Mental Health Practitioner

Overview
Work type: Part time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Ed Support Level 1-Range 4

Occupation: Health and Allied Health

Location: Wangaratta

Reference: 1473+31

Location Profile
Wangaratta is a Rural City located just two and a half hours north of Melbourne along the Hume Freeway. Canberra a similar distance to the north. The vibrant CBD has daily rail services between Melbourne and Sydney stopping at the Wangaratta station.¿¿

Wangaratta¿services the surrounding agricultural area and provides strong recreational, commercial, educational, tourism and health facilities. There are more than 30,000 people living in the Rural City of Wangaratta, approximately 18,800 of whom live in the town. Wangaratta is surrounded by historic and beautiful townships and villages where our students come from such as Boorhaman, Cheshunt, Eldorado, Everton, Glenrowan, Oxley, Milawa, Moyhu, Peechelba, Springhurst, Tarrawingee, Whitfield and Whorouly. Students also come from as far as Yarrawonga, Corowa and Benalla.¿

Wangaratta is in the epicentre of all that is wonderful about North East Victoria - such fine food and wine;¿world class sporting facilities in every discipline; the best skiing in Victoria at Mount Hotham, Mount Buller and Falls Creek nearby. In every direction are stunning rivers, mountains and camping. See¿https://www.livewangaratta.com.au¿for more.

Our School¿

Wangaratta High School (WHS) was established in 1+0+. So began a tradition of encouraging and supporting each student to be their best. To help each of them develop intellectually and socially to reach their full potential. And in doing so, give back to their local community.¿

WHS is the only public secondary school in Wangaratta and it has a significant focus on supporting students to achieve their own individual pathway programs, and attracts students from surrounding areas for its Academic, Arts, Technology and Performing Arts programs. The school has extensive modern teaching facilities, performing arts centre, sports centre, sports fields and courts and world class digital technology throughout. A comprehensive and well resourced wellbeing program is in place and our students and families report often on the level of care provided by staff from all areas of the school -¿as we see wellbeing as everyone¿s work. Our dedicated Wellbeing Centre is home to our Wellbeing Coordinator, Counsellors, Mental Health Practitioner and School Nurse. It is welcoming space for all students.¿

Notable Alumni include¿

Darcy Vescio, AFLW footballer¿

Jenny Macklin, MP¿

Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway¿

Nick Cave, Musician¿

Nick Morris, Para-olympian and recipient of the¿Medal of the Order of Australia¿

The vision for Wangaratta High School is to empower all students to grow academically, socially and emotionally.¿ An outstanding learning environment built on high expectations for success will enable all students, with support, to experience quality teaching within a positive climate for learning.¿ Our graduates will be independent, lifelong learners who are equipped to make a positive impact on the world around them. We are proud of the variety of pathways they pursue post-secondary school.¿

In 2022 the school has an enrolment of 650 students and this is expected to continue to grow.¿¿

Throughout all stages of schooling at Wangaratta High School we aim to develop learners that strive to:¿

Achieve their Personal Best¿

Be Ready to Learn¿

Be Respectful¿

Be Safe¿

To achieve this goal, we offer quality teaching and learning programs delivered by highly skilled, innovative and enthusiastic professionals.¿

Our contemporary buildings and grounds are second to none and provide a stimulating learning environment where students are able to maximize their potential.¿¿

Our Year 7 to + programs build strong foundations for future success. We emphasise the core literacy and numeracy skills across all subjects in the curriculum and students access Italian as their language study. As they progress through the High School, students have growing opportunities to refine their own pathways by selecting an increasing number of electives.¿

Over the past decade, a significant amount of research has been conducted into engaging Year + students and preparing them for the demands in their final years of school. Wangaratta High School has responded to this research, in conjunction with our school data, to develop a Year + specific program centred on developing the academic, creative, physical and emotional aspects of our students. Our flagship, Community Leadership Challenge (CLC) program is an engaging, inquiry based learning experience that fosters greater independence and reignites a passion for learning.¿

Ensuring our Year 7 students are happy, secure and confident with a strong sense of belonging is a priority for all staff at Wangaratta High School. A multi day transition program before commencement of Year 7 sets all students up for success. We are pleased with the way that our Year 7¿s quickly develop a sense of ownership and pride over their environment and a sense of belonging and community amongst themselves and their teachers.¿

The Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program is an innovative program for highly able students that has been running successfully at Wangaratta High School for more than a decade. The program has attracted some of the brightest regional students who move through a section of the Year 7 - + curriculum at a faster pace in a separate class group. The Department of Education and Training introduced the SEAL Program into selected Victorian schools to help meet the needs of gifted and high achieving students. SEAL Academy schools provide quality and leading edge programs to their gifted and talented students. The SEAL program is well embedded at Wangaratta High School, and key part of the schools DNA.¿

As students transition into later years (Years 10-12) the opportunities to refine their pathways open up and students are provided with a diverse range of subjects from all areas of the VCE/VET and VCAL curriculums. Year 10 students are encouraged to undertake VCE/VET units of study to assist in preparing them for the rigors of a full VCE/VET program the following year.¿

Our Executive Principal¿

Our Executive Principal is Dave Armstrong B.A, Dip Ed, MBA, GAICD, MACEL, Vincent Fairfax Fellow. He has worked across the independent, public and international education sectors in Victoria, NSW and the NT ¿ all in regional schools. He was most recently the Principal of Port Vila International School in Vanuatu. He is a passionate educational leader, driven by the desire to make a difference in the lives of others. He has strong background in school leadership, experiential and outdoor education, business education and wellbeing.

Selection Criteria
Ability 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 privacy of health information.
Role
The 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; and
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.
Education support class level 1 range 4

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).

For more information on the responsibilities of an Education Support class level 1 range 4 employee, please visit the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/industrial-agreements/resources

Responsibilities
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 Apply
Required

Applicants must be qualified as a psychologist, social worker, mental health nurse, occupational therapist or counsellor of a prescribed class. 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 Occupational Therapists applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA
For Counsellors applicants must have completed a Bachelor or Master of Counselling and be a practising member of either the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
Demonstrated direct counselling experience
A current Working With Children Check.
Desirable

For Psychology applicants, specialisation in educational and/or developmental psychology.
For Mental Health Nurse applicants, holding a Mental Health Nurse Credential and membership with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.
For Social Work applicants, membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers and an Accredited Social Worker Trade Mark.
For Occupational Therapy applicants, a Better Access to Mental Health Endorsement.
For Counselling applicants, Level 3-4 registration (ACA) or a Registered Clinical Counsellor endorsement (PACFA).
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 marrung@education.vic.gov.au

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:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/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:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

Other Information
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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx

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 section
Names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two referees who are able to attest to the claims made in your application.
Please 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 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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx
Applications close Sunday 18 May 2025 at 11.5+PM

Posted 05 May 2025
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Australia
Victoria
Wangaratta Show on map Get directions