Mental Health Practitioner

**Overview**:
**Work type**:Part time

**Salary**:Salary not specified

**Grade**:Ed Support Level 1-Range 4

**Occupation**: Health and Allied Health

**Location**: Warragul

**Reference**: 1467682

**Location Profile**:
**WARRAGUL & DISTRICT SPECIALIST SCHOOL**

Warragul and District Specialist School is situated in the regional town of Warragul in West Gippsland, an hour and a half east of Melbourne. The school commenced the 2025 year with approximately 128 students aged between 5 and 18 years. All students at the school have an intellectual disability with a large percentage having multiple disabilities including Autism, sensory and physical impairments and associated conditions. Students travel to the school from a broad geographic area, including Drouin, Neerim District, Yannathan/Poowong, and Trafalgar.

At Warragul and District Specialist School we believe that all students can and will learn, and grow in self-esteem, through fostering a climate of care, dignity and respect, using consistent behaviour management strategies, deliberate positive reinforcement, and recognition of achievement. The school promotes a curriculum that develops skills that its graduates will utilize as adults. We believe that graduates should be actively involved in work/further education, participate in managing their own homes, and are active participants in their own local community.

The whole school commitment to build teacher capacity and improve student learning outcomes is reflected in the key improvement strategies in the school¿s Strategic Plan which are:

- To improve student outcomes in Literacy and Numeracy.
- To improve student confidence and self-esteem across the school.
- To improve the readiness of students for post school life.
- To effectively manage school resources to cater for increasing enrolments and a diverse student population.

Our school values are in line with the School wide Positive Behavior Supports initiative. All components of the school community were consulted coming up with 3 values.
- Be a Learner
- Be Safe
- Be Respectful

In 2025 these values are strongly embedded into the school community and provide a framework from which the school community will continue to monitor expectations and norms across school programs, activities and events.

The school currently has achieved a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Supports (SW-PBS) bronze award status

At Warragul & District Specialist School we believe in in the principles behind our school motto, "Celebrating Difference". Acknowledging and celebrating individual difference in all students and members of the school community.

**Selection Criteria**:

- Ability to implement a range of small group and whole-school mental health prevention and promotion activities aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing, including the delivery of capability building and awareness raising activities for staff and/or students on key mental health and wellbeing issues affecting the school's student population.
- Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies aimed at enhancing mental health and wellbeing prevention, promotion and early intervention.
- Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising and analysing wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling support to clients with a range of mental health needs.
- Demonstrated experience in coordinating supports for young people with complex needs including referrals to a range of specialist services as appropriate.
- Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
- Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding privacy of health information.

**Role**:
The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative was announced by the Minister for Education in late 2018 to expand mental health and wellbeing support in government schools. The initiative provides for a suitably qualified mental health professional in all government secondary school campuses and specialist school (with secondary-aged enrolments) settings.

Operating in collaboration with the relevant Department of Education Regional Mental Health Branch, this role has the following functions:

- Enhancing mental health prevention and promotion activities in the school by contributing to whole-school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to address matters relating to student mental health and wellbeing, and helping to develop and deliver appropriate programs and strategies in the school according to specified school priorities
- Providing early intervention services (including short-term counselling) for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health concerns; and
- Coordinating supports for students with complex needs both within and