Position overview

Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol and Drug Services (MHJHADS) provides support to children, youth and adults through inpatient and outpatient settings, community health centres, justice health facilities and other community settings, including people’s homes. We partner with our health care consumers, their family, carers, government, and community organisations to ensure that they receive the best possible care during their treatment and recovery.

All care that we provide is driven by our values of being kind, reliable, respectful, and progressive. We’re also guided by contemporary mental health and human rights legislation which means we operate within a framework that ensures the rights and dignity of people are promoted and protected.

MHJHADS services include:

• Adult Community & Older Persons Mental Health Services
• Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services
• Alcohol & Drug Services (ADS)
• Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Justice Health Services (JHS)

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provides assessment and treatment for children and young people who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health issues. CAMHS provides governance for the Eating Disorders Services in the ACT.

The Eating Disorders Service, comprising of a number of programs: Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Centre, Eating Disorders Program, Eating Disorders Clinical Hub and Short-Term Recovery Intervention for Disordered Eating (STRIDE) Program provides support and treatment to children, adolescents and adults who are experiencing an eating disorder as their primary presenting issue.

The Eating Disorders Clinical Hub (The Hub) is the central referral point for access to all community-based eating disorders services in the ACT. The Hub provides and supports a range of coordinated eating disorders services within the ACT and provides a flexible and efficient “Stepped Care” treatment model. The Hub’s core business includes, assessment and treatment, care planning, group psychotherapy, consultation and liaison, education and training and system integration to strengthen eating disorders services across the Territory.

The Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Centre is a 12 bed health facility for people with a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder over the age of 16 who can be safely medically monitored and managed in the Centre but require further nutritional, psychological and psychosocial support to achieve long term recovery. It will have a homelike, residential feel and will focus on the psychological recovery of participants by providing specialist, intensive nutritional, psychological treatment with 24/7 nursing support for a period up to three months.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Under direction of the team manager and allied health staff, you will:

1. Work Flexibly and effectively as part of the allied health team, providing support to all members of the allied health team and the wider multi-disciplinary team within scope of practice and training of the individual.
2. Participate in and help facilitate the therapeutic group programs for people with eating disorders issues in an extended care environment. Exercise independent judgement on routine matters and under decreasing professional supervision when performing novel, complex or critical tasks.
3. Provide therapeutically beneficial assistance to people receiving care within the Residential Centre, including assisting with transport/transfers to other services or units, assisting with the ongoing maintenance of allied health equipment, and assisting to supply appropriate equipment and referrals, under the direction of the supervising allied health professional, and within the scope of practice and training of the individual.
4. Assist patients during mealtimes, providing encouragement and monitoring to ensure they follow their dietary plans. This includes sitting with patients, offering reassurance, and addressing any immediate concerns related to food intake.
5. Coordinate assistance regarding access to relevant services and supports and support the discharge planning process.
6. Liaise effectively with other health professionals, participants, families/carers, colleagues and other service providers, including to promptly complete clinical documentation meeting data collection requirements,
7. Participate in clinical supervision, continuing professional development and personal performance review process. Assist in the provision of education to internal and external stakeholders.
8. Participate in the implementation of clinical governance activities, quality improvement projects, research programs, and health promotion in areas relevant to service.
9. Work within the mental health and other relevant legislation.
10. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Competencies

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• To be successful in this position, you will have a demonstrated track record of working in a multi-disciplinary team environment and supporting and contributing to a healthy workplace that embraces diversity, encourages collaborative teamwork and complies with all the applicable regulatory and legislative requirements set out for such a role.
• To be successful in this position, it is expected that the successful candidate will have the following attributes:
• Commitment to achieving positive outcomes for people presenting with eating disorders, their families and/or carers.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team and be flexible, adaptable and comfortable with a changing working environment.
• Ability to respond to and prioritise competing demands in a calm and efficient manner while maintaining high work standards.

Qualifications

Essential

• Certificate IV in Mental Health or Allied Health Assistance (or equivalent or higher qualification).

Desirable

• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• A minimum of 3 years professionally relevant experience in a related/relevant organisation/service.
• The successful applicant will need to be for weekend and after-hours work.
• Must hold a current driver’s license.

Desirable

• Experience and or knowledge of working with people with eating disorders or with mental health services is desirable, however not essential.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

Prior to commencement

Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances:

• Pre-employment National Police Check.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act2011is required.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.

Important information

All employees are required to:

• Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
• Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
• Be available for weekend and/or after-hours work.

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience and must be addressed in your application:

1. Proven experience providing allied health interventions to people with a mental illness or mental disorder.
2. Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a multidisciplinary team and assist allied health professionals with therapeutic interventions / programs for people with a mental illness or mental disorder and to independently carry out therapeutic programs in an inpatient setting.
3. Sound verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated by the ability to effectively liaise and consult with families, carers and other health professionals and agencies.
4. Demonstrated problem solving skills, time management skills and ability to be flexible and priorities workload under minimal supervision.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful and kind.

Work environment description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.