Grade 1 Mental Health Practitioner / Social Worker

Dhelkaya Health; Greater Bendigo; On-site; AUD 74,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

On-site parking

Professional development opportunities

Employee Assistance Program

RespectX Accredited Employer

Job summary

Dhelkaya Health in Victoria is seeking a Mental Health Practitioner / Social Worker – Grade 1 for a fixed-term, full-time role from 11 January 2027 to 10 January 2028. The position suits graduates and early-career social workers, offering structured supervision and opportunities to learn across acute hospital, mental health, and AOD settings.

You will undertake psychosocial assessments, develop recovery‑oriented care plans, provide brief interventions and counselling, and work with a

Qualifications

• Approved tertiary qualification in Social Work and eligibility for AASW registration.
• Understanding of mental health, psychosocial disability and/or AOD issues and willingness to develop further.
• Ability to undertake psychosocial assessment and identify consumer needs, risks and protective factors.
• Commitment to recovery‑oriented, person‑centred and trauma‑informed practice.
• Ability to recognise changes in presentation, respond to risk and seek support.
• Strong written and verbal communication, and ability to work within professional boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Undertake psychosocial, mental health and AOD assessments with consumers.
• Develop recovery‑oriented, person‑centred care plans with consumers.
• Provide evidence‑informed brief interventions, counselling and psychosocial support.
• Support consumers to set and work toward mental health, AOD and social wellbeing goals.
• Monitor progress and adapt interventions as needs change.
• Escalate concerns and work with multidisciplinary teams, families and services.
• Engage in supervision, reflective practice and ongoing learning.

Skills

Psychosocial assessment

Communication

Teamwork

Clinical supervision

Trauma-informed practice

Recovery-oriented care

Cultural safety

Professional boundaries

Education

Bachelor or equivalent in Social Work

Eligibility for AASW membership

Job description

Position Title

Mental Health Practitioner / Social Worker – Grade 1

Classification: Grade 1 (Graduate/Early Career)

Salary range per hour: $37.53 + superannuation + generous salary packaging options

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract full-time from 11th January 2027 until 10th January 2028

Award: Allied Health Professionals (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise agreement 2021-2026

Role description

This role provides an exciting opportunity and great foundation for a graduate or early-career Social Worker to develop their clinical skills and confidence across acute hospital, mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) settings. With structured support, clinical supervision and opportunities to learn from an experienced multidisciplinary team, you will progressively develop your capability in mental health and AOD practice, as well as bed-based hospital work.

Working within your scope of practice and with support from experienced clinicians, you will:

• Undertake psychosocial, mental health and AOD assessments, identifying consumer strengths, needs, risks and protective factors.
• Work collaboratively with consumers to develop recovery-oriented, person-centred care plans.
• Provide evidence-informed brief interventions, counselling and psychosocial support.
• Support consumers to identify and work towards goals relating to their mental health, AOD use, relationships and social wellbeing.
• Monitor and review consumer progress and adapt interventions in response to changing needs.
• Recognise changes in presentation and identify clinical and psychosocial risks, escalating concerns appropriately and seeking support when required.
• Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, consumers, families/carers, community services and other relevant agencies.
• Develop your clinical knowledge and skills through supervision, reflective practice, feedback and ongoing learning.

You will be supported to work within your current level of knowledge and experience, while progressively developing your clinical responsibility and confidence as your skills and competency grow.

About you

• An approved tertiary qualification in Social Work and eligibility for relevant professional registration/membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
• An understanding of mental health, psychosocial disability and/or alcohol and other drug issues, and a willingness to further develop your knowledge and skills
• The ability to undertake psychosocial assessment and identify consumer strengths, needs, risks and protective factors
• An understanding of recovery-oriented, person-centred and trauma-informed practice.
• The ability to recognise changes in consumer presentation, identify and respond to clinical and psychosocial risk, and
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and establish therapeutic relationships with consumers, the community, service providers and other agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated understanding of professional boundaries, confidentiality, clinical governance and ethical practice.
• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing learning, reflective practice, clinical supervision and incorporating feedback to develop professional and clinical practice.
• Demonstrated ability to work within one's level of knowledge, skills and experience, seek assistance and utilise supervision appropriately, with a commitment to progressively developing clinical responsibility and managing increasing complexity as competency develops.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• A commitment to culturally safe, inclusive and trauma-informed practice.
• The ability to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• A current Working with Children Check and/or Police Check as required by the organisation.
• A current driver's licence where community-based travel is required.

Culture and Benefits

• Generous salary packaging options including access to novated leasing to use pre-tax dollars for a car and associated expenses
• A welcoming & supportive culture
• Dynamic multidisciplinary team
• Professional development opportunities
• On-site parking
• Employee Assistance Program

Applications close 1st November 2026

For further information about this position, please contact Natalie Stevens – Mental Health Team Lead on 03 5431 7000

IDHS encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. People of all ages, people living with a disability, LGBTIQ+ candidates, and people from multi-cultural backgrounds.

The successful applicant will be required to complete all relevant pre-employment checks, including a National Police Check & Working with Children Check (if required) and comply with Inglewood District Health's Vaccination Policy.

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