Social Worker - Primary Care Pilot - Liaison And Navigation Service

What can we offer you: 

About the Role:

Under a Commonwealth initiative to reduce pressure on ACT Emergency Departments (EDs) and public hospitals, an innovative model is being trialled. The Primary Care Pilot is aimed at strengthening partnerships between Primary Care, community-based care and the public health system to support access and care for patients who frequently attend the ED or are at risk of presentation to the ED or admission to hospital.

The pilot is a collaboration between the ACT Health Directorate, Capital Health Network, General Practitioners (GPs) and Canberra Health Services (CHS) with the objective of providing liaison, navigation, care coordination and complex case management in partnership with participating GPs, selected non-GP specialist groups and community-based Allied Health teams.

The Primary Care Pilot has been established to improve a consumer’s experience and their health outcomes through information sharing, integration of care across primary, secondary, and tertiary services and coordination across health and community services. It focuses on the provision of the right care, at the right time, at the right place by the most appropriate provider in partnership with the consumer and their care supports.

The Social Worker within the Primary Care Pilot will undertake practical clinical support and interventions, working directly with the patient and their care supports, their GP and outpatient and community services to reduce the need for emergency department presentation and/or hospital admission.

The Social Worker - Primary Care Pilot will understand issues related to health and wellbeing and the impact on the person and their family/supports, including adjustment to change in their health. They will promote improved client outcomes through working in collaboration with care navigators, GPs, and other team members to provide high quality clinical services.

The Social Worker – Primary Care Pilot will take on a key role in the delivery of patient-centred interventions, informed by Social Work theories and frameworks, as well as providing support, consultation, and education to the multi-disciplinary teams on trauma-informed, holistic health care management. The role will work collaboratively with colleagues, consumers, and external agencies to contribute to/guide the delivery of patient services and ongoing improvement of Pilot processes. The role will undertake social work assessment for interventions/therapies and psychosocial supports from the social work perspective to ensure the facilitation of timely and safe access.

This unique role is an opportunity to build relationships with individual consumers and their supports, with GPs, and with diverse acute and community services and external agencies, to anticipate and reduce the challenges that people with complex health needs, and their supports, can face. It is an opportunity to ensure the highest quality of care, information and support is provided when consumers and their supports need it, to optimise their health and wellbeing and assist them to navigate the complexities of their care.

As a member of the Primary Care Pilot Team, you will remain committed to, and focused on placing people with complex health needs, and their families, at the centre of their own care.

Please note prior to commencement successful candidates will be required to:

To Apply: 

Please apply online by submitting a copy of your CV along with a 2-page cover letter or pitch, responding to the Selection Criteria, listed in the Position Description.

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person centred care. It provides acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding region. More information can be found on the . 

Our Vision: creating exceptional health care together Our Role: to be a health service that is trusted by our communityOur Values: Reliable, Progressive, Respectful and Kind

CHS is committed to workforce diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from all diversity groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are particularly encouraged to apply.

Canberra Hospital Expansion Project – CHS is constructing a new critical services building called ‘Building 5’ which is a 44,000sqm nine storey building specifically designed to deliver state-of-the-art acute clinical services at the Canberra Hospital. Building 5 is the largest healthcare infrastructure project undertaken in the Territory’s history and it represents the largest clinical and operational change program to ever be implemented by Canberra Health Services. Building 5 integrates with a number of existing buildings at the Campus including Building 1 and Building 2, to facilitate a seamless public thoroughfare, patient transportation and back-of-house logistics distribution.

North Canberra Hospital - As of 3 July 2023 Calvary Public Hospital Bruce transitioned to CHS and became North Canberra Hospital. The transition will deliver a health system networked under one provider and will provide increased workforce opportunities for staff at both CHS sites. The ACT Government will be building a new northside hospital on the existing hospital campus in Bruce to meet the growing health care needs of our community, with construction to commence mid-decade providing more beds, increased services, and increased career opportunities. 

If you would like further information regarding this opportunity, please contact Phyo Courtis at 0402 087 *** or at

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