Do you want to be a part of a team that promotes and improves the health of its people and community?

This is a Permanent Full-Time or Fixed Term Full-Time appointment at 76 hours per fortnight. Fixed Term appointments include the future possibility of extension(s) and/or permanency. We currently have a permanent 1.0 FTE position available to commence ASAP.

About our service

The Neurodevelopmental and Mental Health Service (NDMHS) provides specialised neurodevelopmental and mental health services to young people admitted to custody. We are a multidisciplinary team currently consisting of psychiatry, developmental paediatrics, clinical neuropsychology, speech pathology, and mental health nursing. We work with young people who are currently remanded or sentenced to youth detention and those transitioning into the community. The team provides assessment, treatment, and consultation for young people with undiagnosed neurodevelopmental, cognitive, or communication problems; severe mental health problems; or challenges in multiple domains that require multidisciplinary input to support management in custody and throughcare into the community. The service is based onsite at Banksia Hill Detention Centre (BHDC) and works collaboratively with other business areas including the Department of Justice psychology, mental health, and case planning teams.

About the role

The Senior Social Worker is the sole social work position within the NDMHS multidisciplinary team. You will provide advanced social work services to young people with mental health disorders and/or conditions known to affect brain development and associated complex psychosocial needs, as well as to their families, carers,



and/or relevant others.

This is a fast-paced, varied, and transdisciplinary role, involving triage, case management, and consultation for young people referred to the service. The Senior Social Worker works alongside health, youth justice, child protection, and other professionals who hold existing care and case management responsibilities. You will provide specialist social work input as part of NDMHS and contribute to coordinated care across custodial and community settings. This position is based onsite at BHDC.

Your specialist social work practice will focus on the psychosocial aspects of young people's neurodevelopmental and mental health needs and other complex presentations. You will work directly with young people and engage families/carers through face-to-face and telephone contact. Key social work functions include:

- Specialist psychosocial assessment with young people and their families/carers, including assessment of psychosocial risk, family systems, relationships, strengths, supports, and needs.
- Specialist social work consultation to the multidisciplinary team and other professionals involved in the young person’s care.
- Social work interventions, including evidence-based therapeutic interventions, counselling, adjustment support,



crisis intervention, safety planning, and capacity building.
- Providing advocacy for young people and their families/carers and supporting access to relevant services and supports.

You will also work transdisciplinarily across the neurodevelopmental and mental health functions of NDMHS, including:

- Triaging new referrals, including assessment and screening to determine suitability for further assessment.
- Undertaking mental state and risk assessments and contributing to care planning.
- Contributing to multidisciplinary clinical case formulation and intervention planning.
- Providing case management and care coordination, including liaison with families/carers, health professionals, community agencies, and other services to support care, discharge planning, and referral.
- Providing psychoeducation, consultation, and education regarding neurodevelopmental and mental health needs to young people, families/carers, professionals, and other stakeholders.

As a senior clinician within NDMHS, you will be expected to demonstrate leadership, initiative and innovation, and contribute to service planning, development and quality improvement across NDMHS and the broader State Forensic Mental Health Service. You will also help build child and adolescent expertise and capability across the service.

What we offer

NMHS supports flexible working practices and consideration will be given to versatile work options, where operationally appropriate. In addition to the great salary, our employees enjoy an amazing range of benefits (North Metropolitan Health Service - Pay and Bene

📌 Senior Social Worker (Sydney)
🏢 Levels:
📍 Sydney