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Job Description
Location: GeelongJob type: Part time / From 28/10/2024
Organisation: Schools (Government)
Salary: Salary not specified
Occupation: Health and Allied Health
Reference: 1438573
Selection Criteria
SC 1. 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.
SC 2. Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies aimed at enhancing student mental health and wellbeing prevention, promotion and early intervention.SC 3. Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising and analysing student wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling support to young people with a range of mental health needs.
SC 4. Demonstrated experience in coordinating supports for young people with complex needs including referrals to a range of specialist services as appropriate.
SC 5. Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people and paraprofessionals.
SC 6. 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 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 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.
- 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 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
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
Location Profile
MFG is a vibrant learning community that nurtures and serves the aspirations of girls. ¿We create lifelong learners who live the MFG traits as positive members of their communities.¿
In 2018 we consulted with the school community ¿ students, staff, and parents/carers - to develop a set of eleven traits, behaviours, and dispositions that we, as a school community, believe are important to foster in our students. These 11 traits are:
Kind, compassionate and trustworthy
Caring and respectful of others and themselves
Knowledgeable about learning and self-aware
Deep thinkers who are curious and creative
Problem solvers
Resilient, adaptable, and able to learn from mistakes
Hard-working, ambitious, and confident
Able to respect and celebrate difference and diversity
Optimistic about the future
Responsible and active local and global citizens
Flexible collaborators, leaders, and team members
Surrounded by a supportive `sisterhood,¿ our young people aim to achieve excellent learning outcomes and develop qualities of character that will enrich their own lives and impact positively on the lives of others.
Matthew Flinders Girls (MFG) has a long and proud history. The original foundation stone was laid in 1856 when there were few other schools in Geelong. We are one of eight girls-only state educational providers (since 1940) and the only girls-only provider outside of the metropolitan area.
A group of ex-students, currently aged in their 70s and 80s, meets twice a year. Some students in the school are third generation members of the school community. There is an ever-growing Facebook presence of past student groups, and a College Alumni Facebook Page has been established to reconnect alumni and allows them to share stories.Our alumni are important to our school and return to share their learnings and stories
Our school is centrally situated within the business, arts, and sporting precincts of Geelong. It has excellent access to public transport (buses and trains). A proportion of students are from the immediate locality, but a considerable number come from outside the City of Greater Geelong, from areas such as Colac, Barwon Heads, Indented Heads, Lara, Inverleigh, Bannockburn, Werribee, and Anakie.There are more than 50 feeder Primary schools from where the students have been drawn over the past 5 years.
Our student population incorporates a diverse range of cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, and family blends.
In serving the aspirations of students, our curriculum provision and quality of teaching are fundamental. Curriculum in Years 7-10 is based on the Victorian Curriculum and is framed by challenging and provocative `essential questions.¿ A balance of explicit teaching and Inquiry Based Learning to Teaching and Learning is at the heart of learning in Years 7 ¿ 9.Our Teaching and Learning Model underpins the work and learning of our teachers with a distinct emphasis on differentiation, high impact teaching strategies, the power of formative assessment and the development of intellectual character.
A wide range of options is made available to Later Years students, including the opportunity to accelerate into VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) studies. Our school offers a range of VCE units, access to some Vocational Education and Training Programs and Vocational Major.
MFG is an accredited member of The Academy of Select Entry Accelerated Learner Program (TAASS), the only one in the State which is in an all-girls¿ setting. This program gives students the opportunity to be selected at Year 7 according to academic and leadership potential to undertake an alternative curriculum for Years 7 to 9.
All students in Years 7 ¿ 12 participate in a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. Students are encouraged to purchase the technology which best suits their needs for learning. The school outlines minimum specifications and recommended devices to support parents when making decisions.
Instrumental Music is a key component of our school¿s co-curricular Program. Students can learn voice, percussion, drums, singing, woodwind, brass, guitar, and keyboard at school. MFG is also the educational home of the Sweethearts, an exceptionally talented and well-known neo-soul all-girls music group that performs frequently in professional contexts, nationally and internationally.
A community garden has been established and exemplifies our school¿s permaculture focus of ¿earth care, people care and fair share.¿ A key component of the garden is the construction of an urban agricultural garden where students can grow healthy organic food and share this with people in our local community.It has also been the focus of a few environmental engineering. In addition, we have also started constructing tiny houses using recycled products.