Forensic Youth Mental Health Senior Practitioner

About this role

Leads the coordination of forensic mental health supports for young people This is a Full Time Fixed Term position until 30 June 2028 Engage with specialised services, relevant external stakeholders and schools to enable the effective coordination of mental health support and continued student engagement in education. About the Role The Forensic Youth Mental Health Senior Practitioner leads the coordination of forensic mental health support for young people who present with serious behaviours of concerns within an education setting. The role acts as a dedicated link between the Department of Education and the Community Forensic Youth Mental Health Service (CFYMHS) to facilitate early identification and intervention for high-risk students, ultimately diverting them from the justice system. This is done by: • Triaging incident reports to identify at risk students, • Providing warm referrals to CFYMHS providers. • Standardising operating procedures for the department on coordinated referrals from schools to CFYMHS providers, as well as re-entry into school-based wellbeing supports. • Acting as a key conduit between schools, external agencies including CFYMHS, and internal place based services, for advanced interventions in dealing with complex cases that may require cross-profession collaboration, • Developing capability within the department and schools to support identification, referral and support for young people with complex forensic mental health needs and high-risk behaviours. The role may be required to work shift work and be available outside of business hours to support the department and whole of government emergency management operations. This is anticipated to occur infrequently at times of significant emergencies. Desirable Qualifications and Experience • A tertiary qualification in Psychology, Social Work or Youth Mental Health and relevant experience. • The ability to be registered with the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency (AHPRA) or the Australian Association of Social Worker (AASW) or relevant accreditation agency. • Experience in community forensic youth mental health. About the Department The Department leads the delivery of education and development services to children, young people and adults both directly through government schools and indirectly through the regulation and funding of early childhood services, non-government schools and training programs. Further Information For more details regarding this position please see attached position descriptions. The Department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au . Applications close 11:59pm on 30 July 2026.