MHSOP Triage Role

Mental Health Professional – Mental Health Service for Older People

• Permanent – 0.8 FTE (32 hours per week)
• Triage Role
• Based in Dunedin

In this role you will be working from Dunedin Hospital as part of the Mental Health Service for Older People Community team (MHSOP). This is a new role created to assist with the growing demand in patient referrals for assessment/treatment services.  The role is pivotal to the effective functioning of the wider MHSOP Team, through provision of a systematic and organised approach to triaging patient referrals. You will triage ,coordinate, and intake referrals for MHSOP service that covers Dunedin, Clutha, Waitaki, and Central Otago, as well as all internal Consult referrals from other Te Whatu Ora Southern departments.

About the team

Te Whatu Ora Southern’s MHSOP team is a specialised service providing assessment, support, and treatment for tangata whaiora aged 65 and over experiencing moderate to severe mental health issues, or younger people with age related conditions. It may include issues related to people’s journey with dementia. MHSOP encompasses both community and inpatient settings.

We are passionate about our work and strive to provide the best possible outcomes for our tangata whaiora.  We offer a pleasant, collegial working environment with good resources, training opportunities, and supportive management.  The fantastic Southern lifestyle awaits you, with easy access to the many attractions and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors all on your doorstep. 

About the Role

This position will see you undertaking the important triage, intake role across the wider MHSOP service, triaging all referrals made to the team both from external referrers as well as internal Consult Liaison requests. The role may also include providing brief follow up and/or managing a limited small caseload., providing assessment, treatment and co-working to facilitate the best outcome for tangata whaiora and whanau.  You will have previously demonstrated a commitment to best practice standards and your model of practice will be inclusive of the seven Real Skills of Let’s get real (www.tepou.co.nz). 

You will enjoy working collaboratively alongside other experienced clinical staff to promote healthy whanau systems and be able to develop and maintain sound networks with other internal services and external agencies.

This is an exciting opportunity to experience working in a community setting, and ideally you should have existing community experience. Experience in triage work would be an advantage. You must also have the ability to meet the demands of a busy workload.

The successful applicant will be provided with support and training with the electronic referral systems as well as any other training required.

See position description.

About You

You will bring to this role flexibility, experience, and expertise in working with tangata whaiora and their whanau within a multidisciplinary mental health setting. The role also involves some assessment work and case management. Applicants must be experienced, have superior organisational and communication skills and be a team player committed to quality service delivery. You will also hold a strong sense of ‘self’ and a demonstrated commitment to working cohesively in a multidisciplinary mental health team.

We provide good orientation to the position and will support your ongoing professional development needs. 

To be considered for this position you must have relevant mental health experience, experience in working with people experiencing mental health issues, hold current registration and an annual practising certificate as a Registered Nurse with a scope of practice that allows you to work in Mental Health. A current, full driver’s licence is essential. 

About Te Whatu Ora Southern

We are responsible for planning, funding and providing health and disability services to a population of over 350,000 located South of the Waitaki River. Our catchment area encompasses Invercargill City, Queenstown - Lakes District, Gore, rural Southland, Clutha, Central Otago, Maniototo, Waitaki District and Dunedin City. This means Te Whatu Ora Southern serves the largest geographic region of all New Zealand's health regions.

The Location

Now is also a great time to relocate to Southern if you were considering a move. Southern offers the benefits of excellent amenities, first class primary through to tertiary education and outstanding recreational opportunities. Whether it is surfing, kayaking or sailing; skiing, hunting or fishing; theatre, live-music or art – there’s literally something for everyone. Why don’t you check out https://careers.southernhealth.nz/ for what the region and we can offer you and your whanau. https://www.dunedinnz.com/

Utu whānui |Salary range

This role belongs to the Te Whatu Ora/ NZNO Collective Agreement and falls between Step 5 ($97,912 p.a. pro-rata) and Step 7 ($103,630) p.a. pro-rata of the Registered Nurse Salary Scale.

Rā mōnehu |Closing Date:  04 January 2024

Due to the fast-paced nature of what we do, our vacancy close dates may be subject to change. Don’t delay, make sure you apply as soon as possible.

Tono ināianei | Apply now

We only accept online applications. Please apply via our website: https://careers.southernhealth.nz/ 

For further information please contact Mikayla Hamilton, Recruitment Advisor, mikayla.hamilton@southerndhb.govt.nz

If you currently work for Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand - Southern , please apply for this role via our internal careers site, found here:  Pulse > Applications > Corporate > SuccessFactors

Pre-Employment checks

In the interests of protecting our people and our patients, all appointments will be subject to:

• Occupational Health Assessment
• Police Vetting / Ministry of Justice safety checks
• Serious misconduct checks (previous Public Service departments and statutory Crown entities only)
• Covid-19 Vaccination is expected for all Workers at higher risk of workplace exposure to COVID-19 through face-to-face patient interaction, working in clinical areas and contact with potentially infectious materials and surfaces.