Mental Health Practitioner

**Overview**:
**Work Type**:Fixed-term - Part-time

**Salary**: Salary not specified

**Grade**:Education Support - Level 1, Range 4

**Occupation**:Education and training

**Location**:Hume - Benalla

**Reference**:1486271

**Location Profile**:

- Benalla P-12 College is located in the Rural City of Benalla which is ideally located close to the Victorian snowfields and the major centres of Wangaratta and Shepparton. The town is surrounded by quality wineries and a variety of natural environments, with the Murray River only an hour away. Melbourne is easily reached in two hours along the Hume Freeway and the Melbourne to Wodonga railway line also runs through the city.
- Benalla P-12 College was established in January 2013 as a result of the merger of all four government schools in Benalla. The College has a student population of approximately 870. We provide a vibrant teaching and stimulating learning environment that commences with Grade Prep and continues through the secondary years to VCE and VCAL.
- Our College structure from 2025 will have 3 separate sites across the town:

- Avon Campus (P-5)
Waller Campus (P-6)
Faithfull Campus (7-12)
- Each site has an Assistant Principal and there is also a College Principal.

The Benalla P-12 College vision is to ensure that every child learns and is prepared for the future through a commitment to excellence in teaching, high expectations and positive relationships in a safe and inclusive environment. Our College values of Respect, Responsibility, High Expectations and Integrity also drive our work and focus.
- We provide our students with opportunities to develop leadership skills through a range of programs and formal leadership positions available on each campus. We recognise that a safe and orderly learning environment and high expectations are essential elements in ensuring that all our students learn and reach their full potential and we achieve this through the implementation of the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Program.

Students are well-known by their teachers at Benalla P-12 College, and high priority is placed on student wellbeing. We have a strong team of experienced and effective wellbeing staff to support our students to be at their best and ready to learn each and every day.
- Staff at Benalla P-12 College work in teams and Professional Learning Communities. They plan collaboratively and use data to inform their teaching practice in line with our evidence based Teaching Cycle.

**Selection Criteria**:

- Ability to implement a range of small group and whole-school mental health prevention and promotion activities aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing, including the delivery of capability building and awareness raising activities for staff and/or students on key mental health and wellbeing issues affecting the school’s student population.
- Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies aimed at enhancing mental health and wellbeing prevention, promotion and early intervention.
- Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising and analysing wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling support to clients with a range of mental health needs.
- Demonstrated experience in coordinating supports for young people with complex needs including referrals to a range of specialist services as appropriate.
- Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
- Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding privacy of health information.

**Role**:

- The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative was announced by the Minister for Education in late 2018 to expand mental health and wellbeing support in government schools. The initiative provides for a suitably qualified mental health professional in all government secondary school campuses and specialist school (with secondary-aged enrolments) settings.
- Operating in collaboration with the relevant Department of Education Regional Mental Health Branch, this role has the following functions:

- Enhancing mental health prevention and promotion activities in the school by contributing to whole-school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to address matters relating to student mental health and wellbeing, and helping to develop and deliver appropriate programs and strategies in the school according to specified school priorities
- Providing early intervention services (including short-term counselling) for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health concerns; and
- Coordinating supports for students with complex needs both within and external to the school, including proactively working with regions, local mental health service providers and other health professionals to