Naranga School is a P-12 special school for students with a mild intellectual disability. Students may also have additional disabilities. There are currently 172 enrolled students. Naranga is a Restorative Practices school, which values positive relationships. Team Teach, School Wide Positive Behaviour Supports and Circle Time practices are embedded in the school's culture.

Naranga School provides Naranga School is a P-12 special school for students with a mild intellectual disability. Students may educational programs that are engaging and meaningful in a safe structured and supportive learning environment to enable students to develop the knowledge and skills that will equip them to be independent and able to make a valuable contribution to society. This is reflected in the school motto "Learning for Life".

Naranga School fosters mutual respect and cooperation, enabling students to develop successful relationships with family, friends and the community. Our school expectations are; Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be A Learner. These values are embedded in our programs across the school.

Each student has an Individual Learning Plan (ILP). Individual goals are set at the beginning of the year in consultation with parents and through Student Support Group meetings. These goals are reviewed with the parents mid year.

For further information about the school and its programs, visit our website: www.naranga.vic.edu.au

The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative provides for a suitably qualified mental health professional in all government secondary school campuses.

Operating in collaboration with the Department of Education and Training's Area-based multi-disciplinary teams, this role will have the following functions:

• Provide direct counselling support and other early intervention services for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health needs;
• Coordinate supports for students with critical needs both within and external to the school, including proactively working with regions and other health professionals to engage further support as required; and
• Enhance promotion and prevention activities in the school by contributing to whole school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to manage student health and wellbeing, and helping to embed mental health promotion and prevention programs and strategies in the school.

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:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/workm/Pages/rolesTS.aspx

Responsibilities:

1. Deliver professional support service/s in a school/s, including the direct counselling for students with a range of mental health issues, applying sound theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.
2. Plan and implement evidence-based intervention strategies for students with complex needs including collaborating with families, other professionals and agencies when appropriate, and manage the associated risks.
3. Work collaboratively with the school to contribute to policies and operational practices that will guide the work of others, including other school wellbeing staff and teachers.
4. Demonstrate leadership and provide professional learning to others, such as teachers and other school wellbeing staff, to build the capacity of schools to improve students’ learning and developmental outcomes.
5. Liaise with other Department areas (including secondary school nurses and Student Support Services staff) and external service providers where necessary to provide support to students.
6. Maintain professional competence and continued professional learning, including attending professional development activities throughout the year.
7. Meet relevant policies and legislative requirements in relation to student health information privacy.

Please note:

• The relevant enterprise agreement underpinning this position is the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2017.
• Continued professional learning is a registration requirement under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Required

Applicants must:

• Hold a Bachelor qualification or specialist/post-graduate qualification where applicable in: Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Nursing with a mental health specialisation, Psychology.
• Have demonstrated direct counselling experience.
• Have a current Working With Children Check.

For Mental Health Nurses, Psychologists and Occupational Therapists, applicants must hold full registration with the requisite professional body.

For Social Workers, applicants must be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Desirable

• For Social Work applicants, hold membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers and an Accredited Social Worker Trade Mark.
• For Mental Health Nurse applicants, hold a Mental Health Nurse Credential and membership with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses
• For Occupational Therapist applicants, hold a Better Access to Mental Health endorsement.
• For Psychology applicants, specialisation in education and/or developmental psychology.

The Department values diversity and is committed to workforce diversity and equal opportunity in schools and all education workplaces. The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces.

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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/protect/Pages/childsafestandards.aspx

The Department’s employees commit to upholding DET’s Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. DET’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 DET values is available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/workm/Pages/Public-Sector-Values.aspx

Selection Criteria- These questions must be answered to be considered for the position.

1. Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising and analysing wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling for a range of mental health issues.
2. Demonstrated experience in planning and implementing evidence-based intervention strategies for clients with complex needs.
3. Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and strategies relating to mental health and wellbeing.
4. Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
5. Ability to provide leadership and professional learning that informs and influences the work of others involved in the engagement and wellbeing of children and young people.
6. Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding privacy of health information.