Aps6 - Mental Health and Wellbeing Officer, People Branch

**Contact Officer**:
**Closing Date**:
**11.59pm AEDT, Tuesday 21 January 2025**

**The opportunity we have available**

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Officer (MHWO) role is a position within the department’s Work Health and Safety team that consults and works closely with the department’s Mental Health Network to co-design, implement and monitor actions against the department’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

**What will you do?**:
The successful applicant will:

- Work on key projects relating to psychosocial health and wellbeing, including assisting business areas to identify hazards, assess risks and develop effective controls
- Contribute to the implementation and continued improvement of the department’s Work, Health and Safety Management System including development and /or review of policies guidelines and procedures
- Implement, monitor and report on actions against the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
- Deliver new health, safety and wellbeing initiatives and programs, contributing to planning and identifying opportunities for improvement
- Develop communication plans to raise awareness and embed understanding across the workforce of mental health
- Collaborate with key internal and external stakeholders to develop strategies to build on our inclusive and safe workplace including but not limited to the department’s Mental Health Network, WHS Committee, Comcare and the APS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit;
- Independently provide strategic WHS advice compliant with WHS legislation, frameworks and contemporary practices and assist with WHS reporting, including incident management
- In consultation with other areas of HR, ensure the department has fit for purpose training for managers, support staff, and departmental employees as required.

**Who are we looking for?**:
The position would suit an individual who has skills and experience in supporting staff to achieve their potential at work, and has knowledge or interest in diversity and inclusion, in particular relating to mental health and wellbeing.

To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate your ability to:

- communicate effectively with a client service focus, good judgement, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills
- work collaboratively as part of a small team
- achieve results and quality outcomes by showing initiative and leadership, working in a small team delivering multiple activities at any given time, often within tight timeframes
- coordinate projects and wellbeing initiatives for consideration for roll out to the department.
- think strategically, evaluating complex information from a variety of sources to make connections and sound decisions while exercising good judgement
- undertake research and analysis when developing Mental Health, WHS and psychosocial related policies, procedures and guidelines
- provide secretariat for meetings including coordinating meetings and writing minutes.

Importantly, this role will not provide support and advice in lieu of a mental health care professional and will be expected to refer individuals on to external services as appropriate.

**RecruitAbility minimum requirements**:
Minimum requirements for this role include:

- Qualification of certificate IV (or higher) in Work Health and Safety is mandatory
- Being able to demonstrate you have effective communication skills with a client service focus, good judgement, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a small team

RecruitAbility is a scheme which aims to attract and develop applicants with disability and also facilitate cultural changes in selection panels and agency recruitment.

Job applicants with disability who met the requirements are advanced to the next stage of the selection process:

- Opt into the scheme
- Declare they have a disability, and
- Meet the minimum requirements of a vacancy advertised in the scheme

More information can be found at RecruitAbility scheme: A guide for applicants | Australian Public Service Commission.

**What else can we offer?**:
We are dedicated to fostering personal and professional development, empowering individuals to set goals, acquire new skills, and cultivate unique qualities that define who they are. We believe that this not only leads to a more fulfilling and happier life but also enhances the overall quality of our work. Some of the benefits we offer include:

- Access to our study Assistance Program that provides paid leave and financial support for you to undertake courses of study that contribute to the improvements of your professional skills and knowledge relevant to our work and broader Australian Public Service.
- Through our investment in learning and development opportunities, and a positive performance culture, we provide diverse career pathways for our people to enable their mobility and adapt in a rapidly changing world.
- Improve your leadership skills, through the department’s Professiona