Mental Health Practitioner

Location: Melbourne | Northern Metropolitan
Job type: Part time / From 28/01/2025
Organisation: Schools (Government)
Salary: Salary not specified
Occupation: Health and Allied Health
Reference: 1449495
Job posted: 11/11/2024
Closes: 24/11/2024
Location ProfileMernda Central P-12 School operates under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project. Under the PPP model, the college has been financed, designed and constructed by the private sector to high contractual standards over 25 years, allowing Principals and teachers to focus on student learning, rather than asset management.
The College is located on 70 Breadalbane Avenue, Mernda in the City of Whittlesea. Programs cater for students in Prep to Year 12.
Our state of the art facility provides the very best in contemporary educational design and promotes active student-centred learning through the creation of adaptable, functional spaces.
Our College provides access to an education that is seamless from Prep right through to Year 12 and is divided into three schools:
Junior School for Prep to Year 4 studentsMiddle School for Year 5 to Year 8 StudentsSenior School for Year 9 to Year 12 studentsThe College provides access to an education of the highest quality for the young people of Mernda. The students are at the centre of all that we do. They are engaged through stimulating, relevant and inspiring educational experiences that ignite a life-long passion for learning and a strong community connectedness. The College upholds high expectations of all.
Inspirational teaching and quality learning are the cornerstones of our school, and we have an outstanding team who support and challenge students to achieve their full potential. Staff provide a safe and stimulating learning environment for all students.
Teachers and students work in Learning Communities to create flexible teaching options and to better cater for the individual needs of all students. All teachers adopt a shared responsibility for all students within the Learning Community. All teachers and support staff work hard to provide a teaching pedagogy reflective of 21st Century designs, including ICT rich environments and Personalised Learning for all students.
Mernda Central College has exemplary programs and is seen as a prominent school in the areas of STEM, sport, literacy and numeracy, together with Japanese language, visual arts, performing arts, and music performance. The aquatic centre is operated by Kings Swim and provides an outstanding facility for the students to participate in an extensive swimming program. The curriculum and teaching strategies at the college encourage our students to have high expectations of themselves and their work, and to produce their best.
The School's Student Leadership system at Mernda Central College provides students from all year levels with leadership training and skill development, and there are many opportunities to experience positions of responsibility. Our students relish the opportunity to make decisions, take on responsibility, and have an input into the direction of the college.
The college has been designed as a community hub and we encourage community use and additional community facilities and programs through a partnership with the YMCA, CERES, and Spotless. The relationships between the staff, students, parents, and the community are a fundamental strength of Mernda Central College.
Parent involvement and participation in a variety of college activities is a significant feature of our college life. There is a common community interest to work towards the provision of quality education for students at Mernda Central Community.
Our Vision Mernda Central College empowers all members of the college community to aim high, show respect, behave safely, and value our community.
Our Mission Provide opportunities for all members to work collaboratively to access a seamless, personalised, and innovative education.Build a safe and supportive learning environment wherein all members are motivated and challenged to pursue interests and pathways to achieve their full potential.Operate as a community hub to promote the development of connected, curious, and tolerant global citizens.Selection CriteriaAbility to implement a range of small group and whole-school mental health prevention and promotion activities aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing, including the delivery of capability building and awareness raising activities for staff and/or students on key mental health and wellbeing issues affecting the school's student population.Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation, and evaluation of processes and strategies aimed at enhancing mental health and wellbeing prevention, promotion, and early intervention.Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising, and analysing wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling support to clients with a range of mental health needs.Demonstrated experience in coordinating supports for young people with complex needs including referrals to a range of specialist services as appropriate.Highly developed communication, networking, and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding the privacy of health information.RoleThe Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative was announced by the Minister for Education in late 2018 to expand mental health and wellbeing support in government schools. The initiative provides for a suitably qualified mental health professional in all government secondary school campuses and specialist school (with secondary-aged enrolments) settings.
Operating in collaboration with the relevant Department of Education Regional Mental Health Branch, this role has the following functions:
Enhancing mental health prevention and promotion activities in the school by contributing to whole-school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to address matters relating to student mental health and wellbeing, and helping to develop and deliver appropriate programs and strategies in the school according to specified school priorities.Providing early intervention services (including short-term counselling) for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health concerns.Coordinating supports for students with complex needs both within and external to the school, including proactively working with regions, local mental health service providers, and other health professionals to engage further support as required.The successful applicant will be an experienced professional who will carry out their duties and responsibilities, relative to their professional discipline, with a high level of autonomy and with minimal reliance on professional supervision. The successful applicant will be responsible for the development and implementation of professional support programs within an educational environment, including guidance to other professional staff.
As an education support class position, this role supports the educational services being provided to students, but will not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).
Providing advice and professional learning to others, including teachers and other school wellbeing staff, to build the capacity of schools to improve students' wellbeing, learning, and developmental outcomes.Delivering professional support services in a school, including mental health prevention and promotion activities and early intervention activities (including short-term counselling) for students with a range of mental health needs, applying sound theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.Planning and implementing evidence-based intervention strategies for students with complex needs including collaborating with families, other professionals, and agencies when appropriate to effectively manage risk.Working collaboratively with the school to enhance mental health prevention and promotion across the school by contributing to policies and operational practices that will guide the work of others, including other school wellbeing staff and teachers.Liaising with other department areas (including secondary school nurses and Student Support Services staff) and external service providers where necessary to provide appropriate support to students.Maintaining professional competence and continued professional development, including attending professional development activities throughout the year.Meeting relevant policies and legislative requirements in relation to student health information, privacy, and consent.Please note: Continued professional development is a registration requirement under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Who May ApplyRequired Applicants must be qualified as a psychologist, social worker, mental health nurse, or occupational therapist. Specifically:For Psychologists, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA.For Mental Health Nurses, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA and hold a postgraduate qualification in mental health.For Social Workers, applicants must be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers.For Counsellors, applicants must have completed a Bachelor of Counselling or Master of Counselling. Counsellors are to be practising or fully qualified members of either the Australian Counselling Association or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia.For Occupational Therapists, must hold full registration with AHPRA.Have demonstrated direct counselling experience.Have a current Working With Children Check.For Psychology applicants, specialisation in education and/or developmental psychology.For Mental Health Nurse applicants, hold a Mental Health Nurse Credential and membership with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.For Social Work applicants, hold membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers and an Accredited Social Worker Trade Mark.EEO AND OHS CommitmentApplicants 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.
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 StandardsVictorian 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:
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.
Please ensure that your application includes:
a resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, address, and contact numbers, business and home)a section addressing the selection criteria and the requirements for application under the Who May Apply sectionnames and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two refereesPlease note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.
Conditions of EmploymentAll 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 Human Resources.To apply for this role, you will be redirected to the Schools (Government) job application system.

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