1. health and fitness

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Consumer Consultant
North West Area Mental Health Service
North West Area Mental Health Service
Area Manager and Executive Portfolio Officer
Victorian Public Mental Health Services Enterprise Agreement
2012 -2016
YC89
2015
Melbourne Health
Melbourne Health is Victoria’s second largest public health service. We provide comprehensive acute,
sub-acute, general, specialist medical and mental health services through both inpatient and
community based facilities through the following services: The Royal Melbourne Hospital – City
Campus, The Royal Melbourne Hospital – Royal Park Campus, NorthWestern Mental Health, North
West Dialysis Service and Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory.
Melbourne Health’s mission is to provide world class healthcare for our community.
We will embrace discovery and learning, build collaborative relationships and engage our patients in
their care. Our values are:
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Respect for the dignity, beliefs and abilities of every individual
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Caring and compassion
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Integrity by being open honest and fair
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Unity as a team and in embracing our communities
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Discovery through passion for innovation
Melbourne Health provides services to the culturally and linguistically diverse communities of
northern and western metropolitan Melbourne, as well as providing general and specialist services to
regional and rural Victorians as a tertiary referral service.
Our ‘Strategic Directions: 2010 – 2015’ is underpinned by our organisational values and behaviours
‘Passion for Caring – Achieving the Extraordinary’ and incorporates five key goals:
1. Develop our workforce
2. Improve the quality and safety of services
3. Develop and encourage strategic relationships
4. Foster a culture of research and innovation; and
5. Build a sustainable organisation.
NorthWestern Mental Health
NorthWestern Mental Health (NWMH) provides a comprehensive, integrated range of services to
people with a mental illness in North-Western Melbourne. A multi-disciplinary workforce of 1,800
staff provides services through four Area Adult Mental Health Services (Mid West, Inner West, North
West and Northern), an Aged Persons’ Mental Health Program and a Youth Mental Health Service –
ORYGEN Youth Health.
NWMH is a clinical service of Melbourne Health, and operates in partnership with two other
metropolitan health services; Northern Health and Western Health.
North West Area Mental Health Service
North West Area Mental Health Service (NWAMHS) provides a comprehensive range of specialist
mental health services to people who reside in the local government areas of
Clinical Programs provided by the NWAMHS are as follows:
 Adult Community Services
 Adult Acute Inpatient Service
 Community care Unit
 (PARC) Psychiatric Assessment Recovery Centre
 Shared Care Team
 Psychosocial Research Unit
 Glencairn Private Practice
These services provide a range of acute, residential and community services relating to psychiatric
assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders. The effective delivery of high quality psychiatric
services requires a high level of consultation and liaison between the service components of the AMHS
and with range of government / non-government community services, primary health care providers,
specialist clinical service providers.
The Adult Community Service
NWMH’s Adult Community Service provides assessment and treatment for adults aged 16 - 65 years
who have a mental illness. The approach to care in the Adult Community Service is based on the 9
domains and best practice for recovery as described in the Victorian Department of Health (2011)
Framework for Recovery-oriented Practice. Each of the integrated Community Teams within the Adult
Community service will deliver services that:
Promote a culture of hope;
Promote autonomy and self-determination;
Foster collaborative partnerships and meaningful engagement;
Focus on strengths;
Offer holistic and personalised care;
Engage family, carers, support people and significant others;
Promote community participation and citizenship;
Are responsive to diversity; and
Encourage reflection and learning.
Consumers and their family/carers will have access to care in the community to meet their needs and
preferences, provided by an integrated Community Team in the relevant catchment area.
Underpinned by a recovery-oriented approach, the Community Team will be responsible for providing
the following specialist mental health responses:
Crisis responses within the community;
Provide timely, appropriate, responsive and effective care to maintain safety, identify the needs
and most appropriate service responses for newly presenting consumers in crisis (assessed as
requiring a 2 – 72 hour response), or for existing consumers demonstrating an increased need for
support in the community.
Targeted interventions (both brief and longer-term); and
Within the targeted brief and longer term intervention pathways, after the face to face
assessment, clinicians will develop a joint recovery plan which is based upon the needs and
preferences of the consumer and their family/carers. The plan will outline the focus of the clinical
interventions and likely timeframe over which this will be provided – either via a brief intervention
over weeks or with a longer timeframe, over months and years.
Consultative responses to primary care providers
Communication with primary care providers is a routine activity throughout all care provided. The
purpose of this dedicated response is to enhance the capacity of primary care providers to
recognise and treat mental health disorders in the community, through specialist assessment,
consultation, and provision of advice, education and facilitating the linking with other service
providers.
OH&S, diversity, equal opportunity and smoking policy
Melbourne Health endeavours to provide a working environment for its employees that is safe and
without risk to health. Employees are required to:
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Take reasonable care for their own safety and that of anyone else who could be affected by
their actions;
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Contribute to for ensuring the implementation of health and safety policies and procedures;
and
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Fully co-operate with MH in any action it considers necessary to maintain a working
environment, which is safe, and without risk to health.
Melbourne Health is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing for its
employees a work environment, which is free of harassment or discrimination.
Melbourne Health and NWMH are teaching health services and all clinical staff are actively involved
in the fieldwork training of students on clinical placement.
