Senior Mental Health Clinician | Phone Triage
Employment Type - Temporary Full Time
Hours per fortnight - 80
Job Category - Nursing - Registered Nurse (Div 1)
Req Id - 7600
- Build your career with Victoria’s largest regional health service
- Multiple Positions available | Permanant & Temporary | Full time & Part time
- Easy parking at our Barwon Health Staff Hub in North Geelong
About the role
Join a dynamic and highly skilled Mental Health Phone Triage Team where your advanced clinical mental health expertise and leadership capability will directly influence mental health and alcohol and other drug care pathways across the Geelong region.
This is a unique opportunity to step into a senior clinical leadership role within Barwon Health’s Acute Intervention Service (AIS), part of the Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Service (MHDAS). As part of a 7-day-a-week tertiary multidisciplinary service, you will provide expert phone-based triage assessment and clinical decision-making for consumers of all ages experiencing mental health and/or substance use concerns.
As a Senior Mental Health Clinician, you will serve as a key clinical leader within the team providing high-level triage assessments, complex risk formulation, secondary consultation and real-time clinical guidance to colleagues. You will also support the C-AIS Manager with day-to-day operational coordination and contribute to the ongoing development, quality improvement and capability uplift of the service.
The service operates across morning, day and afternoon shifts, 7 days per week, offering a structured roster that supports work-life balance without overnight shifts.
Working within a strong governance framework, you will contribute to a recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and consumer-centred model of care, ensuring timely, safe and appropriate access to services.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct high-quality, timely mental health, alcohol and other drug triage assessments (primarily via phone)
- Undertake comprehensive risk assessment, formulation and care pathway planning.
- Provide senior clinical decision-making support and secondary consultation to team members.
- Contribute to clinical governance, quality improvement initiatives and ongoing team development.
- Communicate with empathy and professionalism when supporting young people, families, carers and referrers.
- Collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate safe and appropriate service access.
What we’re looking for
We are seeking experienced and confident Senior Mental Health Clinicians who combine advanced triage expertise with strong leadership capability and a commitment to service excellence.
Along with highly proficient phone triage capability, you will:
- Demonstrate extensive experience in mental health and/or alcohol and other drug assessment, including complex risk assessment and formulation.
- Be confident in autonomous clinical decision-making in time-sensitive and high-acuity situations.
- Provide leadership, mentoring and secondary consultation within a multidisciplinary team environment.
- Have a strong understanding of clinical governance, risk management and service system navigation.
- Communicate clearly and effectively over the phone, building rapport and therapeutic engagement quickly.
- Show commitment to recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and family-inclusive practice.
- Be flexible to work across a rotating roster of morning, day and afternoon shifts, 7 days per week.
Please note Barwon Health will only contact you via our official email and never use unconventional means, such as text messaging or other services.
- Excellent working conditions and a strong sense of job satisfaction
- A vibrant staff wellbeing program and access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Program
- Extensive professional development opportunities
- Attractive salary packaging benefits
- Living expenses capped at $9,010
- Meals and entertainment capped at $2,650
For more information about working at Barwon Health, please click Here
Barwon Health is an inclusive and welcoming employer, committed to reflecting the diverse communities we serve. We value and celebrate people of all genders, sexual orientations, cultural backgrounds, faiths, abilities, family structures, and identities, and encourage applications from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and members of the LGBTIQA+ community.
Child Safety
We are strongly committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. Click here for further information on the Victorian Government’s Child Safe Standards: About Child Safe Standards | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)
Additional information
If you need adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please contact us at peopleassist@barwonhealth.org.au
All appointments are subject to:
- Satisfactory Police Record Check
- Immunisation Status Clearance
- Working with Children Check (if applicable)
To apply, you will need a resume and a tailored cover letter outlining your skills, experience, and suitability for the position in line with the requirements of the position description. Please note: We do not accept resumes via email.
Contact person: Sarah Stein | Manager | Phone Triage
Email: sarah.stein@barwonhealth.org.au
Phone: (03) 4215 8640
Application closing date: Friday 27, March 2026
Internal applicants:
If you are currently employed at Barwon Health, please ensure you sign in via the Employee Login on the external Careers Page or access the Careers Page through the intranet before applying.
Shortlisting may commence prior to the closing date - early applications are encouraged.