- Are you passionate about making a difference early and effectively in people's lives?
We are looking for a confident, proactive Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) who can step straight into a busy general practice environment and make an immediate impact within the Christchurch PHO primary mental health service. Having an empathetic, caring and nurturing approach is a must in this role. We are looking to fill two positions of up to 0.8 FTE per role.
Christchurch PHO, established in 2003, operates as a community-based not-for-profit company. The PHO supports ten member practices providing primary care services to an enrolled and funded population of over 92,000 patients.
About the Role
The Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) is an integral part of the general practice team, working directly with individuals and whānau to help improve their mental health and wellbeing by delivering brief, consultation-based services and behavioural interventions general practice patients for both mental health and physical health conditions.
The Health Improvement Practitioner is a generalist, providing accessible, evidence-based brief intervention talking therapies to individuals and whānau. From within the GP clinic, you will help enrolled patients with any issue affecting their wellbeing (mood, sleep, relationships, anxiety, stress, dealing with a new diagnosis - the list goes on).
Te Tumu Waiora - heading towards wellness - is a model of primary mental health care aiming to provide anyone experiencing mental distress or addiction challenges with increased access to convenient, high quality and person-cantered care and support at their general practice, as a HIP you will work within the context of this programme.
As a Health Intervention Practitioner, you will:
Work directly with individuals and their families to help improve their mental health and wellbeing, providing same-day, accessible support to patients/whānau
Deliver brief, consultation-based services and behavioural interventions to general practice patients for both mental health and physical health conditions.
Utilise an integrated ‘Stepped Model of Care’ that supports clients’ needs and enables them to move between services in general practice and, if needed, through to the community.
Collaborate closely with GPs, nurses, Health Coaches, and community providers to ensure patients receive the right support at the right time
What you will bring:
You will need to be a registered mental health professional under the Health Practitioners Competency Assurance (HPCA) Act, DAPAANZ, (Including Occupational Therapy (OT), Nursing (RN), Social Work Registration Authority (SWRB), or New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) with Te Whatu Ora Accreditation An interest in Mental Health (e.g. Psychologist, Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Addiction Counsellor)
Experience as a clinician who works well in a multidisciplinary team of GPs, nurses and other health professionals
Have 3+ years of experience working as a HIP within a counselling/mental health environment (including drug and alcohol support services) delivering talking therapies; for example, ACT, FACT or CBT.
What we offer:
The mahi that you do will affect positive change within our communities and we offer you the opportunity to work alongside a supportive and passionate team. We also offer a competitive salary, a flexible working environment and a genuine commitment to supporting your professional development. You will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with other organisations in the Waitaha/Canterbury-wide health system.