Melbourne Health promotes cultural diversity and awareness in the workplace.
Melbourne Health is a smoke free environment.
Positions descriptions are reviewed and updated on an annual basis.
Position Requirements
Work in accordance with the letter of appointment.
A police/criminal history check will be required prior to employment.
Where required, a Working with Children’s Check will need to be undertaken prior to
employment.
The incumbent will be an employee of North Western Mental Health.
Melbourne Health reserves the right to modify position descriptions as required and will comply
with the MH Organisational Change Agreement. Staff will be consulted when this occurs.
Extended hours work may be required in some circumstances.
The incumbent will participate in an Annual Discussion with the manager and supervisor.
The incumbent may be required to undertake duties, at alternate work location within the Area
Mental Health Service in response to operational demands of the Service. Alternative hours work
may be required in some circumstances (change of days/times while maintaining total hours).
Position Summary for Consumer Consultant North West AMHS
The consumer consultant role is guided by the principles of consumer leadership and participation.
The consumer consultant will work closely with consumers and service providers to promote and
support consumer leadership and participation at the North West AMHS. The role aims to ensure
consumer perspective is incorporated at all levels including planning, development, evaluation and
training. The role involves a range of activities which include participation in leadership groups of the
service, project development, consultation and liaison with consumers and staff, and leadership of the
consumer advisory group.
Strategic Goals influencing key result areas
Develop our Workforce
Melbourne Health acknowledges that it is our people who make us a truly great organisation and that
strong and effective leadership engages, unites and motivates staff. Investing in our workforce and
providing them with a supportive environment, the necessary skills for them to confidently do their
job and a culture where they can excel and feel valued creates a workplace of choice. It also enables
us to attract and retain the most talented and brightest people.
Major Accountabilities and activities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal
are:
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Participate in processes to support consumer perspective on staff selection panels
Participate in the development of staff and consumer training programs
Lead, develop and maintain the North West Consumer Advisory Group including recruitment
and support of members
Participate in supervision and professional development opportunities
Network with other consumer workers
Undertake some peer support work and contribute to the strengthening of peer support
work within NWAMHS
Improve the Quality and Safety of our Services
Melbourne health strives to continuously improve the quality and safety of our services and actively
involve and inform patients and their carers in the healthcare they receive. This allows us to deliver
the best care for our community.
Major Accountabilities and activities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal
are:
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Contribute to the development of the new Community Framework for Care
Contribute to quality and strategic planning for North West AMHS
Develop and implement a plan that increases the awareness of consumer leadership and
participation at all levels
Contribute and participate in local quality committees
Develop and support the casual consumer workforce for Inner West AMHS
Initiate, develop and participate in projects to improve services for consumers of the
NWAMHS
Report on and present quality improvement activities as appropriate.
Develop and encourage Strategic Relationships
Our relationships with our key partners in health, research, education and foremost with our
community are crucial to achieving our mission to deliver world class care. Continuing to develop and
encourage these strategic relationships is a key priority for Melbourne Health.
Major Accountabilities and activities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal
are:
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Participate in the NWMH CCAG meetings and other relevant activities at NWMH and liaise
with consumer consultant colleagues where required
Develop strategic partnerships with state-wide and local consumer groups, including
psychiatric disability rehabilitation and support services consumer consultants.
Foster a culture of Research and Innovation
Melbourne Health’s strong commitment to research and innovation is underpinned by our value of
‘discovery’ and a legacy of experience, determination and challenging the expected. Fostering a
culture that strives for continuous improvement underpins our mission to deliver world class care for
our community. At any one time there are at least 600 active research projects underway at
Melbourne Health, across all disciplines with multi-disciplinary collaboration fostered and encouraged.
Major Accountabilities and activities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal
are:
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Initiate research ideas and projects from a consumer perspective
Provide consumer expertise and experience to inform the development of new service led
research and/or existing research projects
Participate in the development and implementation of research and evaluation projects
Lead focus groups and other data gathering processes for qualitative evaluation as required
Build a Sustainable Organisation
Building a sustainable organisation provides the foundation for Melbourne Health’s continued ability
to deliver on our vision and mission and encourages us to look to the future in our day to day
business.
Major Accountabilities and activities for this position that relate to the above strategic goal
are:
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Provide a consumer perspective for the organisation in a wide range of situations.
Knowledge & Experience required in fulfilling this position
Essential:
A personal lived experience as a consumer of mental health services
Excellent communication and consultation skills including the ability to present effectively in
public situations.
Ability and commitment to work effectively with mental health service consumers, carers,
service providers and members of the general community.
Project management skills, including report writing skills and the ability to organise and
present data
Experience providing a consumer perspective in various activities including as an active
participant of committees and working groups, and in working with a range of stakeholders.
Ability to think creatively and encourage lateral thinking by others about alternative ways of
providing services in line with consumers’ felt and expressed needs.
Highly developed personal organisation and time management skills.
Ability to contribute as a team member.
Confidence with the suite of Microsoft software packages
Desirable:
Ability to speak a relevant community language would be an advantage.
A current Victorian driver’s license and willingness to drive.
I acknowledge and accept that this position description represents the duties, responsibilities and accountabilities
that are expected of me in my employment in the position.
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Employee Name (please print)
…./……./2015