Senior Occupational Therapist

Remuneration: $58.95 - $60.86 per hour + superannuation + salary packaging
Location: Wallsend Campus
Employment Type: Temporary Part Time – Until June 2027
Position Classification: Occupational Therapist Level 3
Hours Per Week: 24
Requisition ID: REQ648015
Applications Close: Monday 20th April 2026

Where you’ll be working:

Join the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Response Team (Safeguards) - a compassionate, family-centred service based in Tamworth as a spoke site, with support from the leaders/clinicians from the Wallsend Hub and other spoke sites across the District. Safeguards is a multidisciplinary, community-based team providing short-term (up to six weeks) assessment and intervention for children and adolescents experiencing mental distress.

We value the lived experience perspective, recovery-oriented and trauma-informed care, grounded in hope, choice, self-determination, and social connection.  We adopt a bio-psycho-social-cultural perspective and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

About the role:

In this role, you will deliver mental health assessment, occupational therapy service and brief intervention through home visits/outreach and or virtual care services. As part of the work, you will operate within a bio-psychosocial cultural approach and provide care navigation to children, young people and their families, to improve mental health, social and emotional well-being.

This is a shift work role, including weekdays 0800 – 1630 or 1200 – 2030 shifts and some Saturdays/Public Holidays including 0900 – 1730 shifts.

You will be supported by the co-leadership team at Safeguards, Team Leader and Psychiatrist, as well as colleagues. Mentoring, group supervision and individual supervision is strongly supported, including CAMHS Orientation, education and professional development opportunities.  

About you:

We're looking for someone skilled in trauma-informed, occupational focused and holistic care, with a collaborative approach and deep respect for young people, carers and colleagues alike. If you're passionate about making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families, we invite you to apply and join our dynamic team.

Requirements:

• Relevant qualifications as an Occupational Therapist.
• Current registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Eligibility for Level 3 of the NSW Health Service Health Professionals (State) Award.
• Current unrestricted Australian drivers' licence.

What we offer

At Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), enjoy a career where you're challenged by interesting work and surrounded by spectacular locations. Join the team enriching health in millions of ways every day: 

• Sustainable Healthcare: Together towards zero 
• Proximity to shopping and other services 
• Salary packaging options 
• Fitness Passport 
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for staff and family members 
• Opportunity to work and collaborate with a range of non-clinical and clinical professionals

Additional Information:
 

• To be eligible for employment in this position you must be an Australian Citizen, or permanent resident of Australia, or a New Zealand citizen with a current New Zealand Passport, or hold an appropriate visa that allows you to live and work in Australia. Employment of a temporary visa holder will only be offered in line with the conditions and expiry date of your visa. 

• An eligibility list will be created for future temporary part time vacancies. 

• We are unable to accommodate visa sponsorship for applicants requiring a visa for this position.   

How to apply:

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

• Extensive contemporary experience and knowledge of mental health practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of the principles of trauma informed care and its application when working with children/adolescents and families/carers in a mental health context/environment.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication and competence in the use of information technology systems.

Need more information? 
  1) Click here for the Position Description 
  2) Find out more about applying for this position
For role related queries or questions contact Sophie Phillips on Sophie.Phillips@health.nsw.gov.au or Fiona Lee on fiona.lee@health.nsw.gov.au