Senior Social Worker

Position Title: Senior Social Worker – WH Mental Health at Home

• Location: Sunshine Hospital
• Employment Type: Part-Time (0.8 FTE), Ongoing
• Salary: SW3 + Superannuation + Salary Packaging

About the Role:

Western Health is seeking an experienced and values-driven Senior Social Worker to join our innovative Western Health Mental Health at Home (WHMH at Home) service — a pioneering model of acute mental health care delivered in the community.

WHMH at Home is a 24/7 service providing the equivalent of ten acute mental health beds in the community. Underpinned by the Hospital in the Home (HITH) model, the service provides intensive, recovery-oriented treatment to adults experiencing acute mental health concerns who would otherwise require hospital admission.

As a Senior Social Worker, you will play a key role in providing discipline-specific leadership and delivering psychosocial assessment and interventions that promote recovery, social and emotional wellbeing, and family-inclusive practice. You will work collaboratively with consumers, families, carers, and the multidisciplinary team to ensure person-centred, culturally safe, and recovery-focused care within the consumer's home environment.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a new and evolving service that is transforming how acute mental health care is delivered across Melbourne's west.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide clinical and discipline-specific leadership, role modelling and mentoring to clinical and wellbeing staff.
• Deliver evidence-based psychosocial assessments, interventions, and family-inclusive practice for consumers with complex mental health needs.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary care planning, including collaborative recovery and treatment plans, and risk management.
• Lead quality improvement, service development, and research activities to enhance outcomes for consumers and carers.
• Provide clinical supervision and professional support to early-career social workers, students, and team members.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen service integration and continuity of care.

About You:

• Approved degree in Social Work and eligibility for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
• Minimum of seven years' experience as a social worker, including demonstrated expertise in mental health assessment, intervention, and family work.
• Comprehensive understanding of recovery-oriented and trauma-informed care principles.
• Highly developed communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated commitment to reflective practice, professional development, and continuous improvement.
• Current Victorian driver's licence and capacity to work across community settings.

Position Description

About Western Health

Western Health is one of the largest healthcare providers in Victoria, caring for a vibrant, diverse and rapidly growing community of one million people in Melbourne's western suburbs. 

With more than 13,000 staff, Western Health delivers 800,000+ occasions of care every year, providing high-quality, person-centred care across every life stage.

We provide a combination of hospital, community-based, at-home and in-reach services to aged, adult and paediatric patients and newborn babies. Specialties include oncology, renal, mental health, women's health and maternity, chronic diseases, geriatrics and cardiology.

We have remarkable strengths in chronic disease, complex care and developing innovative and sustainable healthcare solutions. Our experience at the coalface of healthcare delivery for some of Australia's most culturally and socioeconomically diverse and vulnerable populations provides us with unique insights into the most pressing health challenges.

Western Health operates four acute public hospitals: Sunshine Hospital (including Joan Kirner Women's and Children's), Footscray Hospital, Williamstown Hospital and Bacchus Marsh Hospital. We also operate Sunbury Community Hospital, Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre, Melton Health and Community Services, Bacchus Marsh Community Health Centre, Caroline Springs Community Health Centre and Grant Lodge Residential Aged Care in Bacchus Marsh. Western Health also provides the primary healthcare service at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a women's prison located in Ravenhall.

Why join us?

Compensation and benefits

• Competitive salary packages aligned with market standards.
• Health and wellbeing programs, including flexible work arrangements.
• Scholarships and grants to support your continuous learning journey.

Learning and development opportunities

• Access the Western Health Learning Academy (WHA) for personalised learning pathways.
• Professional growth programs, including postgraduate studies and clinical education.
• Mentorship and career support.

Community impact and inclusion

• Make a meaningful difference in patients' lives through compassionate care.
• Join a workforce that champions diversity and inclusion.
• Engage in community wellbeing initiatives and groundbreaking healthcare research.

Organisational culture and environment

• Thrive in a collaborative, compassionate and innovative team environment.
• Be part of a culture that celebrates continuous improvement and excellence in healthcare.

Ready to make an impact?

If you're a values-driven mental health social worker, passionate about delivering compassionate, recovery-oriented care and shaping innovative models of mental health treatment, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us in transforming how acute mental health care is delivered — empowering consumers, supporting staff, and strengthening community wellbeing.

Simply click "Apply" and follow the prompts to submit your application.

If you are currently employed at Western Health, please ensure you sign in through the 'Employee Login' via the external Careers Page or access the Careers Page via the intranet before applying.

Closing date: 11:59pm on 22 November 2025.

Enquiries: For further information about this role, please contact:

Name: Sharlin Berna

Title: Deputy Director – Operational Performance & Transformation, Mental Health & Wellbeing Services 

Phone:

Email:

Alternate Contact: Ebony Canavan

Title: Chief Social Worker – Mental Health & Wellbeing Services

Email:

Western Health is an equal opportunity employer committed to attracting and retaining diversity in our workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Western Health is committed to providing a safe environment for the children and young people who are involved in our services, sites and operations. We follow and abide by all legislative requirements to keep children and young people safe. 

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory Police Record Check, an Immunisation Status Clearance and a Working with Children Check (if applicable). 

Western Health does not accept unsolicited resumes/applications from recruitment agencies.

Western Health