Mental Health Practitioner at Government schools

Job Description:

Latest job information from Government schools for the position of Mental Health Practitioner. If the Mental Health Practitioner vacancy in Melbourne VIC matches your qualifications, please submit your latest application or CV directly through the updated Jobkos job portal.

Please note that applying for a job may not always be easy, as new candidates must meet certain qualifications and requirements set by the company. We hope the career opportunity at Government schools for the position of Mental Health Practitioner below matches your qualifications.

Dandenong Valley SDS is a specialist school located in Narre Warren Victoria. We cater for students with significant intellectual disability. The school was built in 1990 with an addition of a purpose built BER building in 2012. The school facilities include a PMP room, a Hydrotherapy pool which was refurbished in 2018 as a sensory space. We also have a sensory garden, horticulture centre, bike track, fitness room, engine room and sensory room, generous sized classrooms and stimulating play spaces. Our enrolment criteria are moderate to severe intellectual disability and students must reside within our transport zone.

Students at our school range in age from Foundation to year twelve and we also have an Early Education Program which caters for children from 2.8 -4.8 years. The three year olds attend one day a week and the four year olds come two days a week.

The senior transition program caters for students who are in their last two years of schooling. Its aim is to provide students with a diverse range of age appropriate learning experiences in preparation for post school options and adult life.

Our Vision for Dandenong Valley School is to achieve excellence in learning and teaching and provide the best outcomes for each of its students.

Our school also has a Mission Statement;

Dandenong Valley SDS endeavours to equip students with the capacities to manage themselves and their relations with others, understand their world and act effectively in that world.

Our Values are;

• Integrity
• Respect
• Responsibility

Dandenong valley SDS is a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour community. This Framework is fully embedded across the school and enables us to promote a happy positive learning environment for all. Our school rules are explicitly taught across all areas of the curriculum and the school. The rules are;

• Be responsible
• Be respectful
• Be a learner
• Be safe

Our Special Education programs are fully supported by a large therapy team which comprises three speech therapists, two occupational therapists, one physiotherapist and two music therapists. The role of the therapy team is to support the students to enable them to access their educational program. Therapists also work in close cooperation with teachers to ensure individual goals are achieved by all students.

Student Individual learning goals are based on our strategic plan priorities which are;

• The need to develop a functional communication system.
• The need to develop their independence skills
• The need to develop their social competencies.

These areas are the most important for our students and their families. Without these basic skills our students cannot engage in meaningful activities, nor reach their full potential.

Dandenong Valley SDS is committed to child safety. Our school actively promotes the safety and wellbeing of all students, including the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities and vulnerable children. 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.

At Dandenong Valley SDS we provide programs that cater for individual needs, interests and abilities of our students. The school's curriculum is based on The Victorian curriculum (levels A-D). In addition we offer a range of specialised programs that occur within the school environment or out in the local community.

These include;

Perceptual motor program, swimming (in our purpose built hydrotherapy pool), community access, personal safety, interschool sports, performing arts, STEM, visual arts, PE and camps.

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.

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

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). 

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).

The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, 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 safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

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

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.

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

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

• 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

Job Info:

• Company: Government schools
• Position: Mental Health Practitioner
• Work Location: Melbourne VIC
• Country: AU

How to Submit an Application:

After reading and understanding the criteria and minimum qualification requirements explained in the job information Mental Health Practitioner at the office Melbourne VIC above, immediately complete the job application files such as a job application letter, CV, photocopy of diploma, transcript, and other supplements as explained above. Submit via the Next Page link below.