Secondary School Mental Health Practitioner

Victorian Government; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Victorian Government is seeking a Mental Health Practitioner to join our education system in Melbourne. The role focuses on expanding mental health and wellbeing support across government secondary schools, providing direct counselling and preventative programs.

You will work with Regional Mental Health Branch, deliver whole-school plans, and coordinate referrals with health professionals to support students with complex needs.

Qualifications

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating supports for young people with complex needs including referrals to a range of specialist services as appropriate.
• Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
• Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding privacy of health information.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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).
• 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.
• 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.

Skills

Mental health promotion

Counselling support

Stakeholder collaboration

Staff training

Privacy compliance

Education

Psychologist

Social worker

Mental health nurse

Occupational therapist

Counsellor

Job description

The Victorian Government is seeking a Mental Health Practitioner to join our education system in Melbourne. The role focuses on expanding mental health and wellbeing support across government secondary schools, providing direct counselling and preventative programs.

You will work with Regional Mental Health Branch, deliver whole-school plans, and coordinate referrals with health professionals to support students with complex needs.