Overview

Work Type: Fixed-term - Full-time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4

Occupation: Health and allied health

Location: Melbourne - Eastern suburbs

Reference: 1551873

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 external to the school, including proactively working with regions, local mental health service providers and other health professionals to engage further support as required.

Education support class level 1 range 4

The successful applicant will be an experienced professional who will carry out their duties and responsibilities, relative to their professional discipline, with a high level of autonomy and with minimal reliance on professional supervision. The successful applicant will be responsible for the development and implementation of professional support programs within an educational environment, including guidance to other professional staff.

As an education support class position, this role supports the educational services being provided to students, but will not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).

For more information on the responsibilities of an Education Support class level 1 range 4 employee, please visit the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/industrial-agreements/resources

Responsibilities

- Providing advice and professional learning to others, including teachers and other school wellbeing staff, to build the capacity of schools to improve students wellbeing, learning and developmental outcomes.

- Delivering qualified support services in a school, including mental health prevention and promotion activities and early intervention activities (including short-term counselling) for students with a range of mental health needs, applying sound theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.

- Planning and implementing evidence-based intervention strategies for students with complex needs including collaborating with families, other professionals and agencies when appropriate to effectively manage risk.





- Working collaboratively with the school to enhance mental health prevention and promotion across the school by contributing to policies and operational practices that will guide the work of others, including other school wellbeing staff and teachers.

- Liaising with other department areas (including secondary school nurses and Student Support Services staff) and external service providers where necessary to provide appropriate support to students.

- Maintaining professional competence and continued professional development, including attending professional development activities throughout the year.

- Meeting relevant policies and legislative requirements in relation to student health information, privacy and consent.

Please note: Continued professional development is a registration requirement under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Who May Apply

Required

- Applicants must be qualified as a psychologist, social worker, mental health nurse, occupational therapist or counsellor of a prescribed class. Specifically:
- For Psychologists, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA
- For Mental Health Nurses, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA and hold a postgraduate qualification in mental health
- For Social Workers, applicants must be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers
- For Occupational Therapists applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA
- For Counsellors applicants must have completed a Bachelor or Master of Counselling and be a practising member (Level 2, 3 or 4) of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)

- Demonstrated direct counselling experience
- Evidence of registration with AHPRA, AASW (where applicable), or with ACA or PACFA (where applicable), and a copy of a testamur, certificate or transcript as evidence of appropriate qualification.
- A current Working With Children Check.

Desirable

- For Psychology applicants, specialisation in educational and/or developmental psychology.
- For Mental Health Nurse applicants, holding a Mental Health Nurse Credential and membership with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.
- For Social Work applicants, membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers and an Accredited Social Worker Trade Mark.
- For Occupational Therapy applicants, a Better Access to Mental Health Endorsement.
- For Counselling applicants, Level 3-4 registration (ACA) or a Registered Clinical Counsellor endorsement (PACFA).

Diversity and Inclusion

The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via [email protected]

Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.

Child Safe Standards

Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards.



All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy

DE Values

The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the department values is available at:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

Other Information

Annual Leave

20 days Annual Leave plus 30 additional days Paid Leave (for ES only)

A full-time teaching service employee (principal, teacher, education support and paraprofessional class), is entitled to 152 hours (20 days) annual leave in respect of each 12 months of service which accrues progressively during a year of service, according to the employee's ordinary hours of work. Part-time employees receive annual leave entitlements on a pro rata basis, calculated according to the time fraction worked.

Education support class employees are expected to use additional paid leave during school vacation periods.

Conditions of Employment

This vacancy is to replace an employee on parental absence and is for a period of seven years or until the employee absent on leave returns to duty at the school.

Location Profile

Box Hill High School is a high-performing co-educational government school in the Inner East area of Melbourne.

The school was established in 1930 and has a long tradition of striving for academic excellence and establishing a strong, positive learning environment for all students. We are a single-campus school of 1563 students enrolled from years 7 to 12. We have 132 teaching staff and 37 ES staff, as well as a team of 4 Principal class officers.

Box Hill High School is a learning community that fosters resilience, a passion for lifelong development and a commitment to positively impacting the world. Our purpose is:

- To ensure an inclusive, safe community where students and staff are respectful of each other.
- To collaborate to set and achieve challenging learning goals to create an environment where everyone can flourish
- To equip students with the skills to be resilient and passionate life-long learners
- To respect and consider student voice in the classroom and wider school community
- To demonstrate school pride in the way we present and conduct ourselves
- To develop and nurture students who are ethical, think critically and can contribute as global citizens

Our school values of respect, creativity, resilience and growth ensure that everyone in our school community will be treated fairly and respectfully. In turn, we will strive to create an inclusive and safe school where curiosity and creativity are valued and all members of our community are empowered to participate and learn. The school motto, `ad altiora certamus¿ (to strive for the higher things), underpins all that we do. Our educational approach is underpinned by the tenets of positive education

Student learning, engagement and well-being are central to our work, and the school has a range of programs in place to support the learning and growth of all students. These include our well-established SEAL program (GAPP), Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD), and intervention programs in Literacy and Numeracy. There are three Sub Schools that work collaboratively to ensure students succeed. Sub School leaders are valued school leaders in the School Improvement Team.

Student leadership, voice and agency are a priority at the school. Student leaders drive improvement in the areas of community, teaching and learning, environment and engagement and well-being.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land we live, work and travel upon, and we pay our respects to the Elders, both past and present, and we recognise, acknowledge and respect the history, culture, diversity and value of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. BHHS drives reconciliation in education, and celebrates and supports our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through our endorsed Reconciliation Action Plan.

Further information can be found on our website: www.boxhillhs.vic.edu.au

Applications close Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 11.59pm

Posted

4 November 2026

📌 Mental Health Practitioner (Melbourne)
🏢 Government schools
📍 Melbourne