Mental Health And Wellbeing Leader/Tutor

Araluen Primary School is located in the rural city of Sale in Gippsland. We have a reputation as a welcoming, inclusive, family-orientated school where all staff know each student by name and pride ourselves on building strong family and community partnerships.

Araluen Primary School’s intent is to fulfil our vision and seek opportunities to improve student learning outcomes across all areas of the curriculum through consistent teaching practices in all classrooms. This is driven by the PLC process, whole school documentation of teaching and assessment practices, increased use of formative assessment and improved level of student voice, agency and leadership. We aim to embed a culture of growth through Challenging Learning and of giving and receiving high quality feedback both to and from students and teachers.  To support a culture of growth in our school that is based on challenge, dialogue and collaboration, teachers work from agreed teaching strategies and assessment practices. Araluen Primary School focuses on the principles of School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), where our students are taught both how to learn and how to behave.  We explicitly teach our school values and reward and acknowledge students when they model the expected behaviours and values. 

Araluen Primary School is located in the rural city of Sale in Gippsland. We have a reputation as a welcoming, inclusive, family-orientated school where all staff know each student by name and pride ourselves on building strong family and community partnerships.

Araluen Primary School’s intent is to fulfil our vision and seek opportunities to improve student learning outcomes across all areas of the curriculum through consistent teaching practices in all classrooms. This is driven by the PLC process, whole school documentation of teaching and assessment practices, increased use of formative assessment and improved level of student voice, agency and leadership. We aim to embed a culture of growth through Challenging Learning and of giving and receiving high quality feedback both to and from students and teachers.  To support a culture of growth in our school that is based on challenge, dialogue and collaboration, teachers work from agreed teaching strategies and assessment practices. Araluen Primary School focuses on the principles of School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), where our students are taught both how to learn and how to behave.  We explicitly teach our school values and reward and acknowledge students when they model the expected behaviours and values. 

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING LEADER (0.4)

SC1 ‘Content of teaching and learning’: Demonstrated ability to inform and influence the work of others involved in the engagement, mental health, wellbeing or learning of children and young people.

SC2 ‘Teaching practice’: Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies relating to mental health, wellbeing or learning.

SC3 ‘Assessment and reporting of student learning’: Demonstrated ability to support a student’s mental health, wellbeing or learning by developing and maintaining connection with external services.

SC4 ‘Interaction with the school community’: Demonstrated high level interpersonal skills and communication skills. Demonstrated high level of capability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, parents, other employees and the broader school community to focus on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5 ‘Professional requirements’: Demonstrated ability to influence and negotiate by gaining buy-in and ownership for ideas, gaining agreement to proposals, or involving experts or other third parties to strengthen a case. 

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING LEADER (0.4)

SC1 ‘Content of teaching and learning’: Demonstrated ability to inform and influence the work of others involved in the engagement, mental health, wellbeing or learning of children and young people.

SC2 ‘Teaching practice’: Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies relating to mental health, wellbeing or learning.

SC3 ‘Assessment and reporting of student learning’: Demonstrated ability to support a student’s mental health, wellbeing or learning by developing and maintaining connection with external services.

SC4 ‘Interaction with the school community’: Demonstrated high level interpersonal skills and communication skills. Demonstrated high level of capability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, parents, other employees and the broader school community to focus on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5 ‘Professional requirements’: Demonstrated ability to influence and negotiate by gaining buy-in and ownership for ideas, gaining agreement to proposals, or involving experts or other third parties to strengthen a case. 

CONTEXT - MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING LEADER

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 $93.7 million ongoing to expand the Mental Health in Primary Schools program 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.

Primary 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.

Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities. 

A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:

• Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
• Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
• Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
• Supervise and train one or more student teachers
• Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.

CONTEXT - MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING LEADER

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 $93.7 million ongoing to expand the Mental Health in Primary Schools program 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.

Primary 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.

Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities. 

A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:

• Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
• Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
• Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
• Supervise and train one or more student teachers
• Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.

No job description available

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

The Department of Education and Training 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.

The Department of Education and Training 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.

Please ensure that your application includes:

• a resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, address and contact numbers, business and home)
• a section addressing the selection criteria and the requirements for application under the Who May Apply section
• names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two referees

Please note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.

Please ensure that your application includes:

• a resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, address and contact numbers, business and home)
• a section addressing the selection criteria and the requirements for application under the Who May Apply section
• names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two referees

Please note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.

• 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

• 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

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.

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.