Social Worker - Crisis Resolution Service

Wise Group; New Zealand; On-site; NZD 89,000 - 108,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a Social Worker for the Crisis Resolution Service at Hutt Valley Hospital. You will assess and support service users during acute psychiatric episodes, develop recovery plans with whānau, and coordinate multidisciplinary care.

You will have NZ registration with APC, a commitment to te tiriti principles, and at least 5 years of clinical experience in mental health settings. This role focuses on timely, equity-driven care across the district.

Qualifications

• Registered social worker with NZ credentials and APC.
• Experience delivering comprehensive assessments in mental health.
• Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in social work practice.
• Ability to work with diverse populations and whānau.

Responsibilities

• Conduct clinically effective assessments and develop treatment plans with service users and families.
• Provide individual and group work and participate in MDT discussions.
• Coordinate care and discharge planning with community agencies.
• Lead and contribute to professional development activities.

Skills

Clinical experience

Interprofessional teamwork

Critical thinking

Resource allocation

Technology proficiency

Education

New Zealand Registered Social Worker

Annual Practicing Certificate (APC)

CASP certification

5+ years clinical experience

Tools

Technology in workplace

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Social Worker - Crisis Resolution Service

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 are building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the Role

Our principles: Local Adult Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Service

• Principle 1: Grounded in Te Tiriti ō Waitangi | Whakapapa ki Te Tiriti ō Waitangi
• Principle 2: Informed by peers and those with lived experience | Ka whakamōhio e nga hoa me te hunga whai wheako ora
• Principle 3: A welcoming, person and whānau-led approach | He huarahi manaaki, tāngata me te whānau
• Principle 4: Timely access to services in the community | Te whai waahi ki nga ratonga i roto i te hapori
• Principle 5: A strengths-based, trauma-informed and recovery focussed approach, using advanced therapy and evidence based holistic interventions | Mā te mōhio ka whai whakaaro

Our vision is for an integrated mental health and addiction service, with a focus on local delivery across the district. Local specialist mental health and addiction care is one component of a complete service continuum of care pathway. This is underpinned by an integrated whole of system approach.

We are looking for a Social Worker who can clinically support mental health service users during periods when they are experiencing moderate to severe periods of psychiatric illness that require assessment, treatment and support to assist the individual and their whānau and supports along the recovery journey, back to primary health care. Our client group is diverse, and we cover a broad-spectrum both socioeconomically and culturally. Specialist services also cater to specific population groups eg. Maori Mental Health, Health Pacifica, Maternal or Community Drug and Alcohol Services.

The Social Worker is responsible for providing clinically effective service users assessment, treatment, intervention and goal setting with service users. This includes treatment /recovery plans developed together with the service users and family/whanau. The role also involves on –going monitoring and discharge panning.

Along with case management the Social Worker also provides individual and group work, education and providing sound clinical and cultural knowledge in the MDT discussions. The Social Worker will work closely with service users /whanau and community agencies to achieve the outcomes agreed by the multidisciplinary process. The Social Worker will also contribute to their own professional development activities as well as wider social work activities within the DHB.

The salary range for this role is $88627 to $107600.

About the Team/Service Location

Based at Hutt Valley Hospital, the Hutt Valley Crisis Resolution Service provides 24/7 clinical, multi-disciplinary assessment, treatment, and care to tāngata whaiora and whānau who are presenting with acute mental health crisis and need intensive support across the Hutt Valley locality.

About you

We are looking for the following experience and professional requirements:

• New Zealand Registered Social Worker.
• A current Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) and scope appropriate to place of work.
• Expectation of at least 5 years clinical experience.
• Member of Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers – Professional Association (desirable).
• Demonstrates an understanding of the significance of and obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including how to apply Te Tiriti principles in a meaningful way in the social work role.
• A commitment to achieving equitable outcomes for Māori.
• A personal commitment to on‑going learning and development including attainment/maintenance of CASP.
• Strong and successful experience in leading and delivering comprehensive assessments and working in collaboration with people and their whānau to ensure best possible health and wellbeing outcomes.
• Experience in using critical thinking and judgement on how best to allocate resources to support the recommendations from the assessment.
• Record of working successfully within complex systems to collaborate and facilitate positive outcomes.
• Having advanced knowledge of how systems work, and what resources are available.
• Leading and facilitating multi and interprofessional teamwork and actively support and promote this with colleagues.
• Proficiency in using technology within the workplace.
• A high standard of written and spoken English.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We are 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.