Mental Health Advice and Response Service

Location: Melbourne

Job type: Full time

Organisation: Forensicare

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Health and Allied Health, Medical and Nursing, Nursing

Reference: 15899
- **Extensive investment in facilities and people supporting our significant service expansion**:

- ** Salary $97,650 - **to $115,850 + 10.5% Super**:

- ** Community Services is exp**anding into the regional Victoria**:

- ** A culture where people care**:

- ** International Relocation Support provided**

**Job location**

This position is located at the Community Forensic Mental Health Service (CFMHS). Based at Melbourne Magistrate Court. CFMHS is a specialist state-wide agency that works with individuals who have a serious mental health illness and have offended or are at risk of offending. Our CFMHS Service is soon to be expanding our services to Regional Victoria with Barwon services the first region being commenced.

**About the Role**:

- Divert individuals with a mental illness appearing before the court from the criminal justice system into appropriate mental health treatment.
- Ensure timely advice is provided to Magistrates regarding the mental health of individuals appearing before court ensure timely advice is provided to Community Correctional Services (CCS) regarding the appropriateness of a Mental Health Treatment and Rehabilitation (MHTR) condition on a Community Corrections Order (CCO) for individuals appearing before court.
- Facilitate access to appropriate mental health treatment services.
- Reduce delays in court proceedings.
- Improve the appropriateness of mental health interventions and referrals for individuals appearing before the court

**Duties**:

- Provide high quality and timely written assessment reports relating to clients’ mental health status and treatment/referral recommendations.
- Provide best practice clinical advice and consultation to Magistrates, CCS staff, members of the legal profession, other relevant professionals and community agencies in relation to client mental health issues.
- Liaise with Police, Custodial Health Service and Forensic Medical Officers to respond to the mental health needs of persons in police custody.
- Initiates, contributes to, and actively participates in identifying and implementing quality improvement activities at the service level.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of training for Magistrates, Community Correctional staff, members of the legal profession, other relevant professionals and community agencies in relation to mental health issues.
- Maintain and uphold a professional code of conduct and code of ethics.
- Keep accurate and complete records of your work activities in accordance with legislative requirements and the department's records, information security and privacy policies and requirements.
- Participate in the reporting and analysis of safety and quality data and adverse events.

**About You**:

- Demonstrated experience in mental health including 5 years post registration in a relevant setting, with a preference for experience in forensic settings.
- Demonstrated commitment to mental health consumer recovery.
- Demonstrated ability to independently undertake comprehensive nursing assessments, including writing concise reports with clear treatment recommendations.
- A thorough knowledge of current mental health practices and those relating to forensic mental health.
- Ability to liaise and effectively communicate with a wide range of key stakeholders including the ability to consult, liaise and negotiate with clients, carers, family members, members of the general community, members of the legal profession and other professionals.
- Well-developed analytical and problem solving skills and the ability to function as an independent mental health practitioner.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and service context including the Mental Health Act 2014, Sentencing Act 1991, Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and the Criminal Justice System.
- Well-developed written and verbal communication skills.

**What you need**:
**Nursing**
- Postgraduate qualification in Mental Health Nursing or equivalent.
- Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulations Agency (AHPRA).

**Occupational Therapy**
- Approved degree in Occupational Therapy recognised for membership of Occupational Therapy Australia - Australian Association of Occupational Therapists.
- Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulations Agency (AHPRA).

**Psychology**
- Masters or Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited course or equivalent, or a Doctorate degree in Forensic Psychology from an APS accredited course or equivalent.
- Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulations Agency (AHPRA).

Have you recently graduated?
- Recruitment for the registrar program can occur flexibly throughout the year

**Social Work**
- Appro