YAMHS Awabakal Cultural Engagement Project Officer [Australia]

 

Wandakaluwa- welcome

Employment Type: Temporary Part Time until June 2026
Position Classification: Health Manager Level 2
Remuneration: $53.53 - $63.16 Per Hour + 11% Super + Salary Packaging
Hours Per Week: 16
Requisition ID: REQ448023

Location: Mater Mental Health Centre, Waratah / Awabakal Country

Applications Close: Monday, 27th November 2023

YAMHS Awabakal Cultural Engagement Project Officer

Acknowledgement of Country

Hunter New England Mental Health Services respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the custodians of the land in which our mental health facilities are located. We pay our respects to our Elders who are the knowledge holders of our culture and who keep our traditions, rituals, song lines alive. We respect the continuing connection to land, water and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and its interconnectedness to social, emotional, physical, spiritual mental health and wellbeing. We acknowledge the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within our district, the staff who work with us and the Aboriginal services and organisations who partner with us to improve mental health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across our footprint. We ask all those that walk, work and live on traditional Aboriginal lands to be respectful of culture and traditions.

Always was Always will be Aboriginal land.

About us:

Do you want to be part of a Deadly team? Are you committed to helping the local community access mental health services and work with the community to empower them to maintain their mental health and social emotional wellbeing? Hunter New England (HNE) Mental Health Service is building a culturally safe and inclusive service that reflects mob’s priorities and expectations as heard through the Dhuruulin yabangka yimamulin “Leading the way to healing” operational plan consultation.

The yarning, with over 300 people from across the HNE region, led to a co-designed Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing model of care which is a priority for the service.

As part of the priority is to deliver care that responds to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s mental health, wellbeing and healing, YAMHS “Yimamulinbinkaan Aboriginal MHS & SEWB workforce & Awabakal medical service in partnership want to establish a wrap-around service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people admitted to the Mater mental health centre using a shared employment model.

For Aboriginal people, health is holistic, which links mental and physical health with a whole of life view, interconnected to spiritual and cultural factors, connection to land, community, traditions and identity. You will also be supported by the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Cultural supervision framework to ensure your success in this position. This is one of our strategies in HNE mental health service to achieve sustainable employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the public health sector. As an employee you will be able to take 2-4 hrs a month or you can bank up to 3 months, to reconnect to culture and maintain your spiritual wellbeing and be paid for it. This opportunity ensures our service is considerate of the mental health and social emotional wellbeing of our mob working in a public sector. We know as Aboriginal people we need to work in a cultural responsiveness workplace which holds culture as central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. The supervision framework allows ongoing reflective practice and life-long learning, it enables growth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to become leaders, it is relationship focused and is person and community centred. It appreciates diversity between groups, families and communities and requires access to knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, peoples and cultures. You will not be alone either, you will be fully supported culturally but also professionally. Being able to belong, connect, laugh and embrace our culture is an important factor when you come to work every day, you want to be happy and feel supported. You will be supported to attend daily YAMHS huddles, Monthly networking meetings with other Aboriginal staff and Aboriginal key stakeholders as well as MH & SEWB CTG committee meeting six times a year as well as attend wellbeing forums.

About the role:

• The role will work alongside the YAMHS & Awabakal team to establish and coordinate the wrap-around service, Uncle Bill’s healing yarning circles and drop-in clinic two days per week.
• You will share your time between the mater mental health centre and at Awabakal yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, consumers, families that are supported through the wrap around service.
• You will consult with service users and partners about their experience of our service and track impacts of this project in regard to length of stay and readmission rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• You will ensure our service reflects, evaluates and reviews processes to develop sustainable maintained plans to ensure feedback to community about next steps and develop lessons learnt and a framework for translations to other sites.
• Most of all you won’t be alone and will be part of a Deadly team who has the same commitment to improving outcomes for our mob to increase early help seeking, reduce prevalence of crises and improve pathways and supports across the lifespan.

Benefits:

• Four weeks annual leave (pro-rata for part-time employees)
• Superannuation contributions 11%
• Salary packaging - Up to $9k for living expenses + $2.6k meal & entertainment + Novated leasing.
• Fitness Passport

About you:

• Our successful candidate will be passionate about improving mental health and sustaining the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people located in your local community. Additionally, you will enjoy working across many different mental health specialities being inpatient, community and rehabilitation settings to provide culturally appropriate support, advocacy and consultation for our people accessing the services of Hunter New England Mental Health services.
• You will be dedicated creating a culturally safe and supportive environment within the team and model self-care.
• You will be expected to be able to provide cultural knowledge and advice to our non-Aboriginal colleagues and stakeholders about local cultural protocols and the importance of incorporating holistic social and emotional wellbeing care.
• You will have the strength and passion to enhance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers’ engagement with Mental Health service by listening and learning from our communities lived experience.

Requirements:

• This is an identified Aboriginal Position. Applicants must be of Aboriginal descent. Exemption is claimed under Section 14d of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977.
• Eligible to drive in NSW.

Need more information?

• Find out more about applying for this position

For role related queries or questions contact Bron Rose on 0428 425 324 or via Bron.Rose@health.nsw.gov.au

Information for Applicants:

• Applicants will be assessed against the essential requirements and selection criteria contained within the position description (link below). For assistance addressing selection criteria visit: https://bit.ly/3vL5fq2
• Stepping Up Website is a resource designed to help indigenous job applicants apply for positions in NSW Health. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/HNEHealthSteppingUp.
• This is a Category A position. Recommended applicants will be reviewed for compliance with NSW Health policy directive PD2023_022: Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination against Specific Diseases for Category A positions prior to offer. All new employees must agree to comply with the requirements outlined in the policy.
• All NSW Health workers are required to have completed a primary course of a COVID-19 vaccine which has been approved or recognised by the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA). New applicants must have completed the vaccination course prior to commencement with NSW Health or provide an approved medical contraindication certificate (AIR Immunisation History Statement) certifying the worker cannot have any approved COVID-19 vaccines available in NSW.
• Acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination is the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Immunisation History Statement (IHS), or AIR COVID-19 Digital Certificate, or AIR COVID-19 and Influenza IHS. Booster doses are highly recommended for all health care workers who have completed the primary course of COVID-19 vaccinations.
• An eligibility list will be created for future temporary part time vacancies.
• HNE Health employees may be eligible for a range of benefits such as allocated days off (ADO) for full time employees, long service leave, paid maternity leave, and salary packaging options including meal expenses.
• #AboriginalEmployment

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