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.

MHJHADS services include:

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

The successful applicant will work across several of the MHJHADS services, including the AIMHS and ADS Withdrawal Unit.

AIMHS includes the Adult Mental Health Unit (AMHU), Ward 12B and the Mental Health Short Stay Unit (MHSSU). The AMHU is a 40-bed inpatient unit for people experiencing moderate to severe mental illness. AMHU is a contemporary evidence-based service providing high quality mental health care, guided by the principles of Recovery. The service aims to provide collaborative care involving the person, their carers, and other key services. 12B is 10–14-bedroom low dependency inpatient unit for patients with a lower risk of behavioural disturbance or vulnerability. MHSSU is a low dependency 6 bed inpatient unit in the Emergency Department for people requiring extended mental health assessment and/or treatment initiation.

The Alcohol and Drugs Services Withdrawal Unit is a team of nurses and medical specialists that provide withdrawal management from alcohol and drugs in an in-patient unit at The Canberra Hospital.

The successful applicant of the HP3 Exercise Physiologist will deliver exercise physiology services and interventions across these MHJHADS services, delivering individual and group-based interventions. They will provide individualised assessments and exercise programs to complex mental health consumers with/without chronic health conditions under limited supervision. In this role you will contribute clinical expertise to the multidisciplinary team, assist and contribute to the service development and therapy processes and support health promotion strategies within Canberra Health Services

The successful applicant will also be required to undertake professional development and clinical supervision and participate in quality improvement initiatives. It is an expectation that the successful applicant will provide supervision to staff at the Health Professional 1 and 2 Level as well as to students and clinically related staff (such as Allied Health Assistants). The position will report operationally to the Allied Health Manager of Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services alongside the HP4 Clinical Lead over the program area. Discipline specific support is available through the Exercise Physiology Profession lead.

Key Responsibilities

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

1. Provide a high level of appropriate skilled clinical assessment and intervention for individual and group programs, across a range of clinical areas within MHJAHDS.
2. Exercise independent professional judgement in solving problems and managing cases where principles, procedures and techniques require expansion, adaptation, or modification, for individuals with a range of comorbidities and mental illnesses.
3. Liaise with carers and other service providers to facilitate effective service provision and contribute to the planning, development and evaluation of client programs and services.
4. Adhere to risk management processes and identify risks, suggest mitigating actions and escalating issues appropriately though the appropriate channels. This includes complying with relevant legislations pertaining to client confidentiality and information sharing, clinical record keeping and administrative data collection for service development or auditing purposes.
5. Contribute to the development, evaluation and analysis of policies and procedures applicable to professional practice and initiate and coordinate quality improvement activities in areas of speciality.
6. Provide professional supervision and/or training to other staff and students as directed and participate in supervision, continuing professional development and performance management. Participate in your own clinical supervision, continuing professional development and personal performance review process.
7. Participate in and/or implement and coordinate research programs in relevant areas of service delivery and may be expected to contribute to advances of the techniques used.
8. 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.

• Demonstrated leadership qualities in managing and positively influencing teams, processes, and practice improvement in a human services environment.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team and be flexible, adaptable, and comfortable with a changing working environment.
• Ability to mentor junior staff and students and external parties in a collaborative and influential manner.
• Ability to respond to and prioritise competing demands in a calm and efficient manner while maintaining high work standards.

Qualifications

Essential

• Exercise Physiology Degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised tertiary institution, with a mandatory minimum of 3 years post-qualification clinical experience.
• Current accreditation or eligibility for accreditation with Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA).
• Current Driver’s license.

Desirable

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

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience working within the area of mental health.
• Completion of professional development and/or training within the area of mental health.

Desirable

• 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.

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 ability to work as a senior Exercise Physiologist providing individual and group interventions to mental health consumers with moderate to severe mental health conditions. Demonstrate high-level skills for assessment, intervention, and discharge planning within these settings.
2. Proven interpersonal and communication skills with consumers, carers, and multidisciplinary colleagues, including ability to liaise with carers, community partners, and other service providers as required to ensure continuity of engagement in physical activity through the transition of care. Include how you respond to feedback.
3. Proven ability to identify, initiate and complete quality improvement or research activities.  Include how you utilise technology to support these processes.
4. Proven experience in providing professional supervision and training to staff and students. Include how you demonstrate leadership.
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.