Position Overview

Program Areas

Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS) is a part of the division of Mental Health, Justice Health, and Alcohol & Drug Services (MHJHADS), and is a contemporary, evidence-based service providing high-quality healthcare for persons experiencing substance use concerns, guided by the principles of harm minimisation. ADS incorporates several distinct program areas across two subsections of Diversion and Therapy Services and Specialty Services. ADS provides information, advice, referral, intake, assessment, and support for ACT residents experiencing substance use concerns. This includes offering services for individuals, their family/friends and carers, and liaison with other healthcare professionals, external stakeholders, businesses, and community groups.

Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services (AIMHS) provide a safe and supportive care to people presenting to hospital services for a severe mental illness or disorder, encompassing five adult mental health inpatient units across the Canberra Hospital (TCH), North Canberra Hospital (NCH), and University of Canberra Hospital (UCH). At NCH, Acacia Adult Mental Health Unit and Banksia Older Persons Mental Health Unit offer assessment and treatment for a range of mental health issues on a short-term basis. At UCH, the Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (AMHRU) is a 20-bed specialist mental health rehabilitation unit providing care and support for people with a primary diagnosis of mental illness, who would benefit from an intensive rehabilitation program.

Co-Occurring Needs Program

The Co-Occurring Needs Program is a newly established initiative within ADS, designed to support people across the lifespan who are experiencing complex co-occurring mental ill-health and substance use concerns, and the MHJHADS programs providing care to this population group. The Co-Occurring Needs Program is seeking a Registered Nurse (RN) at the RN3.1 Level to support delivery of high-quality clinical care to people experiencing co-occurring substance use disorders and mental health concerns. As such, the successful applicant requires public health sector experience with subject matter expertise in mental health and alcohol and other drug-related healthcare provision.

The Role

The role of a Senior Registered Nurse acknowledges the skills, knowledge and capabilities of highly experienced health professionals to address a specialised service need. Registered Nurses at the RN3.1 designation, possess a level of clinical practice characterised by a high degree of autonomy and complex clinical decision-making, integrating the four advanced practice pillars of clinical practice, leadership, education, and research to provide complex care in partnership with a range of stakeholders.

This Co-Occurring Needs Program Senior Registered Nurse will be co-located in the NCH Mental Health Consultation-Liaison Service and deliver services in alignment with the ADS Co-Occurring Needs Program. Clinical responsibilities and governance processes will be underpinned by the ADS Specialty Services Models of Care and Operational Procedures, and Co-Occurring Needs Program workflows. Under limited direction of the Co-Occurring Needs Program Clinical Lead, Senior Registered Nurses within the Co-Occurring Needs Program engage in consultation, liaison, education and clinical advice to MHJHADS programs regarding best practice for the integrated treatment and support of people experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental ill-health concerns. This involves supporting implementation of the MHJHADS Co-Occurring Needs Action and Implementation Plans and participating in associated monitoring and evaluation of services provided to people who present with co-occurring needs.

This Co-Occurring Needs Program Senior Registered Nurse will report operationally to the Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) Mental Health Division NCH; with day-to-day task allocation, rostering, and other operational matters performed with ADON’s oversight. The role involves regular liaison and collaborative work with other NCH inpatient and MHJHADS program areas, government and non-government services in the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) and mental health sectors, and other external stakeholders.

In particular, the Senior Registered Nurse in this role will support delivery of consultation-liaison ATOD assessment and advice to wards within the NCH, alongside delivering related education to NCH staff through provision of in-services to the NCH Emergency Department, Maternity, Intensive Care Unit, Medical Teams, and at NCH Orientations. They will also deliver integrated mental health and ATOD psychoeducation and group-based interventions to people admitted to inpatient mental health settings at the NCH (i.e., Acacia and Banksia) and UCH (i.e., Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit).

Co-Occurring Needs Program staff are required and supported to undertake professional development, engage in clinical supervision, participate in quality improvement and service development initiatives, and contribute to multidisciplinary team processes.

