Overview Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time Salary: Salary not specified Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4 Occupation: Health and allied health Location: Gippsland - Baw Baw Reference: 1523170 Location Profile Baringa School is committed to excellence in Special Education. We aim to provide an innovative, caring and stimulating environment where learning is relevant and purposeful and where students develop a sense of belonging through mutual respect and cooperation. Our school motto is Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be a Learner. Baringa School is located in Moe, which is in the Latrobe Valley. The school provides a comprehensive educational program for students who have an intellectual disability aged from 5 to 18 years of age. Current enrolment is 175. The student population is drawn from a wide geographical area incorporating Trafalgar through to Traralgon. GUIDING PRINCIPLES Baringa School community sees the provision of a safe, caring and positive learning environment as its most important goal. The environment aims to support students as they strive to develop social, emotional, communication and educational skills that will lead to independence. School community commitment to providing a curriculum that challenges student learning through achievement and success is strong. CURRICULUM The curriculum at Baringa is based on the Victorian curriculum and covers English, Mathematics, Personal & Social Development, Health & Physical Education, Independent Living Skills, Art, Technology and Communication. A number of enrichment programs are also offered including Outdoor Education, Camps, Advance (a community volunteer program) vocational training including Work Experience and Pre work skills, and travel training. The school operates in Units of Lower Primary (ages 5 - 9), Upper Primary (ages 9 - 12), Secondary (ages 12 -16) and a Senior Learning Centre (SLC) for students over 16 which provides a range of options including preparation for post school pathways and independent living skills. Our Assistant Principal in Student Wellbeing leads a student support services team, which includes a Psychologist, a Primary Welfare Officer and three Speech Pathologists. This team provides welfare support to all students across the school. Baringa School is committed to the implementation of a whole school approach to Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support (PBIS) for student engagement and learning. Staff understand that behaviour is a learned skill, and that prosocial behaviour can be taught through explicit teaching and positive recognition. Teaching expected behaviours is a shared responsibility and requires a combined effort by all staff to ensure our students are Safe, Respectful Learners. Individual student needs determine the curriculum focus for each student. Parents and professionals identify these collaboratively during Support Group meetings. When collated, these needs drive the curriculum provided for students. Through this process, Individual Learning Plans and personal goals for students are established. Many students present with challenging behaviour and require individual behaviour plans and modified or negotiated programming to ensure successful participation at school. To help all our students to continue to build and develop their literacy skills, a new research-based literacy program called InitiaLit has been introduced across our school curriculum. InitiaLit addresses reading, spelling and writing by explicitly teaching the relationship between sounds and letters which builds knowledge and understanding of word structure, providing students with a reliable set of skills and strategies to use when reading and writing words. FUTURE PLANS Baringa School has a continuing commitment to work together to improve all school environments. The concept of promoting positive student behaviour through positive programming continues to be an important underpinning program to support students in all areas of learning. Curriculum priorities focus on student achievement and engagement through the extension of literacy and numeracy across the school, extension of information technology to support learning, and further training in improving teaching and learning across the school, with a particular emphasis on explicit teaching and differentiated learning. Ensuring that staff have strong capabilities in relation to working in a special education setting will continue to be an important focus for professional learning, particularly as experienced and Special Education qualified staff retire, and new staff come into the school. Knowledge and understanding of the principles underpinning School Wide Positive Behaviour Support and Understanding Poverty are important aspects of our culture and beliefs in relation to student wellbeing and engagement. 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:///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 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:///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:///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:///hrweb/Pages/default.aspx
Applications close Wednesday 15 April Posted 2 April 2026