Youth Mental Health Worker

**Part Time Position 0.8 FTE**

**Life at Coast Shelter**

Coast Shelter is a leading Central Coast not for profit charity assisting families, adults and young people with complex issues arising from their experience of homelessness, abuse and neglect. Our organisation is driven by our mission to deliver innovative solutions to address homelessness, violence and poverty to achieve immediate and lasting changes.

We are a Tier 3 community housing body and the largest Specialist Homelessness Service in Regional NSW. We operate 9 crisis shelters, a Community Centre and more than 50 outreach properties, housing over 150 people across the Central Coast every night.

At Coast Shelter, you’ll be joining a team of committed staff and volunteers who work to end Homelessness and Domestic and Family Violence within our community. Our people are innovative professionals who are driven to help make positive change, we are bold with ideas and operate with pace and passion.

**The Role**

Working within our Youth Services across five Shelters you will assist our young people aged 16-24 years to address and access mental health and wellbeing support. The position is responsible for improving the mental health and wellbeing of young people in particular those whose access to psychological support may be limited by homelessness, financial hardship or other barriers.

The position will work closely with the youth leadership team to develop evidence-based and innovative clinical services for our young people. This role will equip our team to deliver preventative and early intervention services to young people with, or at risk of developing, serious and persistent mental health problems. The position will work in an integrated and collaborative manner with existing on site Case Worker support staff.

**What to Expect**

Some of the key aspects of the position include
- Providing a single entry point into mental health care and other relevant supports and services for our young people
- Deliver evidence-based psychological therapies and interventions tailored to the assessed needs of each young person which may include:

- activity based interventions to support and improve emotional regulation, social wellbeing, mental health and a reduction in aggressive and/or disruptive behaviours
- ensuring young people are linked to appropriate support services
- Working collaboratively with Coast Shelter Case Workers and agencies to achieve positive outcomes for our young people
- Work closely with Medical and Allied Health practitioners to provide integrated support and referrals to specialist assistance
- Participate in case consultations with internal and external stakeholders

**All about You**

You will have experience in the Mental Health and Community Services sector. You must be committed to working collaboratively as part of an integrated team of experienced Case Workers and work in partnership with the young people to identify and create a vision for their future as they move towards stable independent living.
- Tertiary qualifications of Bachelor Level.
- Experience developing mental health care plans for young people
- Demonstrated knowledge and skills in working with young people experiencing mental health issues and other issues impacting their lives such as homelessness, unemployment, domestic and family violence.
- Demonstrated skills in assessment, case planning, delivery of therapies or workshops and capacity to provide culturally appropriate responses to young people
- Demonstrated high level communication skills including written skills and the ability to prepare and contribute to reports
- Demonstrated experience and commitment to evidence based services and therapies in line with a person’s needs as well as a strong understanding of the principles of strengths based, client-centred, trauma informed framework.

**Our Values**
- Respect
- Innovation
- Connection
- Trust

**Ways we Reward You**
- Competitive Remuneration Package including access to extensive salary packaging offerings
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Values Driven Organisation
- Employee Assistance Program offering free and confidential counselling and support

If you are successful in gaining employment with Coast Shelter you must hold a NSW driver’s licence, National Criminal Record Check and Working with Children Check.

Enquires: Jason Brown People & Culture Manager

We are committed to equal employment opportunity, ethical practices and the principles of cultural diversity. Coast Shelter strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply.