Mental Health Occupational Therapist Allied Health Graduate Program

Job Description:

Mental HealthOccupational Therapist Allied Health Graduate Program July 2024 Intake

• Grade 1 Occupational Therapist
• Strong reflective practice, professional development and learning opportunities
• Supported learning across a range of Mental Health settings
• Two year position, with support for career progression to permanent employment at St Vincent’s Health towards the completion of the program.

About St Vincent’s Mental Health

St Vincent’s Mental Health Service is an area-based Mental Health service operating in the inner city areas of Yarra and Boroondara.  It includes a range of inpatient, residential and community based programs, providing treatment to adults and older adults who experience acute and complex Mental Health issues.  Multidisciplinary teams provide a range of clinical and therapeutic interventions underpinned by a strong commitment to recovery focused practice and person-centred care. 

About the Roles

As a participant of the St Vincent’s Mental Health Occupational Therapy Graduate Program you will be provided with the opportunity to participate in a rotational program. This program is designed to support newly graduated Occupational Therapists to develop Mental Health competencies and successfully transition to practice in Mental Health on completion of the program. The position is fixed-term and will end in July 2026.

The positions are supported by a newly developed Graduate Program with a strong focus on growth learning, reflective practice, supervision and self-care. The positions are embedded in clinical settings, working closely with Grade 2 and Senior Occupational Therapists as part of multi-disciplinary teams.  These positions will rotate through various areas of St Vincent’s Mental Health Service and will include Adult Community Mental Health Clinics, Residential Recovery Services as well as Adult and Older Adult Acute Inpatient Units. These rotations will occur every six months over four locations for the duration of the two year position. They seek to enable learning and development in real-life practice related content in positive and supported environments.

Extensive learning and development opportunities are provided by an Occupational Therapy Educator. This will include regular individual and peer supervision, localised mentoring and regular professional development opportunities within the wider Mental Health Occupational Therapy Team.

Following the two year Graduate Program you will be supported to apply for ongoing long term employment opportunities within St Vincent’s Mental Health.

The position seeks to build the capacity of the public Mental Health workforce, to attract Occupational Therapists who are passionate about a career in Mental Health. The roles also provide an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the lives of consumers with a mental illness, and their families and carers.

Classifications for this position will range from Occupational Therapist Grade 1 YB14 - YB19 ($68,868 - $87,989 per annum pro rata)

The Allied Health Graduate Program offers: 

• Regular rotations, offering experiences in a variety of Mental Health clinical settings 
• Regular individual and group reflective supervision and support from the Occupational Therapy Clinical Educator and the Allied Health New Graduate team
• Regular targeted professional development opportunities and support to develop individual learning  
• Opportunities to engage in meetings and professional development with your colleagues from the wider Mental Health Service and Occupational Therapy team.

Why Work in Mental Health at St Vincent’s? 

• Be a part of service-wide implementation of Royal Commission recommendations in Mental Health 
• Work with people who are passionate about recovery.  
• Experience a positive work culture within an historical, values-based organisation originally established to serve socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in the local community
• Participate in career development, training, and progression opportunities  
• Receive support from staff who are continually motivated to provide the best possible care for consumers by building a confident and capable workforce 
• Flexible working arrangements 
• Discovery Days to experience a range of teams within our service 
• Salary Packaging – increase your take home pay
• Great inner city location. Easily accessible via public transport, extensive car parking options and close to Gertrude and Brunswick Streets in the heart of Fitzroy 
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Ability to join Fitness Passport - your pass to an extensive choice of fitness facilities 
• Staff Health Centre 
• Discounts and promotions are available through our Foundation 

Your Contribution:

In order to apply for this position, you must be eligible for membership with OT Australia

• Bachelor Occupational Therapy or Masters Occupational Therapy (Prac)
• Current registration with AHPRA (Occupational Therapy Board)
• Current driver’s license, or working towards

All applicants must possess:

• A strong interest in Mental Health and well-being and be considering a career in Mental Health
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written
• An ability to work as a team member and contribute to team decisions, as well as the willingness to learn from those around you
• An interest in understanding the range of issues experienced by people experiencing mental illness presenting with high level needs, and a commitment to helping meet the needs of consumers and families/carers
• A desire to actively participate in your knowledge development and progression as an Occupational Therapist and Mental Health clinician
• Computer literacy

Application

• Please attach your resume and cover letter to your application.

For more information please contact:

Naomi Parkes – Occupational Therapy Clinical Educator

Email: ************@svha.org.au

Tel: 0478 282 ***

Alternative contact:

Meg de Melo – Social Work Clinical Educator

Email: ************@svha.org.au

Tel: 0401 166 ***

Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities.  Inclusion is essential to our mission and diversity reflects the community we serve.

Please visit our website, for further information regarding our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment at SVHM

SVHA has a duty of care under work health and safety legislation to eliminate and/or control the risk of transmission of vaccine preventable diseases in healthcare settings. You may therefore be required to undergo mandatory immunisations/vaccinations (including flu vaccinations).

This position is subject to a Victorian government direction regarding vaccination against COVID-19. Successful applicants must meet these vaccination requirements. Please contact us if you would like to know more.

Position Description and Critical Job Demands Checklist:
Review the following documents:

JR135893_Occupational TherapistGraduate Program PD.pdf

Contact Details:
Naomi Parkes – Occupational Therapy Clinical Educator, ************@svha.org.au, 0478 282 ***Alternate Contact:
Closing Date:
9 May 2024 11:59pmReconciliation Action Plan:

At St Vincent's we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

For further information, visit https://www.svha.org.au/about-us/reconciliation or get in contact at ***************@svha.org.au

Code of Conduct:

View Code of Conduct