Mental Health Practitioner - Full-Time Contract to 31/12/2028

About Us :

The Women’s Centre is a not-for-profit service offering a range of supports to women and their children in Townsville and outreach to the local region. Outreach areas include Ingham, Ayr, Charters Towers and The Townsville Women’s Correctional Facility. The Women’s Centre is a women’s only space incorporating the following services; Specialist Homelessness Service, Women's Health and Wellbeing Service, Sexual Assault Support Service, and a 24hour interagency Sexual Assault Response Service.

About You :

• Formal tertiary qualifications in Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Nursing, Counselling, Human Services, or a related discipline.
• Post graduate qualifications in Mental Health, Domestic and Family Violence or a related discipline is highly desirable.

It is a genuine occupational requirement of this position that it be filled by a woman as permitted by, and arguable under Sections 25, 104 and 105 of The Anti-Discrimination Act 1991. First Nations women are encouraged to apply.

Position Summary :

The Mental Health Practitioner provides mental health care using a range of interventions to women impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV). The position works within a person-centred framework that recognises the impacts of violence while strengthening autonomy and choice. The role delivers evidence-based psychological therapies and interventions that promote safety, wellbeing, resilience, and long-term recovery from trauma and violence.

Working within a feminist, trauma-informed, and person-centred framework, the position supports women experiencing complex mental health, psychosocial, and safety needs through therapeutic support, advocacy, care coordination, and service integration. The role collaborates closely with internal teams, specialist DFSV services, health professionals, government agencies, and community partners to ensure women receive holistic, coordinated, and culturally responsive support.

As part of a multidisciplinary and recovery-focused service environment, the Mental Health Practitioner contributes to integrated responses that address the impacts of violence and trauma, supporting both recovery and prevention outcomes. The role also participates in the Townsville Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), providing specialist crisis response and support to victim-survivors of recent sexual violence.

The position contributes to organisational quality, clinical governance, and continuous improvement activities, ensuring services are delivered in accordance with professional standards, legislative requirements, funding obligations, and contemporary best practice. Through collaboration, professional expertise, and a commitment to positive outcomes, the Mental Health Practitioner plays a key role in supporting women to achieve safety, recovery, and empowerment.

Key Requirements :

Essential

• Demonstrated minimum two years’ mental health experience delivering evidence-based therapeutic interventions, with a strong understanding of the social, emotional and systemic impacts of domestic, family and sexual violence within a feminist lens.
• Accredited registration with a professional governing body.
• Experience and ability to manage complex cases with women impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence, trauma, or mental health concerns.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and person-centred practice frameworks.
• Understanding of the intersection between mental health and domestic, family and sexual violence.
• Ability to undertake risk assessments and respond appropriately to complex presentations.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, advocacy, and engagement skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team based approach.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate records and meet reporting requirements.

Desirable

• Accredited registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
• Experience in the delivery of evidence-based trauma-focused therapeutic interventions (e.g. EMDR, CPT).
• Experience within women's services, specialist DFSV services, community mental health services, or crisis support services.
• Experience facilitating therapeutic groups or psychoeducational programs.
• Knowledge of Queensland mental health, health, housing, and community support systems.
• Training in suicide intervention, trauma recovery, or specialist therapeutic modalities.
• Knowledge of the Child Protection Act, Mental Health Act and DFSV Legislation.

Job Responsibility :

Organisation

The North Queensland Combined Women's Services Inc (NQCWS), known as The Women’s Centre, operates from a broad feminist perspective and is welcoming of all women. The Women’s Centre recognises that the sociopolitical environment has a direct influence on the experience of women in society; and further considers the intersections of power and privilege and how this shapes the diverse experiences of women and their access to opportunities and resources. The Women’s Centre embraces a strong commitment to social and political change to support the safety and wellbeing of all women.

The Women's Centre offers a Specialist Homelessness Service, a Women’s Health Service and the Townsville Sexual Assault Support Service, which is a key partner within the Sexual Assault Response Team – Townsville Region. The Women's Centre provides trauma and violence informed therapeutic counselling, crisis support, holistic and practical case management support, advocacy, information and referrals to other appropriate services and therapeutic and social inclusion groups. Services offered may be centre-based, mobile, outreach and/or co-located in other locations as appropriate.

The Women’s Centre aims to promote meaningful personal, social and political change by validating women's experiences, advocating for women's rights and working towards the prevention of gendered violence through awareness raising, community education and social action

• Following training employees will be required to participate in the after-hours Sexual Assault Response Team.
• Employees also may be required on occasion to work outside ordinary hours.

Accountability

The worker is accountable to the NQCWS Chief Executive Officer, Service Delivery Coordinator, Team Leaders, through to the Management Committee, to the Staff team, and to service users.

