Wellness Support Advisor

University of New South Wales; Wauchope; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 78,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Superannuation 17%

Leave loading

Additional leave over Christmas

Professional development

HR practices

Job summary

The Wellness Support Advisor, Rural at UNSW Rural provides support for rural students with social, emotional, health and wellbeing needs through triage, assessment and short solutions-based therapy.

The position works closely with the Faculty Wellbeing Officer and local staff at Rural Clinical Campus sites, collaborating with services like RHMT, and coordinating with UNSW Central Services to enhance the student experience. It includes on-campus availability Tue–Thu.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification with post-qualifying experience in Psychology, Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, or Mental Health Nursing.
• Experience supporting individuals with psychosocial needs and conducting short-term interventions.
• Ability to navigate administrative processes and advocate for students.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with empathy.
• Experience delivering high-quality supports to diverse populations.

Responsibilities

• Provide triage, assessment and short solutions-based therapy for rural students’ wellbeing needs.
• Work closely with the Faculty Wellbeing Officer and local staff at Rural Clinical Campus sites.
• Liaise with services such as RHMT programs and other health professionals.
• Collaborate with UNSW Central Services and the Medicine and Health community to support student wellbeing.
• Develop a work schedule ensuring on-campus availability Tue, Wed and Thu each week and attend Coffs Harbour campus as required.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Empathy

Counselling basics

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification in Psychology/Counselling/OT/Social Work/Mental Health

Job description

At UNSW, we take pride in the broad range and high quality of our teaching programs. Our teaching gains strength and currency from our research activities, strong industry links and our international nature; UNSW has strong regional and...

• Employment Type: Part - time (21 hours a week)
• Duration: Fixed Term contract until 30 th June 2027
• Remuneration: $118,483 base pro rata, plus 17% superannuation and leave loading
• Work rights required: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Candidates must hold full rights to work in Australia to be considered for this position.
• Location: Port Macquarie, NSW

UNSW Rural brings world-class medical education to rural and regional Australia, delivering the full 6-year medical course at our rural campuses across several locations. Face-to-face teaching is critical to rural program delivery - as students build strong relationships with and benefit from more personal interaction with clinicians and other academics and become a part of the local medical community. UNSW’s program has strongly supported the aims of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care , Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program for over 25-years, delivering excellence in rural medical education and student experience.

Details of the role

The Wellness Support Advisor, Rural provides support for rural students with social, emotional, health and wellbeing needs through triage, assessment and short solutions-based therapy.

The position holder works closely with the Faculty Wellbeing Officer and senior academic and professional staff at local Rural Clinical Campus sites, as well as local services such as the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMPH) and other health professionals.

The role will liaise regularly with UNSW Central Services such as Mental Health Connect, Psychology and Wellness, Equitable Learning Service and Student Support Team, as well as the UNSW Medicine and Health community. This position holder has a critical role in supporting students through a positive approach to wellbeing that enhances the student experience.

In collaboration with the Manager, Rural, the position holder will develop a work schedule to ensure on-campus availability between Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week at the identified campus and attend Coffs Harbour campus to support our student cohorts, as agreed with supervisor and at other times as required.

The position reports to the Manager, Rural and has no direct reports.

• Relevant tertiary qualification with subsequent relevant post qualifying experience in Psychology, Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, or Mental Health Nurse with registration or eligibility for registration with the appropriate accrediting body.
• Demonstrated experience working with individuals who have psychosocial support needs such as disabilities, mental health, and chronic physical health, and significant experience conducting psycho‑social needs and risk assessments; and undertaking short‑term therapeutic interventions.
• Capacity to support students to navigate administrative processes in a complex environment, consult and influence stakeholders and advocate on behalf of students.
• Highly advanced interpersonal and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to empathise and provide specialised advice to all rural students.
• Proven experience providing high‑quality support programs or service delivery to people from diverse backgrounds.

Please refer to the position description for full details.

UNSW Benefits and Culture

• 17% Superannuation and leave loading
• Additional 3 days of leave over the Christmas Period
• Access to lifelong learning and career development
• Progressive HR practices

More information on the great staff benefits and culture can be found here.

Pre-Employment Checks:

As part of our recruitment process candidates may be required to undergo pre-employment screening, which may include reference checks, qualification verification, right-to-work verification, and criminal history screening where relevant to the role.

A current WWCC is a condition of employment for this role.

Other pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:

• National and International Criminal history checks
• Employment history and reference checks
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Current Drivers Licence

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.

Applications close: Thursday 1 st October before 11.30pm Sydney time

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.