Housing Mental Health Pathways Program Worker

• Max term, full-time
• Immediate start until 30 September 2024
• $42.5554 per hour + super + NFP salary packaging
• Based in Collingwood

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

The Housing Mental Health Pathways Program (HMHPP) seeks to prevent people being discharged from an acute psychiatric inpatient stay into homelessness by providing a specialised housing intervention at the time of a person’s discharge from hospital. HMHPP is a partnership between Launch Housing and the acute mental health programs at either The Alfred Hospital or St Vincent’s Hospital.

The position involves engaging with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness while they are an inpatient at the psychiatric inpatient unit and working collaboratively with patients, hospital staff and community supports to develop an appropriate housing support plan alongside regular discharge planning processes. In many cases, HMHPP support will continue after a person’s discharge, until clients have secured appropriate, safe and sustainable housing and connected with any relevant ongoing support/services.

YOU WILL be:

• Undertaking housing-focused assessments and advocacy work with people during their admission in the acute mental health program at either The Alfred Hospital or St Vincent’s Hospital.
• Working collaboratively with clients, hospital staff, community mental health services, Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS), housing providers and other services as required to address the housing support needs of inpatients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• Ensuring clients are linked with appropriate housing and support following discharge from hospital.
• Advocating on behalf of clients with other agencies to ensure access and delivery of services and that services are relevant, flexible and accessible to people experiencing homelessness.

For more information, please refer to the position description.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR (KEY SELECTION CRITERIA):

• A thorough understanding of the mental health service system including clinical and non-clinical services.
• Demonstrated understanding of housing and homelessness policy, context and systems.
• Significant experience in the social welfare sector working with consumers with complex mental health needs and an understanding of social policy/consumer support frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds / abilities.
• Valid Victorian driver’s license (mandatory).
• A tertiary qualification in social work, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy or other relevant allied health discipline (highly regarded).
• An understanding of the time pressures and changing priorities of hospital discharge planning.
• Post graduate Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training (highly regarded).
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of Launch Housing and our mission to end homelessness.

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

Our permanent and fixed term employee benefits include:

• Contributing to useful and rewarding work and giving something back to the community.
• Wellbeing days, ceremonial leave, carers leave and study leave.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Purchased leave.
• 17.5% leave loading.
• Gender neutral paid parental leave (after 12 months of service).
• Training and career growth opportunities across Launch Housing.
• A portion of your income can be tax-free by salary packaging your personal expenses.
• Additional tax-free salary packaging on dining and accommodation expenses.
• Positive, supportive and progressive work environment.

WHAT’S OUR MISSION, VALUES AND CULTURE

Our mission is to end homelessness. We aim to get people housed, keep them housed, and be an influential voice on ending homelessness. We are a secular, independent provider of choice for clients and we’re striving to be the go-to organisation on homelessness for government, media, philanthropy, private donors and the community.

Our people are the backbone of our organisation and supporting their wellbeing and professional development is critical to our ability to help our clients and the community. We value lived experience and diversity in our staff, and actively work to ensure everyone is able to make their career with Launch Housing fulfilling.

Launch Housing is working to become more trauma informed and as a leading employer in the homelessness sector, it is important to let you know that you may hear stories of distress, hardship, trauma, or violence when working with us. We encourage you to reflect on how this may impact you when considering applying for the role. Sustaining the Health & Well-being of our staff is our priority. We provide high-quality training & supervision, Wellbeing Days, and access to Employee Assistance Program.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, please click ‘Apply Now’. Please submit a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and your CV.

If you need additional information about this role, please contact Sarah Thangiah on [email protected] using the subject line: Housing Mental Health Pathways Program Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.

Launch Housing offers a wide range of career opportunities and employs a diverse range of talent. We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons to apply! We acknowledge, respect and celebrate Aboriginal cultures, languages, connections to Country and heritage, customs and practices. We’re committed to support Aboriginal peoples to obtain genuine and fulfilling career with us!

Launch Housing is a dog-friendly organisation, which allows dog owners to bring them in some of our sites, please contact the relevant Hiring Manager if you have any questions or concerns prior to your interview.

If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know at [email protected] using the subject line: Housing Mental Health Pathways Program Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Launch Housing is committed to being a child safe organisation and has zero tolerance to child abuse. Our hiring process involves rigorous screening of applicants. All of our people including students, contractors and volunteers must hold a valid Working with Children Check and satisfactory criminal history record check.

Launch Housing is an Equal Opportunity employer and supports accessible working arrangements for all. This includes people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people, young people, older people, women, and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex or queer. We acknowledge Lived Experience as a unique expertise and encourage people with a Lived Experience of Homelessness to apply. All applicants must have the right to work in Australia.