Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

Role

The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred to treatment, care and support.

The Victorian Government is providing $200 million over four years and $ million ongoing to expand the to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. Scaling up across the state from 2023, by 2026 every primary school will be able to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader to implement a whole-school approach to wellbeing.

Participating schools receive funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader , a qualified teacher, to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community. This includes:

building the capacity of school staff, in particular classroom teachers, to identify and support students with mental health concerns in the classroom supporting the school to create clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention coordinating targeted mental health support for students by working with regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers and external agencies

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are not required to have mental health or other relevant qualifications, as the role is not expected to provide one-on-one counselling to students. Instead, the role is designed to ensure mental health prevention and early intervention are embedded in the classroom. Using their intimate knowledge of the in-classroom experiences of teachers, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders complement the school's existing wellbeing team by bringing it together with regional staff, community services and other health professionals to engage and build relationships with appropriate mental health and wellbeing support.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are provided training in mental health literacy, supporting emerging needs, and building school capacity and receive ongoing support and professional development through a structured and regular Communities of Practice. Training is developed and facilitated by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

The Department of Education and Training has been piloting the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in Victorian schools since 2020 in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. Evaluation of this pilot program has shown that 95 per cent of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders consider the Mental Health in Primary Schools model has improved their school's capacity to support students' mental health and wellbeing needs.

Responsibilities

Operating in collaboration with their school, leadership and wellbeing team where relevant, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader will:

Promote a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing to students, staff and families Support teachers and school staff to expand their capacity to embed evidence-based mental health strategies, interventions and programs and build mental health literacy to identify and support primary school students with mental health concerns. Coordinate clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention. Proactively work with and support regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers and other external agencies to coordinate targeted mental health support for primary school students. Contribute to the school's existing wellbeing team.

Who May Apply

Applicants should be currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach.

A qualification in student wellbeing or mental health is desirable but not required.

EEO AND OHS Commitment

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.

The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, 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 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. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see ).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via

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:

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:

Other Information

important information

·Applicants should keep a copy of the position description as it cannot be accessed once the job has closed.

·All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.

·Successful applicants are subject to a satisfactory criminal record check prior to employment. New DET employees are required to meet the cost of the criminal record check.

·If appointed from outside DET, successful applicants will be required to complete a pre-employment health declaration.

·Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.

·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

·To support DET's commitment to its Environmental Management System, DET employees are expected to act in an environmentally responsible manner at all times.

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

VIT LANTITE

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements. This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.

Location Profile

Glenroy Special School provides a stimulating, caring and safe learning environment for students with physical disabilities/health impairments. We provide for students who are aged from 5 to 18 years and currently have an enrolment of 138.
The school environment is designed with an extensive hoist system, internal & external play areas, hydrotherapy & nursing facilities and a transport hub for the fleet of buses that transport the students to and from school.

Many students have multiple disabilities with visual impairment, hearing impairment and epilepsy in addition to their physical disability. We also have students with high-support health care needs. Three nurses manage the general wellbeing and health support. Glenroy Special School staff work together to provide students with a comprehensive program within an integrated curriculum. Therapy is conducted within the classroom by the whole team.
The school is divided into three sub-schools each with a sub-school leader. Sub-schools are age based with individual classes formed to cater for student academic and social abilities. Our senior school offers Transition and VCAL programs. School specialist teaching rooms include art, library, music/music therapy, physiotherapy and OT spaces, sensory rooms and a hydrotherapy pool. All staff support students in education, therapy & recreation programs. All staff participate in personal care programs and are involved in manual handling.

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