Senior Coordinators - Regional Reintegration Service - Tairawhiti

New Zealand Government; Waikato; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Part time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora invites applications for Senior Coordinators to lead local district teams within Te Manawa Taki Intensive Community Wraparound. You will oversee pre-release planning, gate support coordination, and post-release reintegration for tangata whaiora transitioning from prison to the Waikato region.

The role requires a minimum of five years post-graduate experience in mental health or related settings, strong leadership, and a whānau-centred, collaborative approach.

Qualifications

• Experience in coordination, case management, or leadership within mental health, forensic, or justice-related settings.
• Minimum of 5 years post-graduate experience in mental health, community health, or primary care setting.
• Understanding of clinical governance and evidence-based practice.
• Experience in professional supervision.
• Experience in service improvement.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage a caseload across a wide geographic area.
• Whānau-centred, collaborative, and partnership-based approach.
• Competency with te ao Māori, tikanga, and te reo Māori, or commitment to starting learning.
• Experience working with Māori and Pasifika communities.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and inter-agency liaison skills across ACMHT, Probation, MSD, Kāinga Ora, and Iwi/NGO providers.
• Current full driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Delivering gate support when assigned and accompanying tangata whaiora to first appointments (e.g., MSD, WINZ, Department of Correction).
• Completing pre-release in-reach visits (face to face or Audio Visual Link).
• Coordinating gate support for tangata whaiora.
• Managing district caseload and delegating tasks to Clinician and CSW.
• Completing and auditing MYPLAN for every tangata whaiora on the Waikato caseload.
• Liaising with ACMHT and Community Probation.
• Maintaining weekly check-ins with tangata whaiora, including those in remote areas.
• Attending gate releases when needed.
• Delivering practical reintegration interventions where required.
• Reporting weekly to the Lead Coordinator on caseload capacity and regional updates.
• Building relationships with local services (Iwi, NGO providers, MSD, Kāinga Ora).

Skills

Coordination

Case management

Leadership

Delegation

Supervision

Service improvement

Autonomy

Whānau-centric approach

Te reo Māori competency

Māori & Pasifika experience

Inter-agency liaison

Driver's licence

Job description

Te Manawa Taki region Gisborne * Permanent 40 hours per fortnight Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Roles We are seeking Senior Coordinators to lead their local district team of Te Manawa Taki Intensive Community Wraparound team. The team will provide a coordinated, responsive support service for tangata whaiora being released from prison who have a high risk of disengaging from services or reoffending. A senior coordinator will be based in each of Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga, Gisborne and New Plymouth, reporting to a centrally based lead coordinator. The Senior Coordinator works alongside the Lead Coordinator to manage their team caseload, providing pre-release planning, gate support coordination, and post-release reintegration oversight for tangata whaiora releasing to their district. The Senior Coordinator directs the work to their district Clinician and Community Support Worker (CSW) and holds responsibility for MYPLAN completion, caseload quality, and inter-agency relationships across the district.

Key responsibilities of the role include :

• Delivering gate support when assigned transporting tangata whaiora from prison and accompanying them to their first appointments (e.g. Ministry of Social Development (MSD) Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ), Department of Correction Community Probation).
• Completing pre-release in-reach visits (face to face or Audio Visual Link).
• Confirming and coordinating gate support for tangata whaiora.
• Managing their district caseload and delegating clinical and practical tasks to the Clinician and Community Support Worker.
• Completing and regularly auditing MYPLAN for every tangata whaiora on the Waikato caseload.
• Liaising closely with the local Adult Community Mental Health Team (ACMHT) and Community Probation.
• Maintaining weekly check‑ins with tangata whaiora released to their area (face to face or phone) and with those in remote areas (phone).
• Attending gate releases for tangata whaiora when needed.
• Delivering practical reintegration interventions directly where required.
• Reporting weekly to the Lead Coordinator on caseload capacity and regional updates.
• Building and maintaining relationships with Puāwai Midland Regional Forensic Psychiatric Service Prison Liaison Service, Community Probation, MSD, Kāinga Ora, and local Iwi and NGO providers.

About the Team

The Te Manawa Taki Intensive Community Wraparound team is a new Forensic Mental Health Service that is being developed to upscale Forensic Mental Health Services to address capacity needs in Te Manawa Taki, resulting from the expansion of Waikeria Prison. It will enhance service provision and support for high risk, high needs tangata whaiora released from Waikeria, Springhill and Tongariro prisons. The intensive community wraparound service is to specifically address the significant increase in service demand expected across the Waikato and the wider Te Manawa Taki region. The districts that are within Te Manawa Taki are; Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Taranaki and Tairawhiti. The Service will comprise of a number of small teams (totalling around 12 staff) based locally across the Te Manawa Taki region, employed by Te Whatu Ora Waikato and centrally line managed by the Lead Coordinator based in Hamilton. The teams will specifically provide coordinated and clinical support for whaiora released from prison back to their locality that present with high risk / high needs. The regional team will work collaboratively with their local statutory and non-governmental organisations.

Key outcomes for tangata whaiora

• A coordinated and supportive plan is in place for their transition to their community.
• Experience a systematic intensive mental health support service across Te Manawa Taki.
• Opportunities to develop fulfilling valued social roles in the community and being active, contributing members of their communities.
• Reduced risk of recidivist offending.

About you

• Experience in a coordination, case management, or leadership role within mental health, forensic, or justice-related settings.
• Demonstrated experience delegating to and supporting the work of clinical and non-clinical staff.
• A minimum of 5 years post graduate experience in a mental health, community health or primary care setting.
• An understanding of clinical governance and evidence based practice.
• Experience in professional supervision.
• Experience in service improvement.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage a caseload of tangata whaiora with complex mental health and social needs across a wide geographic area.
• Whānau-centred, collaborative, and partnership-based approach.
• Competency with te ao Māori, tikanga, and te reo Māori, or a commitment to starting your journey and taking ownership of your learning and growth.
• Experience working with Māori and Pasifika communities.
• Highly developed interpersonal, negotiation, and inter-agency liaison skills, including a demonstrated ability to build productive working relationships across ACMHT, Probation, MSD, Kāinga Ora, and Iwi / NGO providers.
• Current full driver’s licence.

Working at Health New Zealand Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal before 11 : 59 pm on 30 November 2026.