05 February 2024
PACFA is excited to announce that the Victorian Government’s Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative now enables eligible PACFA counselling registrants to work in Victorian Government secondary and specialist schools with secondary-aged enrolments.
If you have completed a university degree of Bachelor of Counselling or Master of Counselling, and are a practising and fully qualified PACFA registrant, this could be your opportunity to make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of young people in Victoria.
MHPs work flexibly, based on the needs and priorities of their school and students. They are supported by regionally based mental health coordinators who also coordinate mental health and wellbeing activities across other schools in the local area.
The MHP role includes:
- mental health prevention and promotion,
- short term support for students including direct counselling, and
- coordinating supports and other services for students with complex needs
Allocation of MHPs is based on student enrolments, with each eligible school campus receiving support from a MHP between one and five days per week.
MHP positions offer:
- meaningful work that has a positive impact on student outcomes and their lives,
- job security and flexibility, with part-time positions available,
- work life balance, with paid school holidays, and
- access to a range of professional development supports
MHPs usually work as part of a multi-disciplinary team that helps students develop resilience to prepare them for future challenges.
Qualifications and experience
MHPs must be fully qualified:
- Occupational Therapists,
- Psychologists,
- Social Workers,
- Nurses with a specialisation in mental health, or
- Counsellors of a prescribed class
Counsellors must have completed a Bachelor of Counselling, or a Master of Counselling and be a practising/fully qualified member of either the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).
They must also have:
- demonstrated direct counselling experience
- a current Working with Children Check
How to apply
MHP roles are regularly advertised on careers.vic.gov.au