Mental Health Practitioner

**Overview**:
**Work Type**:Ongoing - Part-time

**Salary**: Salary not specified

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

**Occupation**:Health and allied health

**Location**:Melbourne - Western suburbs

**Reference**:1484212

**Location Profile**:

- Saltwater P-9 College is a new co-educational Prep to Year 9 school that opened its doors to the first intake of Prep-Six students in 2019. The Year 9 cohort commenced their journey at Saltwater College in 2024.
- Saltwater P-9 College is positioned within a thriving bayside community, located only 20kms from the city. Situated in tranquil Point Cook, it¿s surrounded by the Point Cook Coastal Park, a protected marine sanctuary and the Cheetham Wetlands.
- Saltwater P-9 College aims to build a school culture that demonstrates a strong belief in and a commitment to providing a rich and rigorous curriculum within a safe, secure and enriched learning environment for our children. We will have a clear focus on catering for the diverse range of students at their point of need. We will strive to be internationally minded, and provide a supportive, nurturing and challenging learning environment, with high expectations for student success.
- The school¿s values will be aligned with the Department of Education¿s philosophy: 'We support students to reach their potential, regardless of their background, postcode or circumstance, and to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to participate and thrive in a complex economy and society¿.
- Saltwater P-9 College will not just be a school committed to high academic standards, it will also be a school that prepares students to be curious, critical and creative thinkers and problem solvers who are technologically literate and capable of bringing about positive change in the world in which we live. This will be underpinned by our school motto: 'Wisdom Begins with Wonder.¿
- Another major feature of our school¿s curriculum will also be around the establishment of an exclusive Performing Arts and Sporting Program which will foster student¿s intellectual, social and physical development.

**Vision**
- We provide more than just an education to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.

**Mission**
- To educate and guide Intelligence and character to live creatively, ethically and productively.

**Objective**
- Offer high quality education within a supportive and understanding environment
- Provide evidence-based Literacy and Numeracy Instruction, Teaching and Learning
- Offer an exclusive Performing Arts, Visual Communications and Sporting program that develops students¿ intellectual, social, emotional and physical wellbeing
- Provide a safe and secure one to one Digital Technology platform that supports student learning and develops a culture of Digital Agency
- Offer production-based learning such as Robotics and Coding and STEM to increase students¿ creativity, innovation and problem solving skills
- Offer a Personalised Learning model through goal setting which promotes a sense of self mastery allowing everyone to reach their full potential
- Offer an Inquiry Based Learning model that develop critical and creative learners who actively engage in the learning process to acquire knowledge, skills, concepts and attitudes to promote student voice, agency and student-led action
- Encourage cultural understanding and acceptance of diversity

**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 re