Mental Health Practitioner

Overview

Work type: Part time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Casual Ed Support Lvl1-Range2

Occupation: Health and Allied Health

Location: Kerang

Reference: 1480451

Selection Criteria

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 [email protected]

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

This vacancy is specifically linked to Student Support Funding and is ongoing. If the funding reduces or ceases during the first seven years of employment, employment may cease subject to the provision of at least 12 weeks’ notice.

Location Profile

School Vision

Quality education for the future in an inclusive and supportive environment.

School Values

• Respect
• Responsibility
• Resilience

These are the values that have been identified by our staff, students, parents, School Council and the wider community.

Context

As a small rural school there is a good opportunity to pick up extra positions of responsibility to advance your career.

In 2022 the school was awarded The Age Schools that Excel rural/regional government schools Award for its sustained improvement in VCE results over the past decade. More recently we have applied for and received an ifarm. An ifarm is essentially a computerised hot house valued at $120,000 of which there re only 50 in Australia. This will become a valuable school asset used across a range of Domains.

Kerang is strategically positioned on the highway network between Swan Hill, Echuca and Bendigo in the productive Northwest irrigation area of Victoria.
The town has a population of over 4000 and the Kerang Technical High School draws its students from the town and the wider district, which has a population of over 12,000. The main industries in the area are Agriculture, Dairy Farming, Engineering and Horticulture so many of our students come from a farming background. The three nearest centres with larger populations are Swan Hill, Echuca and Bendigo, which meet the added needs for goods, services and entertainment.

KTHS draws its students from seven primary schools namely Kerang Primary School, Kerang South PS, St. Joseph's PS, Kerang Christian School, Koondrook PS, Murrabit Group School and Lake Charm. There is a strong network between the secondary school and the feeder schools with combined Professional Development Days and involvement in the Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Program. Given the geographic spread of the student catchment area, a significant number of students are transported to school by bus.

The school began as a Higher Elementary school in 1913 and was proclaimed as a High School in 1919. The Technical component was added in 1973 from which time the school has been known as Kerang Technical High School. The Technical Wing has been a strong feature of KTHS. It caters for students in Woodwork, Automotive, Engineering, Welding and Metalwork. The facilities, the enthusiastic ¿Tech¿ staff and the pathway offered by the Technical Wing have ensured that it is an important component of the school and community. More recently the school has undergone a refurbishment plan with both the red brick building and the Library being upgraded to better reflect the learning needs of the students at KTHS.

KTHS sits in 19 hectares of sporting fields, lawns and gardens. McLeod Oval is the main sporting area and an athletics track has been constructed with the joint assistance of the Kerang Little Athletics Association. The School¿s facilities are available to the community. Thornely Hall is used extensively for Community events as well as School occasions.

The school is well equipped with a Library and an excellent Canteen. We have over 100 desk top computers, both in rooms and in ¿pods¿, and at present KTHS is in the fortunate position of being able to provide Netbooks to our senior students and 5 portable Netbook trolleys that are available for classroom use. The school has just completed a major re-development with new classrooms, Library, food technology complex and canteen.

The organizational structure of the school is both vertical and horizontal. There are two Houses, which are vertical in structure, led by two House Managers. Students remain in the same House throughout their years at school. Home Group meetings are organised through the House system, as is the Athletics and Swimming carnivals. The Year Level Co-ordinators monitor the progress of the students and deal with the welfare and discipline matters. The school is also divided into Junior and Senior School for curriculum planning and delivery purposes. Two senior members of staff manage the `sub schools¿.

The school has a teaching staff of 22, a quarter of who work on a part-time basis. Seventeen Education Support Staff and School Council Employees complement the teaching staff as Administrative Support, Librarian and Library Technician, Science Laboratory Technician, Youth Worker, Integration Aides, Canteen Manager, Grounds and Cleaning staff.

KTHS has a strong Wellbeing program. A School Nurse is shared by Swan Hill and KTHS and newly appointed School Psychologist visits the school regularly. More recently the school has employed a Wellbeing Coordinator to further extend the Wellbeing program. Doctors in Schools program has commenced and a school Mental Health Practitioner has recently joined the team.

KTHS has a proud reputation of providing a rich co-curriculum program which caters for the most students in the school. There is a high participation rate by students and the programs have been strongly supported by parents. Every effort is made to implement programs/events which cater for individual needs. We have Pathways to VET & VCAL., The Alpine School, Middle School Trips, Year 7 Transition Camp, Year 10 Work Experience, Great Victorian Bike Ride, and the Feathertop Hike. Since 2007 KTHS has partnered with The Rotary Club of Kerang, to offer an alternative to the End of Year 12 Schoolies week, with a Community Aid program to Cambodia.

A small core of parents is actively involved in the school. Parents are involved in the School Council and nearly all of the sub-committees in the school. Parents are also called upon to provide transportation to student events and this is always a positive contact between parents and the extracurricular programs offered.

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