Manager Advocacy and Reform

**Manager, Advocacy and Reform**
**Crown Clerk Award - Clerk Grade 11/12**

**Contract until 30.Dec.2025**

**Salary range: $145,378 to $168,130pa and employer's contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading.**

The Mental Health Commission of NSW is seeking interested applicants for the temporary position of Manage, Advocacy and Reform. This is an exciting opportunity to join a small fast paced team that is committed to providing a high standard of project management, policy development and lived expertise to ensure the Commission achieves its required statutory functions and policy obligations.

The Advocacy and Reform Team actively seeks the views of people with a lived experience of mental health issues and of caring, their families and kinship groups to help shape the reform agenda, reduce stigma and discrimination and promote general health and wellbeing.

The Commission is a small agency of about 30 FTE based in the Sydney CBD and working flexibly within hybrid workplace guidelines.

**ROLE OF THE ORGANISATION**
The Mental Health Commission of New South Wales (the Commission) was established in July 2012.

The Commission’s purpose is to monitor, review and improve the mental health and wellbeing of the community by undertaking strategic planning, systemic reviews and advocacy - all guided by the lived experience of people with mental health issues and caring, families and kinship groups.

The vision of the Commission is: That the people of NSW have the best opportunity for good mental health and wellbeing and to live well in the community, on their own terms, having the services and supports they need to live a full life.

To improve the mental health and wellbeing of people living in NSW, it is essential that people with a lived experience of mental health issues and caring, families and kinship groups can participate in, influence and lead service design, delivery, monitoring, reporting, research, evaluation and improvement activities. This will achieve stronger services and better outcomes for all people in NSW.

**PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE ROLE**
The Manager, Advocacy and Reform leads on a program of work that aligns with the Strategic Objectives of the Commission under the Act and is responsible for leading projects that support improved systemic planning and outcomes for people through the development of frameworks and strategies that focus on community wellbeing/prevention and early intervention and for improving the experiences and outcomes for people living with mental illness.

Within the Projects undertaken, the Manager, Advocacy and Reform will, actively seeks the views and experiences of people with a lived experience of mental health issues and of caring, their families and kinship groups to help shape the reform agenda, reduce stigma and discrimination and

promote their general health and wellbeing. The role will provide proactive support to the Director, System Reform regarding developing the annual program of work and other deliverables as required by the Director, System Reform and the Commissioner.

**KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES**
- Lead and manage all aspects of projects as directed by the Director, System Reform and Commissioner.
- Actively engage with the sector to promote and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and information about mental health issues to improve outcomes and improve people’s experience of services and supports.
- Actively seek the views and experiences of people with a lived experience, caring, their families and kinship groups to help shape the reform agenda.
- Reduce stigma and discrimination associated with people experiencing mental health issues.
- Promote community wellbeing through developing prevention and early intervention frameworks, strategies and initiatives which are co-designed with people with mental health issues, caring, their kinship groups and families and with agencies.
- Contribute to the development of strategic plans relating to improving mental health and wellbeing as prioritised by the Commissioner and the NSW Mental Health Commission's strategic plan.
- Provide proactive support to the Director, System Reform to develop the System Reform Directorate's annual program of work.
- Provide technical advice and proactive support to teams within the Directorate regarding the design and preparation of projects/activities and produce reports and other deliverables for the Director, System Reform and the Commissioner.
- Provide expert advice on emerging issues, using systematic reviews, data and information and best available evidence of contemporary models of care and service delivery models to inform and address the needs of people with lived experience of mental health issues and caring, and those at risk of poor mental health.
- Advocate for and promote the prevention of mental illness and early intervention strategies for mental health, and for improving the experiences and outcomes for people living with mental illness across their lif