YAMHS Aboriginal Health Worker - Elders in Residence - Identified

Join a Deadly team making real change—to heal, connect, and empower Aboriginal people/ communities through culturally grounded mental health care.

Employment Type: Temporary Part Time until June 2026
Position Classification: Aboriginal Health Worker
Remuneration: $32.78 - $47.39 per hour + super
Location: Awabakal, Worimi and Wonnarua Country
Hours Per Week: 24
Requisition ID: REQ630339
Applications Close: Tuesday, 27th January 2026

YAMHS respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the custodians of the land in which our mental health facilities are located. We pay our respects to our Elders who are the knowledge holders of our culture and who keep our traditions, rituals, song lines alive. We respect the continuing connection to sky, land, rivers, seas and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and its interconnectedness to social, emotional, physical, spiritual mental health and wellbeing. We acknowledge the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within our district, the staff who work with us and the Aboriginal services and organisations who partner with us to improve mental health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across our footprint. We ask all those that walk, work and live on traditional Aboriginal lands to be respectful of culture and traditions.

This is a position identified for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people on the basis of a genuine occupational qualification under section 14(d) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants must demonstrate Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status in addition to addressing the selection criteria.

Where you'll be working:
YAMHS is a standalone Aboriginal Mental Health specialty service providing in-reach and care coordination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the lifespan. Delivered by Mob, for Mob, YAMHS operates in genuine partnership with Aboriginal communities to ensure that care is culturally grounded, clinically excellent, and community informed.

Recognised across the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), YAMHS is known for delivering culturally responsive, holistic, collaborative mental health care, integrating:

• Aboriginal knowledge systems
• Cultural safety
• Clinical yarning
• Trauma-informed practice
• Best-practice mental health and SEWB (Social Emotional Wellbeing) care

Our model ensures culture is central to clinical care, promoting healing, trust, and sustained engagement.

About the role:
You will provide wrap-around cultural connection through in-reach support that respects and upholds traditional beliefs and practices, alongside culturally grounded insight into mental health and social and emotional wellbeing. This includes sharing knowledge about the importance of connection to Country and kinship obligations, and facilitating this understanding through yarning and therapeutic cultural group programs. Your work will offer holistic healing supports and cultural consultation, recognising and respecting the diversity of health beliefs across Aboriginal groups and communities.

You will also contribute cultural expertise, knowledge and advice to support the implementation of an Aboriginal cultural healing Model of Care across Calvary Mater Emergency Department, Mater Mental Health Centre, and JHH ED/Nexus. This role enables strong collaboration between Calvary, Mater Mental Health, HNELHD key stakeholders and Aboriginal community-controlled health sectors to better support our mob collectively. You will build and maintain collaborative partnerships with ACCHSs, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, families, consumers and community, and work within a shared care approach, walking alongside specialist Aboriginal mental health clinicians, undergraduate clinicians, the SEWB workforce, and psychiatrists and treating teams.

About you:
Our successful candidate will be passionate about improving mental health and sustaining the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the local community. You will enjoy working across a range of mental health specialties, including emergency, inpatient, community and rehabilitation settings, providing culturally appropriate yarning, healing support, advocacy and consultation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accessing Hunter New England Mental Health services.

You will bring strong cultural knowledge and confidently provide advice to non-Aboriginal colleagues and stakeholders on local cultural protocols and the importance of holistic social and emotional wellbeing care. With strength, compassion and commitment, you will enhance consumer engagement by listening to and learning from community lived experience, while being dedicated to creating and sustaining a culturally safe, supportive team environment and modelling positive self-care.

How you'll be supported:
You will be:

• Supported by Mob and managed by an Aboriginal service manager with a team of 35 Aboriginal staff, team leaders, clinicians, undergraduates and social emotional wellbeing workforce not one day is the same.
• Encouraged and supported with self-directed learning and offered the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) cultural clinical supervision framework to ensure your success in this position, this framework is one of our strategies in HNE mental health service to achieve sustainable employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the public health sector. As an employee you will be able to take 4 hrs a month to reconnect back to culture and maintain your spiritual wellbeing and be paid for it.
• You will also work alongside an Aboriginal clinical team and a social emotional wellbeing team who specialise in both adult, child and adolescent and participate in daily Aboriginal workforce safety clinical intake huddles, multidisciplinary meetings, attend Aboriginal advisory leadership committees/forums/community events.

YAMHS is reducing barriers to emergency and acute inpatient mental health care by creating pathways that are clinically and culturally safe — from arrival in ED through to mental health services.

We are currently implementing an Aboriginal cultural healing Model of Care at Calvary Mater Emergency Department/Mater MHC and JHH/Nexus, enabling collaboration between these hospitals and Aboriginal community-controlled health sectors to:

• Strengthen access to treatment and healing
• Improve clinical and cultural outcomes
• Embed culture at the centre of care

YAMHS also delivers community-based support and cultural consultations outside standard hospital pathways, strengthening wellbeing, connection, and continuity of care.

 What we can offer you:
At Hunter New England Health, enjoy a career where you're challenged by interesting work and surrounded by spectacular locations. You'll contribute to the team enriching health in millions of ways every day. On top of this we also offer:

• Sustainable Healthcare: Together towards zero 
• Proximity to shopping and other services
• 4 weeks annual leave (pro-rata for part time employees)
• Salary packaging options - up to $11,600 plus novated leasing
• Fitness Passport for health and well-being - discounted gym options for you and your family
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for staff and family members

 

Additional information:

• An eligibility list will be created for future temporary part time vacancies.
• Determination 1 of 23 Aboriginal Health Worker classification – recognition of prior service ensures there is provisions of Recognition of Prior Years of Service that will influence the commence of rate of pay for the successful candidate.

How to apply:
Click apply online, submit your information and resume, and address the criteria listed below providing examples that demonstrate your ability.

1. Holds a minimum Certificate III qualification in Aboriginal Primary Health Care and/or a minimum Certificate III health qualification in the area of care in which the Aboriginal Health Worker works and/or completion of or willingness to undertake Certificate IV Mental Health qualification.
2. Demonstrated ability to engage, collaborate and liaise with Aboriginal community, individuals and organisations in a culturally appropriate manner.
3. Demonstrated proficient written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to liaise with a broad range of connections experiencing mental ill health.