Health Improvement Practitioner
Permanent Part-time: 0.8FTE/32 hours per week)
Roles available in Greymouth and Westport
Salary: $72,000 - $78,000 per annum for 0.8 FTE (equivalent to $90,000 - $98,400 full-time)
West Coast Health is a Primary Health Organisation, as a not-for-profit community trust we plan, coordinate, fund and provide primary health care for West Coasters. Our mission is to help West Coasters get healthy and stay that way.
We are looking for registered health professionals who have experience in delivering behavioural health services to fill this rewarding role within General Practice, empowering people to reach their mental health and wellbeing goals through brief interventions.
This role is part of New Zealand's relatively new primary care-based behavioural health workforce and the innovative programme IPMHA Access and Choice. At the heart of the service are two roles embedded within the general practice team – Health Improvement Practitioners and Health Coaches.
West Coast Health, alongside stakeholders and other providers, is leading the transformation of the Mental Health and Addiction System on Te Tai o Poutini West Coast to improve access, service engagement, community wellbeing, and tangata whaiora and whānau recovery outcomes.
This role is based within General Practice and West Coast Health and is a key connection point and champion for this recovery-oriented, collaborative, and community-based model of care, working across Primary Care, NGO services, Kaupapa Māori providers, and Specialist Mental Health Services.
About the role
The Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) provides evidence-based brief intervention talking therapies to individuals and their whānau to help reconnect them with their values and commit to actions reflective of their health and wellbeing goals. It is a generalist role based within the health centre helping people with any issue affecting their wellbeing by providing:
- immediate, accessible therapy (particularly Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - FACT) to patients
- group programs for patients in partnership with the general practice team
- consultation, education, and advice to support members of the general practice team meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of their patients.
- support local population health by developing intervention pathways alongside GPs and nurses based on clinic needs
- utilise the Te Whare Tapa Wha model of care to ensure collaborative plans are culturally appropriate for any challenges in health and wellbeing.
Successful applicants will receive comprehensive training and ongoing mentoring as part of the national Integrated Primary Mental Health and Addictions programme.
Successful applicants will
· Hold a relevant registered health professional qualification and full registration without conditions under one of the following: Health Practitioners Competency Assurance (HPCA) Act, DAPAANZ, Social Work Registration Authority (SWRB), or New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) with Te Whatu Ora Accreditation.
- Have professional experience in their registered field of a minimum of 3 years.
- Ideally have experience working in general practice, primary care and/or community settings.
- Hold qualifications or have experience in CBT, ACT or FACT, this is an advantage but not essential.
- Be empathetic and open-minded with excellent communication skills.
- Be committed to ongoing professional development/education.
- Hold a full clean NZ Driver License.
Please note that West Coast Health requires workers based in General Practice to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, that is the two original vaccinations. Should an applicant progress through the recruitment process they will be required to prove vaccination status.
For more information on this role please visit our website: https://westcoasthealth.nz/your-health/mental-health/hips-and-health-coaches
Please email Ayla Green ayla.green@westcoasthealth.nz for a copy of the position description.