Key responsibilities

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

Under limited direction of the Co-Occurring Needs Program Clinical Lead, you will perform duties consistent at the RN3.1 Level, including:

1. Demonstrate autonomous clinical and professional practice and astute decision-making in service delivery to persons presenting with co-occurring substance use and mental ill-health concerns.
2. Provide effective clinical consultancy and advice to staff in the management of people admitted to hospital experiencing ATOD concerns.  This includes identifying and managing risks, working with stakeholders, and promoting engagement of people seeking/receiving care and their families/carers.
3. Supporting planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of formal and informal MHJHADS education services to assist staff in developing skills in integrated care provision.
4. Facilitating the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of education sessions to people seeking/receiving care within mental health and ATOD treatment settings to promote integrative care.
5. Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams across MHJHADS and other relevant government and non-government services, to ensure streamlined service provision and positive individual outcomes. At times, this will require working across various contexts, including inpatient and outpatient health services, and in other environments where MHJHADS program areas are based.
6. Apply critical thinking and expert clinical judgement in both direct practice with people seeking/receiving care and with involved stakeholders.
7. Participate in, and contribute to, the development, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of team activity against agreed targets and governance requirements.
8. Participate in clinical governance processes for the Co-Occurring Needs Program, including undertaking Quality Improvement and service development activities, participating in and supporting continuing professional development, performance management, and research.
9. Actively support teaching and training activity within and across MHJHADS programs.
10. Work within legislation and policies associated with clinical service delivery in this area, using evidence-based practices which follow agreed clinical standards, policies, procedures, and protocols.
11. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of this service offering and the organisation more broadly.

CHS is committed to workforce diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from all diversity groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are particularly encouraged to apply.

Competencies

Competencies set specific, minimum requirements for the knowledge, skills and behaviours that underpin safe and effective advanced practice roles. Profession-specific, national and international frameworks organise these capabilities under a range of domains. For this clinical role, specific competencies include, but are not limited to the following:

• Capacity to deliver evidence-based clinical services and authoritative clinical advice drawing upon expert knowledge and skills in ATOD and mental health care needs.
• Ability to manage a complex clinical caseload and associated clinical risk with high autonomy and accountability.
• Engaging in critical reflection surrounding expanded scope of practice and/or autonomy, managing boundaries established by individual skill sets, and abiding by requirements of their organisation and relevant legislation.
• Managing clinical care in partnership with people seeking/receiving care, carers/support persons, and other agencies to deliver holistic person-centred approaches to care.
• Demonstrates collaborative communication practices, cultural-safety, and health literacy principles in navigating complex, contentious and/or sensitive issues with people seeking/receiving care, their families/carers, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrates evidence-based selection and interpretation of assessment tools, clinical formulation, and interventions; demonstrating clinical knowledge, and high-level clinical reasoning and decision-making.
• Autonomously and appropriately manages clinical risk in the context of complexity and uncertainty to maintain service-user, clinician, organisational, and community safety.

Position Requirements / Qualifications

Mandatory

• Minimum bachelor-level qualification enabling professional registration as a Registered Nurse under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Minimum five years, full-time equivalent, post-qualification experience in a relevant clinical area.

OR

• A relevant post-graduate certificate and four years, full-time equivalent, experience in direct or indirect roles.
• 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.

Highly Desirable

• Additional post-graduate training/study/ qualification in specialty areas of mental health and ATOD fields of practice.
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or Health Education.
• Prior experience in research practices, including ethics approval processes and research publications.
• Prior experience in developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating new programs/services.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

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

• Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for Registered Nurses.

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.

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. Proven competence in structured assessment, clinical formulation, care of, treatment planning, and targeted interventions for individuals experiencing moderate to severe co-occurring substance use and mental illness/disorder in a variety of treatment contexts; and ability to provide related consultation and advice to clinical and non-clinical stakeholders.
2. Proven ability to implement clinical expertise in a multidisciplinary public health environment, and experience in delivering and evaluating evidence-based programs through knowledge of, and willingness to participate in, applied clinical research, quality improvement activities, training, teaching, and clinical supervision.
3. Demonstrated understanding of, and contribution to, clinical governance reporting processes; including key performance indicators, outcome measures, service data, and audit processes for monitoring and evaluating team activities.
4. Demonstrated effective verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, with experience communicating with consumers, carers, staff, management, and external stakeholders, and ability to maintain high quality clinical records.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety 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.