Occupational Therapist - Older Persons Mental Health

PageUp People Limited; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 74,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Professional development opportunities

Relocation assistance

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) in Adelaide is seeking an Occupational Therapist (OPMH) on a full-time, temporary contract until 8 January 2027. You will assess and treat older adults with complex mental health needs, working within a multidisciplinary team to support continuity of care across community services.

The role requires a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and current AHPRA registration, with opportunities for professional growth and relocation assistance.

Qualifications

• Experience in mental health and working with older adults.
• Ability to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong communication skills with older adults and families.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments to inform individualized treatment planning.
• Deliver therapeutic interventions to support independence and wellbeing.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary team to coordinate care and transitions.

Skills

Mental health experience

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Communication with older adults

AHPRA registration

Education

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy

Job description

Occupational Therapist - Older Persons Mental Health

Job no: 950905
Work type: Full time
Location: Adelaide Metro Northern
Categories: Allied and Scientific Health

• Northern Adelaide Local Health Network – Modbury Hospital – MODBURY SA 5092
  • Salary: $73,710-$89,981 p.a. plus Superannuation and Salary Sacrifice benefits – AHP1
  • Salary: $94,997 - $110,052 p.a. plus Superannuation and Salary Sacrifice benefits – AHP2
• Temporary Full-Time – up to 8 January 2027

About the Role:

This is an exciting opportunity to work within the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) as an Occupational Therapist within our Older Persons Mental Health Service Community Team. Join the Older Persons Mental Health Service on a full-time, short-term contract through to 8 January 2027, and make a genuine difference for older people and their families across Adelaide's northern metro region.

Your Role in the Service

Working within the NALHN Older Persons Mental Health Service, you will provide specialist occupational therapy assessment and intervention to older adults presenting with complex mental health needs. Your day-to-day will include:

• Conducting assessments to inform individualised treatment planning
• Delivering therapeutic interventions that support independence, safety, and wellbeing in the community
• Collaborating within a multidisciplinary team to coordinate care and support transitions across service pathways
• Contributing to planning and liaising with community supports, carers, and families

What You Bring

• Degree qualification in Occupational Therapy and current AHPRA registration
• Demonstrated experience or interest in working in mental health and working with Older People
• Sound understanding of the occupational and functional impacts of mental illness in older adults
• Confidence working within a multidisciplinary team and across complex care environments
• Familiarity with SA Health clinical documentation systems and care frameworks is highly regarded
• Strong communication skills with older adults, families, and diverse care teams

To be eligible for this position, you must have an appropriate Degree or equivalent qualification which entitles registration as an Occupational Therapist with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia.

Appointment at the AHP1 or the AHP2 level will be dependent on the level of skill, knowledge and experience demonstrated by each applicant. Please refer to the relevant Role Description for more information about the requirements at each classification level.

About You:

Are you a dedicated, compassionate and experienced Occupational Therapist looking for an opportunity to join a dynamic, growing healthcare network where you will be part of a supportive team delivering high-quality care to the community? If so, then this could be the opportunity for you. This position will offer you professional growth opportunities within a supportive and inclusive culture.

This rewarding position offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of older persons living in the community.

About Us:

The Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) is a leading provider of public healthcare services in South Australia, and one of the largest employers in northern Adelaide.

NALHNserves over400,000 peoplein northern Adelaide with a comprehensive range of high-quality healthcare services, including emergency, surgical, obstetric, neonatal,paediatric, oncology, geriatric, palliative care and rehabilitation, and mental health care, as well as primary health care services with a focus on community health promotion and chronic disease management.

With a commitment for ongoing upgrades to our facilities and the introduction of new services, our priority is delivering exceptional health and wellbeing services that enhance the quality of life for our community.

Our 300-plus Allied Health professionals play an integral role in multidisciplinary teams delivering outstanding care to patients across our acute, subacute and hospital avoidance services.

At NALHN Everyone Has a Story, Everyone Matters, Everyone Contributes and Everyone Grows.

At NALHN, we have a strong commitment to providing a clinically interesting professional experience, with structured and supportive education and professional development, and career progression pathways.

Some feedback from current employees about working as Allied Health Professionals in NALHN includes:

“My favourite part about working in NALHN is the close working relationships we have across Allied Health to optimise patient care.”

“I feel like I’m part of a growing and developing service.”

“I love the great team dynamic and the culture of learning and support.”

Our Local Health Network Sites and Services:

LYELL McEWIN HOSPITAL – the major hospital in northern Adelaide for emergency care, complex and multi-day surgery, medicine, obstetric, paediatrics and outpatient services.

Modbury Hospital – a general hospital with emergency care, elective surgery, medicine, outpatient and sub-acute services, rehabilitation, geriatric and palliative care.

Mental Health Services – adult and older persons mental health services and statewide forensic mental health services, across hospital and community settings.

Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Primary Health Care Services – provides culturally responsive primary healthcare services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in-hospital and across four community sites.

Primary Health Care Services – including GP Plus sites at Elizabeth, Modbury and Gilles Plains.

Benefits of working at NALHN:

From salary packaging to flexible working arrangements, a large range of opportunities for movement and career progression, you’ll find there are lots of benefits of working with Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.

Incremental wage increases in-line with the Allied Health Professionals, Assistants and Psychologists Enterprise Agreement 2025

Access to experienced clinicians across a broad range of expertise, who are supportive of collegial sharing of skills and knowledge in different therapies and client presentations.

Salary packaging is an option for saving money by paying for some of your everyday expenses from your salary before it is taxed.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants from interstate or overseas.

NALHN supports and fosters a culture in which employees feel they belong and feel safe at work. The culture aims to encourage all people to use their talents and to be valued and rewarded for their contributions.

In addition to this, other benefits of working as an Occupational Therapist in NALHN include:

• professional development opportunities. We have a well-established Allied Health Education unit which offers high-quality, targeted in-house training, and under the current enterprise agreement staff are also eligible for a Professional Development Allowance and entitled to claim reimbursement of eligible professional development expenses to allow you to continue to build upon your professional foundations
• opportunities to participate in research. NALHN have an Allied Health Research Chair, who is able to work with clinicians and teams to support clinical research
• regular clinical supervision, allowing you to receive individualised support, learning and development to help you achieve your career goals

SA Health is committed to providing an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and inclusion for all employees. We strongly encourage applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, culturally diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTIQA+SB community and people who live with disability and/or neurodivergence.

We are committed to making workplace adjustments to provide a positive and supportive work environment. You are encouraged to let us know if have any support or access requirements during the recruitment process and beyond to ensure you can perform at your best.

The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.

Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check.

Check(s):

• DHS Working With Children Check (WWCC)
• National Police Check (National Police Certificate)for aged care sector screening – apply to any of the accredited bodies approved to offer a service direct to the public. Accreditation is provided by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission . See our National Police Certificate accredited bodies page for links to lodge screening requests.

Immunisation Risk for this position is – Category A (direct contact with blood or body substances)

SA Health Services are required to implement the Addressing vaccine preventable disease: Occupational assessment, screening and vaccination policy in the workplace.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply. Job Ref: 950905

Enquiries:

Suzzanne Porcaro

Principal Occupational Therapist

Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Application Closing Date:

9 October 2026– 11.55PM

Role Description and Further Information:

950905 - Occupational Therapist - OPMH - AHP1 - Role Description.pdf

950905 - Occupational Therapist - OPMH - AHP2 - Role Description.pdf

Advertised: 25 Sep 2026 Cen. Australia Standard Time
Applications close: 09 Oct 2026 Cen. Australia Daylight Time