Position overview

Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol & Drug Services (MHJHADS) provide health services directly and through partnerships with community organisations. The services provided range from prevention and treatment to recovery, maintenance and harm minimisation. Consumer and carer participation is encouraged in all aspects of service planning and delivery. The Division works in partnership with consumers, carers and a range of government and non-government service providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for clients.

The Division delivers services at a number of locations, including hospital inpatient and outpatient settings, community health centres, detention centres, other community settings including peoples’ homes. These services include:

• Rehabilitation and Speciality Services
• Adult Community  Mental Health Services (ACMHS)
• Adult Acute Mental  Health Services (AAMHS)
• 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.

The Health Professional Officer position will collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide assessment and therapeutic intervention to young people at high risk of developing serious, long term mental illness. For example, those experiencing early psychosis and those who are experiencing severe high prevalence mental illness.

The role will also require the team member to undertake evening and weekend shift work, professional development and supervision, participate in quality initiatives and contribute to the multidisciplinary team processes.

Key Responsibilities

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

Under limited direction of the CAMHS Acute HLT Manager, You will:

1. Provide clinical mental health assessments and take a lead role in the crisis and safety management of young people presenting with complex mental health presentations to The Canberra Hospital. Liaise, consult and participate in consultation of the clinical management of young people within a hospital setting.
2. Build and nurture relationships within the hospital, community sector/GPs in line with CHS Mental Health’s objective of enabling that sector to provide more complex care.
3. Participate in and provide clinical expertise in regard to mental health assessments, safety planning, case presentations and clinical case reviews, promoting collaborative treatment approaches within a recovery framework.
4. Undertake and provide clinical supervision and professional development activities including the provision of community/stakeholder education. Promotion via presentations and engagement with a range of community stakeholders.
5. Actively participate in CAMHS Service development and quality improvement through membership on committees and working parties. Develop strategies and evaluation processes to ensure compliance with relevant legislation and continual improvement.
6. Be available to work within all program areas of CAMHS service needs arise and be available to work on a seven-day rostering system.
7. 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.

• Provide expertise and technical knowledge in specialist area across a range of programs or activities for the agency.
• Provide accurate and specialised advice including anticipating problems and contributing to issues management.
• Work with independence, subject to limited direction against established priorities, practices, and methodologies to deliver quality outcomes.
• High level ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.
• High level ability to respond to and prioritise competing and often urgent requests in a calm and efficient manner while also maintaining high work standards and accuracy.
• Works cohesively within a multi-disciplinary team and adapts quickly to a changing environment.
• Commitment to achieving positive outcomes for mental health consumers.

Qualifications

Essential

For Occupational Therapy:

• Be registered or eligible for registration with Occupational Therapy Board of Australia
• Eligibility for professional membership of Occupational Therapy Australia
• Must hold a current driver’s license.

For Psychology:

• Be registered or be eligible for general registration with Psychology Board of Australia
• Must hold a current driver’s license.

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
• Must hold a 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

• Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years (preferable 5 years) paid work experience, post qualification, in a related/relevant organisation/service

Desirable

• Experience in working with children and young people.
• 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) 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 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 ability to work collaboratively with adolescents and their families/carers with moderate to severe, acute and/or complex mental illness and undertake relevant mental health assessment, plan treatment and provide interventions.
2. Proven ability to work independently while working effectively and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
3. Effective communication skills
   • High level verbal and written communication skills
   • Ability to liaise and provide relevant handover information as appropriate to a multidisciplinary mental health team.
4. Demonstrated working knowledge of current mental health services, current mental health legislation and the National Standards to ensure a best practice/evidence-based practice.
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.