Wellbeing Practitioner in Wodonga

Your application for this position should specifically address each of the selection criteria below. Short listing and selection will be based upon responses to these selection criteria and key responsibility areas.

• SC1: Provide evidence of a Bachelor qualification or specialist/post graduate qualification in: Social Work, Psychology, Nursing with a mental health specialisation, Occupational Therapy or equivalent.
• SC2: Demonstrated highly developed theoretical knowledge and practice expertise in relation to student risk management and crisis intervention strategies.
• SC3: Demonstrated experience in building rapport and connection with adolescents and families presenting with complex needs, and demonstrated capacity to facilitate effective intervention and service coordination.
• SC4: Demonstrate understanding of the developmental needs of children and adolescents, with an ability to apply this knowledge effectively when providing trauma informed interventions.
• SC5: Demonstrated experience in providing 1:1 therapeutic counselling support to children and adolescents using evidence-based theories/frameworks.
• SC6: Demonstrated experience developing and facilitating therapeutic groupwork interventions for adolescents.
• SC7: Demonstrated highly developed communication, interpersonal and networking skills with the demonstrated ability to liaise with a range of stakeholders within the education community and broader service system.
• SC8: Demonstrated commitment to Department of Education and WMYC values.

The Wellbeing Practitioner works together with the Wellbeing Team, WMYC Leaders, Teachers, Education Support staff and families to provide a coordinated approach to student mental health and wellbeing at WMYC. Students can access support through the Wellbeing referral process. The Wellbeing Practitioner is responsible for providing mental health and wellbeing support and intervention across the 3 Tiers of practice:

• Tier 1: School-wide positive mental health and wellbeing promotion.
• Tier 2: Early intervention and cohort specific mental health support for students.
• Tier 3: Targeted 1:1 support for students with complex mental health needs.

Our Wellbeing Team provides immediate crisis care for students presenting with risk. Following a crisis, we support students and families by offering follow-up care, which may include a Single Session Appointment with our Wellbeing Team or referrals to external support services within the community.

We offer timely therapeutic support without the wait through our Single Session Appointment (SSA) model. This 'one at a time' approach ensures that students can access confidential, client-centered sessions when they need them the most. Students can choose to have just one session or return for another when they feel ready.

Our Wellbeing Team provides short-term case management and advocacy support to students and their families to ensure students are connected to the right supports in the community. The Wellbeing Team offers therapeutic groupwork programs designed to support students’ mental health and wellbeing. These groups are tailored for specific student presentations. Each group aims to empower students, providing them with practical strategies and emotional support to improve their overall wellbeing and build a positive sense of self.

We are committed to equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the challenges of adolescence. We provide whole school programs that address prominent issues facing young people today. These initiatives aim to empower our students to make informed and responsible choices as they grow into young adults.

Responsibilities:

• Participate in the Wellbeing Triage roster providing crisis care to students presenting with immediate risk.
• Conduct comprehensive risk assessment and safety planning to manage and coordinate student presentations of risk.
• Provide secondary consultation to WMYC Leaders and staff regarding a range of mental health and wellbeing presentations.
• Complete case formulation using 5 P’s formulation framework to support individualised intervention in collaboration with the young person and their family.
• Provide therapeutic counselling support to students using our Single Session Appointment (SSA) model.
• Provide short-term case management and advocacy support to students and their families to ensure students are connected to the right supports in the community.
• Develop and deliver therapeutic groupwork to students using a variety of approaches, depending on presenting themes and identified need.
• Provide psychoeducation to students and their parent/carers around a range of mental health and wellbeing concerns.
• Provide recommendations to parent/carers and WMYC staff regarding specific strategies to support the behavioural, emotional and social needs of students.
• Attend and contribute to Student Support Group (SSG) and Care Team/Professional’s Meetings.
• Develop and deliver professional learning to WMYC staff on a range of Wellbeing issues.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external key stakeholders and professional networks.
• Ensure student privacy and confidentiality is maintained.
• Maintain clear and accurate documentation/record keeping including case notes, assessments, case formulation, support letters and data collection processes.
• Maintain documentation to support Disability Inclusion Profile (DIP) requirements.
• Participate in regular supervision with chosen external supervision provider.
• Participate in regular internal supervision with Wellbeing Team Leader.
• Adhere to Department of Education Values and Child Safe Standards of practice.

Who May Apply:

• Hold a Bachelor qualification or specialist/post graduate qualification in (or equivalent): Social Work, Psychology, Nursing with a mental health specialisation, Occupational Therapy.
• Have a current Working with Children Check (Employee).
• Have a current driver’s license.

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.

DE Values: The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights.

Conditions of Employment: All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements. Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check. A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.

Location Profile Overview: Wodonga Middle Years College (WMYC) is a student-focused learning community specialising in Middle Years education, with a strong emphasis on high-quality teaching, learning and student wellbeing.