Department of Education Victoria – Maffra VIC

1d ago , from Department of Education & Training Victoria

Maffra Secondary College is a regional college which caters for students in Years 7-12. Maffra is located two and half hours from Melbourne but within one hours drive of both the sea and mountains. Our enrolments sit at approximately 540 and a majority of our students travel to and from our school by bus from neighbouring towns. This number of students makes it small enough to allow positive relationships to be formed, but large enough to provide a wide range of options for our students. Our Strategic Plan goals are to improve student learning, student engagement and student wellbeing.

Maffra Secondary College provides learning and leadership opportunities for all students both within the school and the wider community. There is a focus on providing a positive learning environment where all individuals are accepted, inspired and empowered to succeed. We want our students to be actively involved in their learning and through student voice and agency, contribute to not only the development of the curriculum but also to improving the school environment and working with neighbouring cluster schools and the local community.

Our college values Respect, Learning, Community and Resilience, along with our 10 Expected Behaviours guide and underpin our high expectations of behaviour for staff, students, and our parent/caregiver community and we always strive to achieve the highest standard possible in these areas.

In 2025 we will undertake our school review and set the next Strategic Plan. Since 2022 we have worked to achieve all of the goals set out in the current plan and data reflects this in both the ATSS and Staff Survey,



placing us well above similar schools and the State in nearly every measure. There has been a strong focus on student learning, engagement and wellbeing and our wonderful staff have undertaken high quality professional learning to continue building on their craft with evidence-based research and practice. To support this development, all teaching staff participate in a school wide GROWTH Coaching program where they meet with their Lead Coach fortnightly to focus on growing capacity in areas aligned to our AIP.

There is a broad range of opportunities and pathways offered at the senior school which caters for the diverse interests, needs and abilities of our student cohort. The staffing profile of Maffra Secondary College includes a principal and two assistant principals, 45 Effective Full Time (EFT) teachers, 27.01 EFT Education Support (ES) staff, including office administration staff, classroom support staff and other support staff. Our SFOE is 0.4990.

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 skilled 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-t

📌 Mental Health Practitioner (Maffra)
🏢 Department of Education Victoria
📍 Maffra