Location Profile
Box Hill Senior Secondary College (Years 9-12) is a co-educational Senior Secondary College located in Mont Albert North. The school has a long established reputation of providing a rich and diverse educational program to students across the Inner East of Melbourne. The school offers VCE, VCAL, VETis and School based apprenticeships programs to support and provides a framework for students to follow their chosen pathway. Currently the College is going through a significant period of change and is looking to build upon its teaching and learning program, to better suit the needs of students.
Box Hill Senior Secondary College seeks to provide a high quality education to all students through the guiding principles of equity for all, personalised and inclusive learning, authentic and real work that matters to students and creative and collaborative design as positive and successful community members.
We recognise that all teachers will work to address inequity so that all of our students reach their full potential. Teachers recognise the value of having students from diverse and different backgrounds who work together and are provided with a range of approaches to accommodate the academic needs of our students. In doing so, we are aspirational and future thinking.
We expect that all teachers practice a learner-centred and inclusive approach that supports and challenges each student. Students pursue their passions through inquiry learning projects and pathways courses and programs where they grow their individual knowledge and skill. We recognise that identity development and personal growth are important areas of need within our school community. We focus on developing relationships of trust, care for others and mutual respect among students and adults through collaborative program design elements such as student collaborative work (student agency), leadership development (student voice), positive mindset and Advocacy.
We develop student centred learning projects and activities that integrate multiple types of learning opportunities, using inquiry across disciplines where possible. This leads to the creation of meaningful and challenging learning opportunities for every student. Students are engaged in the work that matters to them, to their teachers and to the world outside of school. Students connect their learning to the world through fieldwork, community service, applied learning, specialist vocational programs and consultation with community experts. Our school is a collaborative workspace, supported by relevant technology, curriculum and learning opportunities where critical thinking and student learning artefacts are created and displayed.
Box Hill Senior Secondary College teachers work collaboratively and creatively to design relevant curriculum, engage in on-going professional development, while seeking student experience and voice in the development of these areas. With students as valued design partners, staff function as reflective practitioners, creating an equitable teaching and learning culture where high quality curriculum and authentic assessment occur. We all share in the learning journey!
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 professional 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:
o For Psychologists, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA
o For Mental Health Nurses, applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA and hold a postgraduate qualification in mental health
o For Social Workers, applicants must be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers
o For Occupational Therapists applicants must hold full registration with AHPRA
o For Counsellors applicants must have completed a Bachelor or Master of Counselling and be a practising member of either the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
* Demonstrated direct counselling experience
* 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 *******@education.vic.gov.au
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
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.
* Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx