Mental Health And Welbeing Leader

Department of Education VIC – Traralgon VIC
5 days ago, from Department of Education & Training Victoria

Latrobe SDS is located in Traralgon.
It is one of two special schools in the Latrobe Valley and is the only Special Developmental School in the Gippsland region.
The school caters for students with moderate to severe disabilities.
Students travel from all over the Latrobe Valley and surrounding outlying areas to attend.

In 2022 we moved to a new purpose-built school site.
Our facilities include: classrooms with attached kitchenettes, quiet spaces and toilets; art/homecrafts; STEM; tech/manufacturing; food technology; therapy spaces; multi-purpose hall; library; consulting rooms and staff work spaces.
These are surrounded by stunning landscaping, bright and colourful playgrounds and open spaces including a basketball court, walking track and playing field.

Our dynamic team provides a stimulating educational program for students with significant intellectual and associated difficulties and disorders between ages of 4.8 to 18 years of age.
Parents, staff and carers work collaboratively in planning educational and developmental programs for students.
Student Support Groups are established for each student and emphasise the importance of a partnership between home and school in developing student goals.
Our allied health team supports staff to develop programs which specifically target the learning goals of our students.

As a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and Lead Respectful Relationship school we focus on the wellbeing and engagement of our students.
Explicit teaching of our school values and expected behaviours provides students with the skills to self-regulate and actively participate in their learning.
When behaviours arise, our tier 1 and tier 2 PBS teams provide support to staff to understand why the behaviour is occurring and teach students strategies specific to the skills needed to shift their behaviour.
Parents are a key partner in this process so there is consistency between home and school.

School activities and programs focus on improving student learning outcomes and promoting greater independence.
Staff encourage students to strive for excellence in all of their endeavours.
To achieve this, the school provides sequential teaching and learning programs that deliver a comprehensive, broadly based and inclusive curriculum based on the Victorian Curriculum.
The development of student communication is a key component of each student's Individual Education Plan and central to the learning process.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join our dynamic team as we begin our journey at our new school site.

Selection Criteria

SC1 `Content of teaching and learning'.
Demonstrated ability to inform and influence the work of others involved in the engagement, mental health, wellbeing or learning of children and young people.
SC2 `Teaching practice'.
Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies relating to mental health, wellbeing or learning.
SC3 `Assessment and reporting of student learning'.
Demonstrated ability to support a student's mental health, wellbeing or learning by developing and maintaining connection with external services.
SC4 `Interaction with the school community'.
Demonstrated high level interpersonal skills and communication skills.
Demonstrated high level of capability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, parents, other employees and the broader school community to focus on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.
SC5 `Professional requirements'.
Demonstrated ability to influence and negotiate by gaining buy-in and ownership for ideas, gaining agreement to proposals, or involving experts or other third parties to strengthen a case.
Role
The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred to treatment, care and support.

The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative is being expanded to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria.
Scaling up across the state from 2023, by 2026 every primary school will be able to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader to implement a whole-school approach to wellbeing.

The Department of Education has been piloting the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in Victorian schools since 2020 in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne.
Evaluation of this pilot initiative has shown that 95 per cent of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders consider the Mental Health in Primary Schools model has improved their school's capacity to support students' mental health and wellbeing needs.

Participating schools receive funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader , a qualified teacher, to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community.

The role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader is to:
build capability of the whole school with regard to mental health and wellbeing (identification, promotion and prevention), provide support to staff to better identify and support students with mental health needs, establish clear pathways for referral for students requiring assessment and intervention, and monitor and evaluate student progress.
The role provides a proactive focus for the promotion and prevention of mental health and wellbeing through assessment and implementation of context-relevant programs, approaches and initiatives based on a broad and extensive knowledge of the needs of the school.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader role is not a clinical role and is not designed for direct intervention.
The role is seen as a key conduit in creating referral pathways once a teacher or other staff member identifies a concern in the classroom.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are provided training in mental health literacy, supporting emerging needs, and building school capacity and receive ongoing support and professional development through structured and regular Learning Communities Training developed and facilitated by the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

Responsibilities
Operating in collaboration with their school, leadership and wellbeing team where relevant, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader will:
Promote a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing to students, staff and families.
Support teachers and school staff to expand their capacity to embed evidence-based mental health strategies, interventions and programs and build mental health literacy to identify and support primary school students with mental health concerns.
Collaborate with school staff to inform, influence and provide input into teaching and learning relating to mental health and wellbeing.
Provide support to school staff and classroom teachers to build their capabilities to embed mental health into the classroom.
Work with school leadership and wellbeing teams to embed whole school approaches to mental health into school planning and strategic processes.
Coordinate clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention.
Proactively work with and support regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers and other external agencies to coordinate targeted mental health support for primary school students.
Contribute to the school's existing wellbeing team.
Who May Apply
Applicants should be currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach.
A qualification in student wellbeing or mental health is desirable but not required.

EEO AND OHS Commitment
Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction.
Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.

The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all.
We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department.
The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment-free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces.
It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via ******
Child Safe Standards
Victorian government schools are child safe environments.
Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards.
All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at: Child Safe Standards Policy .

DE Values
The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights.
The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools.
Information on the department values is available at: Department Values Overview .

Other Information
Important information
· Applicants should keep a copy of the position description as it cannot be accessed once the job has closed.

· Candidates are advised that the key selection criteria must be addressed.
Visit Tips for Applying for guidelines and tips for applying for government positions and addressing key selection criteria.

· All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.

· Successful applicants are subject to a satisfactory criminal record check prior to employment.
New DET employees are required to meet the cost of the criminal record check.

· If appointed from outside DET, successful applicants will be required to complete a pre-employment health declaration.

· Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.

· A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at HR Web .

· To support DET's commitment to its Environmental Management System, DET employees are expected to act in an environmentally responsible manner at all times.

Other Information
Please ensure that your application includes:
A resume including relevant experience as well as personal details – name, address and contact details.
A section which addresses all of the key selection criteria for the teaching position.
The names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of at least three referees.
Conditions of Employment

All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at HR Web .
VIT LANTITE
To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements.
This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.

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