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 several programs: Eating Disorders Clinical Hub, Eating Disorders Program, Short-Term Recovery Intervention for Disordered Eating (STRIDE) Program, and Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Centre (EDRTC) provide 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, consultation and liaison, education, and training and system integration to strengthen eating disorders services across the Territory.

The Eating Disorders Program (EDP) is a specialist outpatient tertiary service that provides assessment and treatment for children, adolescents, and adults who are experiencing an eating disorder as their primary presenting issue. The CAMHS EDP team is made up of multi-disciplinary mental health professionals who provide assessment and treatment within a recovery framework.

The Hub and EDP are seeking a dynamic individual to join the service. Under guidance from senior clinicians, the HP1 will conduct assessment, participate in treatment and care planning with a recovery focus. Other key responsibilities include system co-ordination, providing brief individual, and group interventions and education and training programs to promote healthy eating and living behaviors within a recovery orientated framework. You will receive regular clinical supervision from staff with extensive experience of eating disorders.

The role also involves active participation in professional development, clinical supervision, quality improvement initiatives, and contributing to multidisciplinary team processes. This is a temporary part time, 2 day a week position.

Key Responsibilities

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

Under the direction of the Eating Disorder Services Manager and close professional supervision, you will:

1. Provide appropriate assessments and interventions using established principles, techniques and methods, to people with complex and serious eating disorder behaviors and mental health conditions. Clinical assessment and intervention may include but is not limited to:
   1. Case formulation and treatment planning.
   2. Psychoeducation and structured psychological therapy interventions (both individual and group-based) for eating disorders and mental health conditions.
   3. Specialist assessments and reports, including outcome measures, and structured clinical interviews.
   4. Crisis management, care and safety planning.
2. Conduct care planning in collaboration with the individual, carers/families and other service providers involved in their care.
3. Demonstrate awareness of and adhere to risk management processes.
4. Complete clinical records and administrative data collection to standards.
5. Participate in clinical supervision, continuing professional development, and personal performance review process.
6. Participate in the implementation of clinical governance activities, quality improvement projects, research programs, and health promotion in areas relevant to service.
7. Undertake other duties appropriate to this classification level that support the effective operation of the organisation.

Competencies

Specific competencies include but are not limited to the following.

• Ability to work 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.
• 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

Specific qualifications include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

• Relevant qualifications in social work/psychology/occupational therapy.
• Must hold a current driver’s license.

For Occupational Therapy:

• Be registered or eligible for registration with Occupational Therapy Board of Australia.
• Eligibility for professional membership of Occupational Therapy Australia.

For Psychology:

• Be registered or be eligible for general registration with Psychology Board of Australia.

For Social Work:

• Degree in Social Work.
• Eligibility for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.
• Registration or eligibility for registration under the Working with Vulnerable People Act 2011.

Desirable

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

Experience

Specific experience include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

Desirable

• Experience and knowledge of working with people with eating disorders.
• Experience in working with children and young people.

Please note prior to commencement successful candidates will be required to:

• Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 is 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 to work within all program areas of CAMHS as service needs arise.

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 the 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.

1. Demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive assessments and deliver evidence-based treatment within a community setting to children, adolescents, and adults experiencing eating disorders and complex needs, within a recovery-oriented framework.
2. Demonstrated understanding of the principles of Recovery and implications for practice.
3. Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills including ability to work within a multidisciplinary team, undertake consultation and liaison with agencies, families and carer’s, including current knowledge of available community service and other agencies.
4. Evidence of active participation in clinical research, quality improvement initiatives, training, teaching, and the provision of clinical supervision.
5. Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, safety and quality standards, workplace health and safety (WH&S), and the delivery of a positive patient experience. Exhibits behaviours aligned with Canberra Health Services’ values of reliability, progressiveness, respect, and kindness.

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.