About the role

The Occupational Therapist (Mental Health) Subcontractor provides evidence-informed, person-centred occupational therapy services to people whose mental health challenges affect their daily living, independence, routines, participation and wellbeing.

The subcontractor works autonomously within their professional scope of practice while collaborating with the MHPathways team and relevant external providers. The role supports clients to build practical skills, confidence and sustainable routines so they can participate in the activities that matter to them.

Referrals include, Medicare Benefit Scheme (MBS), Private Patients with a gap fee, Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) WorkCover, Private Health Insurance, Redress Scheme, Victim Assistance and or National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS).

The Occupational Therapist is engaged as an independent subcontractor and is not an employee of MHPathways. The subcontractor is responsible for managing their own professional practice obligations, including registration, insurance, taxation, superannuation obligations, professional development and compliance with applicable laws and professional standards. MHPathways will provide agreed administrative, practice, referral, premises, technology or operational support under the terms of the subcontractor agreement. MHPathways will provide agreed administrative, practice, referral, premises, technology or operational support under the terms of the subcontractor agreement.

Key responsibilities

- Conduct comprehensive occupational therapy assessments to identify a client's strengths, needs, functional capacity, occupational performance and barriers to participation.

- Provide individual therapy in a face to face, telehealth and or telephone format.

- Assess how mental health affects routines, self-care, domestic tasks, sleep, executive functioning, emotional regulation, sensory needs, social connection, study, work and community participation.

- Collaborate with clients to establish meaningful, recovery-oriented and goal-directed therapy plans.

- Deliver individualised, evidence-informed occupational therapy interventions within their training, competence and scope of practice.

- Support clients to develop practical skills in self-care, household management, meal planning, budgeting, time management, planning, organisation and problem-solving.

- Assist clients to build sustainable routines, occupational balance, motivation and engagement in meaningful activities.

- Use appropriate sensory approaches and practical strategies to support emotional regulation, stress management and participation.

- Identify environmental, psychosocial and functional barriers, and recommend practical strategies, supports, adjustments, equipment or assistive technology where clinically indicated.





- Monitor progress, review therapy goals and adapt intervention plans as client needs change.

- Maintain accurate, timely, secure and comprehensive clinical records and prepare clear, professional reports and recommendations within agreed timeframes.

About you

- A recognised qualification in Occupational Therapy.

- Experience in Mental Health, and the ability to work autonomously in a subcontractor context.

- Current general registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia through AHPRA.

- Have a Medicare Provider number, or the ability to apply for a provider number.

- Current professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance appropriate to occupational therapy and mental health practice.

- A current NDIS Workers Screeners Check.

- Working with Children Check / Blue Card where required for the client group and service setting.

- National Police Check and any other screening checks reasonably required for the role or funding arrangements.

- Current First Aid and CPR certification, where required by MHPathways or relevant service arrangements.

- A current driver licence and suitable transport if delivering community-based services.

- Demonstrated mental health experience, or a strong interest and commitment to developing capability in mental health occupational therapy.

- Strong understanding of the impact of mental health on daily functioning and participation.

- A recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice style.

- An active ABN and capacity to invoice MHPathways in accordance with the subcontractor agreement.

Skills and qualities

- A practical, compassionate and client-centred approach.

- Strong understanding of the impact of mental health on daily functioning and participation.

- Sound clinical reasoning, assessment and therapeutic intervention skills.

- A recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice style.

- Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.

- Excellent organisation, time management and documentation skills.

- The ability to work independently while recognising when support, supervision or escalation is needed.

- Respect for cultural safety, diversity, lived experience and each client’s right to make choices.

- Commitment to ethical practice, professional boundaries, continuous learning and high-quality client care.

Recovery and mental health practice

- Provide compassionate, strengths-based,



trauma-informed, recovery-oriented and culturally responsive care.

- Promote each client’s dignity, autonomy, lived experience, choices and self-determined recovery goals.

- Recognise the relationship between mental health, physical health, environment, sensory experiences and participation in everyday activities.

- Work with clients experiencing concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma-related difficulties, mood disorders, psychosocial disability and other conditions affecting occupational performance, within the subcontractor’s scope and competence.

- Maintain transparent professional boundaries and make referrals where a client’s needs are outside the subcontractor’s scope, competence or capacity.

- Involve families, carers and support people where appropriate and with the client’s informed consent.

- Assess and support functional capacity in everyday environments and meaningful occupations.

- Assist clients to improve independent living skills, including personal care, household tasks, routines, meal preparation, budgeting and community access where relevant to their goals.

- Support participation in education, employment, volunteering, social relationships, leisure and community activities.

- Prepare functional assessments, therapy reports, recommendations and supporting documentation where relevant to the client’s needs, funding arrangement and qualified scope.

Style of work

- Manage their agreed availability, appointments, workload and caseload responsibly.

- Provide services in person, via telehealth or in agreed community settings where clinically appropriate and authorised.

- Attend to clinical documentation and agreed reporting requirements promptly.

- Maintain a professional, reliable and client-centred approach to appointments, cancellations, communication and follow-up.

- Participate in agreed onboarding, practice orientation, clinical supervision, peer consultation and service quality activities.

- Cooperate with reasonable audit, quality assurance and compliance processes relevant to services delivered through MHPathways.

Performance will be considered with reference to:

- Safe, ethical and evidence-informed occupational therapy practice.

- Timely, accurate and clinically appropriate documentation.

- Client-centred goal setting and progress toward meaningful functional outcomes.

- Appropriate risk identification, documentation and escalation.Professional communication and collaboration with clients, referrers and the MHPathways team.

- Compliance with subcontractor agreement terms, professional registration, insurance and practice requirements.

- Reliability, responsiveness and effective caseload management.

- Contribution to a respectful, collaborative and high-quality MHPathways service environment.

📌 Occupational Therapist (Mental Health) (Sandgate)
🏢 MH Pathways
📍 Sandgate