Social Worker - Early Career Program - Mental Health

 

Reference Number: 54320:  Social Worker - Early Career Program - Mental Health 
Employment Type: Fixed Term Full Time (FT) 
Location: Northern Health (All Campuses) 
 

About Northern Health:

As an organisation we have a clear focus on how we service and partner with our community, including our strategy of helping the community stay well when at home. Our reputation of community minded, inclusive and progressive is matched to none. 

Northern Health is located in the rapidly growing northern suburbs with projected growth the biggest in the state. With a booming, culturally rich and diverse community, and less than an hour’s drive from the CBD (still within the bounds of Myki and ride-sharing), Melbourne’s North is fast becoming the place to be.

Northern Health are seeking applications from highly motivated and suitably experienced social work candidates to join the Allied Health Early Career Program  - Mental Health Division.   

Northern Health is the major provider of acute, maternity, sub-acute, mental health, specialist, community and home-based services in Melbourne’s rapidly growing outer north. 

Services are provided through our six main campuses: 

Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital, Bundoora Centre, Craigieburn and Mernda Community Hospitals and Kilmore District Hospital.  In addition, Mental Health Services are provided at Epping, Broadmeadows, Preston, Mill Park, Mernda, Craigieburn and Coburg. 

 

About Mental Health Division:

Northern Health is the third largest mental health service in Victoria Northern.

Within the Mental Health Division, we pride ourselves on providing high quality mental health services to people living in the northern regions of Melbourne, and work in a collaborative way with consumers and carers based on recovery principles.

We aim to provide strong clinical leadership to support all staff in the provision of professional treatment and care by our integrated community teams, inpatient, and residential services.

About the Role:

We are seeking highly motivated and passionate graduate social workers, or early career social workers with less than 2 years' experience post qualification, to join our two-year allied health graduate program. Graduates must hold a Bachelor or Master of Social Work to be eligible for the program.  

The program offers early career clinicians the opportunity to develop clinical mental health skills and has a strong focus on regular discipline specific supervision, reflective practice, targeted professional development and self-care.

We provide an intensive orientation program to ensure a thorough introduction to clinical mental health social work.

Graduate clinicians work in a variety of multidisciplinary settings (over 24 months, spending 12 months in two different clinical settings; one community and one bed-based).  

The program is designed to support graduates to meet the Victorian Department of Health Graduate Key Competencies. 

 We have three positions for intake in late January 2027: 

• Broadmeadows Adult Acute Inpatient Unit (Broadmeadows Hospital) 

• Noogal Community Team (Mill Park) 

• Merri-bek Community Team (Coburg) 

Successful applicants will be notified of their second rotation in mid-2027. The second rotation may be located in any mental health division team across any of the Northern Health sites. Rotation allocations are determined by the Early Careers Program and aim to maximise learning opportunities and broaden clinicians' skills, networks, and understanding of the healthcare system. 

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Strong motivation to begin your career in public mental health
• Proven ability to work reflectively and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
• Demonstrated ability to think critically
• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills 

Next Steps . . .

If this opportunity sounds like the next step in your career, then we would love to hear from you.  

As part of this application  process, please respond with; 

1. Your CV (no longer than 2 pages) clearly indicating where you have completed your two clinical social work placements and other work / volunteer experience relevant to this setting. 

1. In lieu of a traditional cover letter please provide a written personal response (no longer than 1 page), to the following three questions; 

1. 1. What inspired you to study social work and why are you particularly drawn to working in public mental health?

   2. This role includes regular supervision, reflective practice and a structured training program. What role has clinical supervision played in your clinical placements?  

   3. Briefly describe a piece of work you have undertaken with a mental health consumer, what social work theory informed your intervention? 

1. We do not use AI as part of our recruitment and selection process and ask that applicants do not use AI either. 

Please click on the 'Apply' button and follow the prompts. 

 For further details, please refer to the Position Description. Alternatively, you can contact: 

• Michelle Wines, Early Careers Program Coordinator on 0460 421 431 or michelle.wines2@nh.org.au. 

• Justine Solomano, social work clinical educator, 0459 823 149 or justine.solomano@nh.org.au. 

 Applications close Tuesday 20 October 2026 - applicants are encouraged to apply ASAP as the position may close before the end date.  

Why work at the Northern Health?

NH offer a range of benefits which support and reward staff both personally and professionally.

Our staff benefits include award winning facilities and campus partnerships, Professional development and events, an award-winning Health and wellbeing program and financial benefits.

• Health and Wellbeing programs, including our new ‘Thrive’ program
• Flexibility in the workplace and extra leave options and support
• An inclusive and culturally safe space
• Access to salary packaging & EAP
• Comprehensive Library services for learning, research, clinical decision-making, leisure and wellbeing (onsite and online)

Work with us! Northern Health is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce which reflects the community we serve. Applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as applicants who are LGBTIQ+, who have different abilities, or are from culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds are encouraged.