Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader And/or Counsellor

**Role Description/Criteria**

We welcome applicants who are suitably qualified and experienced in **one or both roles.**

**1. Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHiPS-aligned Role)**

**Preferred Qualifications**:

- Registered teacher (VIT) with experience in student wellbeing, leadership, or education support.
- Experience in school-based mental health promotion or relevant postgraduate qualifications in wellbeing, psychology, social work, or counselling (desirable).

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Lead the implementation of mental health and wellbeing strategies across the school.
- Collaborate closely with the school leadership and MACS to embed whole-school approaches to mental health.
- Build staff capacity to identify and support students with mental health and wellbeing (identification, promotion and prevention),
- Work collaboratively with teaching teams to upskill educators on early signs of mental health concerns and how to respond appropriately.
- Establish and maintain clear referral pathways for students requiring further assessment or intervention, ensuring timely access to appropriate internal and external support services. Monitor and evaluate student progress in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and communicate effectively and empathetically with families about the range of wellbeing resources and supports available to them.
- Analyse data to monitor wellbeing trends and support targeted intervention planning.
- Support the integration of SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) into classroom practice and oversee the SEL scope implementation
- Implement evidence-based strategies in small group settings to support identified concerns.
- Attend mandatory training and participate in ongoing learning communities led by the University of Melbourne

**2. School Counsellor**

**Preferred Qualifications**:

- Tertiary qualifications in counselling, psychology, social work, or a related field.
- Current registration with a professional body (e.g., ACA).

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Provide individual and group counselling support to students presenting with social, emotional, or mental health concerns.
- Support crisis intervention and case management, working in consultation with school leaders and external services.
- Maintain confidential and accurate records of student sessions and follow-up plans.
- Develop and deliver preventative programs, workshops, and psychoeducation sessions for students, parents, and staff.
- Liaise with families to provide support and referrals as appropriate.
- Participate in wellbeing team meetings and contribute to school-wide wellbeing planning.

**Both Roles Require**:

- A demonstrated commitment to Catholic education and the pastoral care of students and their families, grounded in the values of compassion, inclusion, and dignity.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team, including leadership, learning diversity, and wellbeing staff, to deliver coordinated and effective support for students.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with the capacity to build trusting and respectful relationships with students, families, colleagues, and external agencies.
- A proactive, student-centred approach to mental health and wellbeing, using reflective practice to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Experience in contributing to the development, implementation, and review of whole-school mental health, wellbeing, or learning strategies aligned with best practice frameworks.
- Ability to navigate and establish referral pathways to internal and external support services, and to monitor and evaluate student outcomes in partnership with families and staff.
- Capacity to support a culture of wellbeing across the school by upskilling staff, promoting early intervention, and fostering strong connections between home and school.

**Working Environment**:

- The successful applicant(s) will work as part of a dynamic Wellbeing Team, including the Principal, Deputy Principals, Wellbeing Leader and Learning Diversity Leader, to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for students, staff, and families.
- This role is vital in supporting our whole-school approach to mental health and will play a key part in bridging support between families, staff, and external services.

We welcome applicants who are suitably qualified and experienced in **one or both roles. Ideally, the position will be filled by a VIT-registered teacher with counselling qualifications,**enabling them to deliver both components of the role. However, we are open to two applicants covering the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader and Counsellor positions respectively, with FTE to be negotiated accordingly.

At Clairvaux, the dual roles of Mental Health Leader and Counsellor work hand in hand to ensure that student wellbeing is not just a priority, but a core part of who we are as a school community. These interconnected roles allow f