  3. Planning and implementing evidence-based intervention strategies for students with complex needs including collaborating with families, other professionals and agencies when appropriate to effectively manage risk.
  4. Working collaboratively with the school to enhance mental health prevention and promotion across the school by contributing to policies and operational practices that will guide the work of others, including other school wellbeing staff and teachers.
  5. Liaising with other department areas (including secondary school nurses and Student Support Services staff) and external service providers where necessary to provide appropriate support to students.
  6. Maintaining professional competence and continued professional development, including attending professional development activities throughout the year.
  7. Meeting relevant policies and legislative requirements in relation to student health information, privacy and consent.

Please note: Continued professional development is a registration requirement under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). 

Who May Apply

Required

  • Applicants must be qualified as a psychologist, social worker, mental health nurse, occupational therapist or counsellor of a prescribed class. 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 applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA
    • For Counsellors applicants must have completed a Bachelor or Master of Counselling and be a practising member of either the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
  • Demonstrated direct counselling experience
  • A current Working With Children Check.

Desirable

  • For Psychology applicants, specialisation in educational and/or developmental psychology.
  • For Mental Health Nurse applicants, holding a Mental Health Nurse Credential and membership with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.
  • For Social Work applicants, membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers and an Accredited Social Worker Trade Mark.
  • For Occupational Therapy applicants, a Better Access to Mental Health Endorsement.
  • For Counselling applicants, Level 3-4 registration (ACA) or a Registered Clinical Counsellor endorsement (PACFA).

EEO AND OHS Commitment

Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.

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).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via marrung@education.vic.gov.au

Child Safe Standards

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:

 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy

DE Values

The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department'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 department values is available at:

 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

Other Information

  • 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

 

Please ensure that your application includes:

  • A resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, address and contact numbers, business and home)
  • A section addressing the selection criteria and the requirements for application under the Who May Apply section
  • Names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two referees who are able to attest to the claims made in your application.

Please note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.

Conditions of Employment

  • 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

Location Profile

Please contact the college Principal, Mr Chad Ambrose at gleneagles.sc@education.vic.gov.au to discuss employment opportunities at Gleneagles Secondary College.

Gleneagles Secondary College employs in excess of 150 personnel and we are committed to supporting staff to focus on the work that we are all most passionate about - supporting our students to achieve their very best. We are focussed on removing administrative burden from our teaching staff and our structures and approach to student engagement supports a collective focus on student learning and engagement.

The College has an enrolment of over 1300 students from Year 7 to Year 12 and a staff of 150+. Ours is a culturally and ethnically diverse community with 50% of our students coming from a language background other than English and 5% have refugee status. Approximately 1% of our students identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Our curriculum programs place Literacy and Numeracy at the core of our practice, providing students with broad access to the pathways they wish to explore and pursue. The design of curriculum is further underpinned by student voice and choice, VCE pathways and our collective knowledge of the educational demands of our student community. Our Senior students pathway into a diverse range of vocations and university courses and we are proud of our strong track record of academic performance.

Our pedagogical approach (Prepare ¿ Engage ¿ Teach ¿ Reflect) aims to provide consistency for our students, as well as space for our teaching staff to be innovative, responsive and engaging.

Our extra-curricular offerings are diverse and we excel in the areas of Performing Arts, Sport and increasingly in the Technology and academic extra-curricular offerings such as Tournament of the Minds.

The professional growth of staff is paramount to our goals as a college. We continually offer diverse and engaging professional development opportunities that are driven by student and staff need. Staff meetings are designed to facilitate collaboration and learning, free from administrivia.

Student leadership, voice and agency is central to our work. Students have multiple opportunities to make decisions about their own learning and the direction of the College more generally, providing input into how we engage with the Community, Teaching and Learning, Environment and Student Engagement and Wellbeing. Students drive our RISE Model which stems from our school values of: Respect, Inclusion, Stamina and Excellence.

Where students require support in the classroom we offer additional staffing within the class, who work to extend and support small groups of students. We are committed to developing happy, healthy and resilient children and we have invested significantly in student wellbeing expertise including: a large Student Wellbeing Team, Mental Health Practitioner, Doctors In Schools Program, Youth and Social Workers, School Nurse and a dedicated Inclusion Program.

Gleneagles Secondary College has an established record of academic excellence and our success is attributed to a number of factors: dedicated staff, transparent and consultative leadership, and above all, strong relationships between all sectors of the school, especially between staff, students, our families and the wider community.

Mental Health Practitioner

Job type:

Full time / From 28/01/2025

Job classification:

Ed Support Level 1-Range 4

Contact:

Alisha Guest | 9708 1319

Mental Health Practitioner