Rural Counsellor

**Employment Type**: Permanent Full Time
**Position Classification**: Clinical Nurse Consultant Grade 2, Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapist Level 4, Social Worker Level 4
**Remuneration**: $105,553.00 - $130,582.09 per annum
**Hours Per Week**: 38
**Requisition ID**: REQ521183
**Applications Close**:6 October 2024

**What you'll be doing**

The Rural Counsellor will work to ensure that individuals residing in rural areas within the Illawarra/Shoalhaven region have access to timely and effective psychotherapeutic treatment and counselling for the effects of mental illness, significant psychosocial distress and suicidality. The position has been created in response to ongoing social stressors in these areas including, droughts, floods, bush fires, higher than average unemployment levels and higher than average levels of substance misuse.

The Rural Counsellor will offer consultation and education to multidisciplinary staff within ISLHD, as well as the wider community.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District is committed to equal employment opportunity and embraces diversity and inclusion within its workforce. As such, people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. This includes but is not limited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, People with Disability, Women and People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

**Talent Pool**

Applicants holding temporary visas with working rights may be considered for a temporary appointment up to the expiry date of their visa. However, this option is only available when no suitable applicant for a permanent appointment is identified.

A National Police Check (criminal history record check) is a requirement for all new appointments to NSW

Health and will be undertaken on preferred applicants, with the informed consent of the applicant.

This role is a **Category A **role. Preferred applicants will be reviewed for compliance and required to maintain compliance with the screening, assessment and vaccination requirements, relevant to your position, as outlined in NSW Health policy directive on Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases.

For positions designated as child-related employment, or positions that may result in proximity to children, you will be required to obtain a Working with Children clearance number from the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

Please note that a volunteer WWCC (which is free) cannot be used for paid employment.

**Selection Criteria**
- AHPRA registered Clinical Psychologist with a Masters Degree or higher; or an AHPRA registered Occupational Therapist or an AHPRA Registered Nurse with a recognised post-graduate qualification in psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions and at least three years specialty, fulltime equivalent: or a Social Worker with a minimum of a Bachelors level qualification in social work, eligible for full membership of the AASW.
- Demonstrated capacity to deliver advanced psychosocial assessment and counselling service in order to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District by administering independent professional judgement in solving problems and managing complex situations working with people affected by rural adversity.
- Demonstrated capacity to work independently, whilst still maintaining strong multi-disciplinary links with ISLHD’s Mental Health clinical governance framework for the provision of high quality clinical services.
- Excellent net-working skills, with the capacity to work effectively with multiple stakeholder groups, including people with lived experience of suicide and recovery to provide support and linkages with communities experiencing psychosocial distress.
- Participate in the planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting on services to promote the efficiency of service delivery and quality care across the District.
- Ability to provide clinical supervision to less experienced clinicians, be involved in peer supervision and supervise post graduate students as well as to other health professionals, technical and support staff.
- Demonstrate cultural competence and a commitment to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Current NSW Drivers Licence with the capacity to travel across a large geographic area, in accordance with the demands of the position.

Need more information?
1) Click here for the Position Description