Occupational Therapist - Community Triage & In-Reach

New Zealand Government; Wellington; Hybrid; NZD 40,000 - 64,000; Part time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to join the ORA Community Services Triage Team. The role combines triage work (0.2 FTE) with Community In-Reach OT (0.4 FTE) across Wellington/ Kenepuru bases.

You will assess, prioritise and direct referrals, plan equipment needs, and collaborate across hospital and community teams to support timely discharges and equitable access to care.

Qualifications

• NZ registration as an Occupational Therapist with current APC.
• Experience in community OT and equipment provision.
• Strong clinical reasoning, prioritisation and problem solving.
• Ability to make timely, well-considered clinical decisions.
• Understanding of Māori and Pacific health needs.
• Commitment to equitable, person-centred care.
• Ability to work independently and with teams.
• Current driver's licence.
• Can-do attitude and passion for working with people.
• Right to work in New Zealand.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert clinical triage and early decision-making for referrals.
• Assess, prioritise and direct referrals to appropriate intervention pathways.
• Support equipment assessment and planning for Older Persons Rehab wards.
• Collaborate with patients, whānau, inpatient clinicians and community teams.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Prioritisation

Communication

Organisation

Teamwork

Risk assessment

Education

NZ OT registration

Annual Practising Certificate

Job description

Location: Flexible location at either Wellington or Kenepuru Community Team bases, with regular work at Kenepuru Hospital Contract: Permanent, Part Time (0.6FTE / 24 hours per week) Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we're building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the Role

Please note that this role is only available for current Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora staff. Any non-Te Whatu Ora applications will be declined. We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Occupational Therapist to join our ORA Community Services Triage Team. 0.2 FTE of the role will be working within our Triage service, and 0.4 FTE of this role will be working as a Community In-Reach OT. The Triage Clinician is a key role within the service, providing expert clinical triage and early decision-making for Occupational Therapy referrals. Working as part of the Triage Team, you will assess, prioritise and direct referrals to the most appropriate intervention pathway at the earliest opportunity. The Triage Team currently manages approximately 35% of Occupational Therapy referrals at the point of entry. Through early assessment, advice and intervention, the team helps reduce demand on downstream clinical services and improves access for patients with higher or more complex needs. The role also includes proactive Occupational Therapy assessment and equipment planning within the Kenepuru Hospital Older Persons Rehabilitation wards. You will work collaboratively with patients, whānau, inpatient clinicians and community teams to identify long-term equipment needs and progress appropriate solutions before discharge. This early intervention approach supports a more seamless transition for people between hospital and community services. It helps reduce duplication of service for people, avoid unnecessary equipment rental costs, improve access to equipment and support safer and more efficient hospital discharges. It also reduces the number of patients who need to be placed on a community Occupational Therapy waiting list following discharge. This is an opportunity to work across the patient journey and make a meaningful contribution to patient flow, service integration and the equitable and sustainable use of healthcare resources.

About the Team/Service

ORA Community Services work with people aged 16 and over who have acquired neurological, long-term or age-related health conditions. These include stroke, dementia, frailty and post-trauma conditions. The community teams are multidisciplinary and include occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language therapy, social work, dietetics, liaison nursing and allied health assistants. The teams also have close links with Nurse Practitioners, the AWHI Early Supported Discharge team, geriatricians and the Rehabilitation Physician. There are three geographically based community teams located in Wellington, Kenepuru and Kāpiti. The Triage Team provides a single point of entry into the wider ORA Community Service. This role works across community and hospital settings, with regular involvement in the Kenepuru Hospital Older Persons Rehabilitation wards. Strong relationships between the Triage Team, inpatient services and community teams are central to ensuring patients experience a coordinated transition between services.

About you

This role would suit an experienced Occupational Therapist who enjoys clinical reasoning, early decision-making and working collaboratively across hospital and community services. You will be confident assessing clinical need and risk, prioritising referrals and identifying the most appropriate intervention pathway. You will take a holistic and person-centred approach, listening carefully to patients and whānau and working alongside them to identify practical solutions. You will bring experience in equipment assessment and planning, along with an understanding of rehabilitation, hospital discharge and community Occupational Therapy pathways. Communication and organisational skills will be strengths of yours. You will be able to build effective relationships with patients and whānau, Triage clinicians, referrers, inpatient teams, ORA Community Services, primary care and other health and community providers. You will need:

• New Zealand registration as an Occupational Therapist and a current Annual Practising Certificate
• Relevant clinical experience in community Occupational Therapy and equipment provision (skills in rails would be an advantage).
• Strong clinical reasoning, prioritisation and problem-solving skills
• Confidence making timely and well-considered clinical decisions
• An understanding of the health needs of Māori and Pacific communities
• A commitment to equitable, person-centred and whānau-centred care
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively across different teams and settings
• A current driver licence
• A can-do attitude and a passion for working alongside people
• The right to work in New Zealand

Health New Zealand Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is 'the weaving of wellness'. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community.