Manager - Mhars

Amazing Secondment Opportunity to undertake the role of Manager, Mental Health Advice & Response Service (MHARS)

• MHARS Manager - Fixed Term (8-Months) Secondment
• HS9 Management
• Expressions of Interest now being taken

Mental Health Advice & Response Service (MHARS)

The Mental Health Advice and Response Service (MHARS) has been established as part of Victoria's Forensic Mental Health Implementation Plan. The purpose of MHARS is to provide effective coverage across Victoria for the provision of a clinical service to clients and clinical advice to the Magistrates' Court on the mental health of accused persons.

Position Objective:

The Manager of MHARS is responsible for all aspects of the delivery at Court of the clinical mental health services provided through the program. This is a key leadership and management position that ensures the successful delivery of services to clients at multiple sites and in complex stakeholder settings. The Manager provides day to day management of multi-disciplinary clinical staff, and also includes overseeing the process of coordination of MHARS provided in regional Court locations by Area Mental Health Services. The role actively contributes to the reputation of Forensicare, while ensuring that financial and performance targets are achieved.

Key Responsibilities:

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1: Senior Leadership

• Represents Forensicare to Magistrates, other Court stakeholders, and Departmental officials with respect to the delivery of MHARS.
• Participates in the CFMHS Management Group and the Forensicare Senior Staff Group.
• Demonstrates leadership in clinical and policy issues including by participating in accreditation and risk management processes.
• Provides high level advice to the CFMHS Operations Manager on the MHARS, forensic mental health, and emerging issues.
• Delivers training and undertakes duties as a senior staff member at the CFMHS, as requested by the Executive Director.

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 2: Operational Requirements / Clinical Performance

Management and Supervision

• Directly manages, supports, and provides advice to individual MHARS Clinicians.
• Coordinates and leads team meetings of MHARS staff.
• Monitors and evaluates the effective service delivery of MHARS.
• Oversees data collection and reporting in the program.
• Manages resource allocation in MHARS.
• Develops and implements strategies and systems which promote flexibility and timely responses to changing priorities within MHARS.
• Effectively disseminates information on MHARS to staff, other sections of the organisation and external agencies.
• Develops, delivers, and coordinates the provision of supervision and professional development for the MHARS clinicians.
• Develops relevant policies, protocols, and procedures.
• Participates in collecting stakeholder feedback, and provides information accordingly for submission to the Department of Health and Human Services

Clinical Service Delivery

• Provides leave backfill in Metropolitan Courts as required, and demonstrates highly developed skills when completing mental health, risk, and bio-psychosocial assessments with clients in the context of the Court system including the Court Assessment and Prosecutions Service (CAPS) of Community Corrections.
• Provides a recovery oriented mental health service to Court users.
• Provides informed clinical advice and consultation to Magistrates, CCS staff, members of the legal profession, other relevant professionals, and community agencies in relation to mental health issues.
• Provides high quality and timely written assessment reports relating to clients' mental health status and treatment/referral recommendations.
• Ensures that clinical information is recorded on client record systems.
• Undertakes liaison with Police, Custodial Health Service and Forensic Medical Officers to ensure that the mental health needs of defendants in police custody are met.

Work within an ethically and legally sound framework.

Complies with and employs thorough knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Mental Health & Wellbeing Act 2022, The Sentencing Act 1991, and The Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997.

• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of, and applies to practice, the standards of their relevant professional discipline.
• Maintains and completes comprehensive documentation.
• Complies with the National Standards for Mental Health Services.

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 3: Communication and Consumer Focus

• Demonstrates sound communication skills in recording and reporting to Court stakeholders.
• Maintains client confidentiality and prevents unauthorised access of non-clinical staff to clinical information, including the CMI and client medical record database.
• Maintains links and relationships with other relevant organisations.
• Consults with the Discipline Senior on issues related to aspects of professional practice as appropriate.

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 4: Professional Development

• Participates in mandatory safety training and any Forensicare specific mandatory training on an annual basis as defined in the Mandatory Training policy.
• Demonstrates a commitment to ongoing education and professional development through accessing internal and external staff development opportunities.
• Utilises resources and processes for supervision.
• Promotes the training and professional development of other staff.

Interested?

Please forward your Expression Of Interest via submitting your application on E-Recruit.