Responsibilities

• To work towards achieving the objectives of NQCWS.
• To demonstrate an understanding and commitment to social justice, The Women's Centre values of integrity, respect, feminism, compassion, inclusivity and accountability to embody and foster an environment dedicated to the celebration and promotion of feminist principles.
• To meet the requirements of the service agreement with the relevant Queensland Government funding body.
• Maintain professional registration, accreditation, and ongoing professional development requirements.
• Contribute to a positive, collaborative, and culturally safe workplace environment.
• Maintain accurate and timely records, documentation, and reporting requirements.
• Participate in supervision, team meetings, training, quality improvement, and organisational initiatives.
• Identify and manage risks, incidents, and workplace health and safety responsibilities in accordance with organisational requirements.
• Be aware of personal safety and stress levels within self and others.
• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as directed by the Team Leader, Service Delivery Coordinator, and/or Chief Executive Officer.

Duties

Clinical Service Delivery

• Provide specialist mental health assessment, intervention, advocacy, and support to women impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV).
• Engage women who access the service using a feminist, trauma-informed, strengths-based, recovery-oriented, and culturally responsive approach.
• Develop and maintain trusting, professional relationships that promote safety, empowerment, and recovery.
• Conduct comprehensive mental health, risk, wellbeing, and DFSV assessments, incorporating collaborative safety planning and ongoing risk management.
• Develop, implement, monitor, and review individual support and care plans in partnership with women who access the service, ensuring services are responsive to their goals, strengths, and needs.
• Deliver evidence-based therapeutic interventions within scope of practice.
• Facilitate individual and group-based therapeutic interventions, including psychoeducation, trauma recovery, emotional regulation, wellbeing, and resilience-building programs.
• Support women who access the service to navigate and access appropriate services, including mental health, health, housing, legal, financial, alcohol and other drug, and community supports.
• Assist women who access the service to transition from services through planned referrals and goal-focused exit planning.

Collaboration and Service Integration

• Promote and support the participation, choice, and self-determination of women who access the service throughout service delivery.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders to provide coordinated and integrated responses to women experiencing DFSV and complex mental health needs.
• Contribute to care coordination to ensure holistic and person-centred support.
• Recognise and respond to the needs of children, families, carers, and support networks where appropriate and safe to do so.

Quality, Governance and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate, timely, and professional records, case notes, assessments, and reports in accordance with organisational requirements.
• Participate in service evaluation, data collection, and outcome measurement activities to support quality improvement and reporting requirements.
• Develop, implement and review policies, procedures and practice guidelines that support the safe and effective delivery of complex mental health services, including service level risk management and governance, and ensure alignment with professional standards, the Human Services Quality Framework, and organisational strategic and operational objectives.
• Contribute to the ongoing monitoring, review, and continuous improvement of service delivery and practice.
• Ensure all incidents, risks, and critical incidents are managed and reported in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
• Deliver services in accordance with relevant legislation, professional standards, ethical requirements, and organisational policies.
• Adhere to workplace health and safety requirements and contribute to a safe environment for women who access the service, visitors, staff, and volunteers.

Professional Practice

• Maintain professional registration, accreditation, and continuing professional development requirements relevant to the discipline.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement through peer mentoring, reflective practice, professional development, and participation in performance review processes.
• Exercise professional judgement and autonomy within the scope of the role, seeking guidance and escalation where required.

Administration and Reporting

• Maintain accurate and timely client records, case notes, and data collection requirements.
• Oversee and complete funding reports, outcome measurement, and service evaluation activities.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies, procedures, funding requirements, and relevant legislation.
• Participate in supervision, team meetings, professional development, and quality improvement activities.

Sexual Assault Response Team

• In collaboration with agencies involved in the Townsville Sexual Assault Response Team, participate to provide 24 hour on-call crisis care services for recent victim/survivors.
• Provision of specialist critical incident sexual assault support and information regarding victim/survivors’ rights and options with legal and medical issues.
• Ensure the team preserves the integrity of client confidentiality in accordance with the victim centred best practice model of the Townsville Sexual Assault Response Team and only share personal information as necessary to facilitate the collaborative partnership.
• Liaison and consultation with other professionals, including, Police, Homelessness Services, Mental Health Services, Courts, Medical Services and Victim Assist Queensland.

Award Classification

Commensurate with experience under the SCHCADS Award – Level 6

• Responsible to Service Delivery Coordinator

Job Functions :

Social Worker

Job Benefits :

Above award Annual leave and Personal/Carers leave entitlements

Birthday Leave

Not for Profit Salary Packaging

Selling Point :

Join a long established, well known, community service supporting women in the Townsville region.

Contact :

Tanya Jones