Social Worker - Community Programmes

Social Worker - Community Programmes

Social Worker – Community Programmes

Dunedin

Permanent 1.0 FTE (40hrs per week) opportunity

About the Role

Join our Community Day Programmes team (Mental Health) and make a real difference in the lives of patients and their whānau. In this varied and rewarding role, you'll work as part of a team to facilitate therapeutic group interventions and provide group psycho-education to support people in their journey towards recovery. You will have the opportunity to provide a social work lens to group content and program development. You will also provide specialist social work assessment, intervention, and care coordination, to consumers involved in the group programmes, helping people stay safe, supported, and connected to the services they need to achieve positive wellbeing outcomes.

• Facilitate therapeutic group interventions.
• Contribute to development of group psycho-education modules and resources.
• Deliver comprehensive social work assessments, interventions, and care plans.
• Provide care coordination to support recovery and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless, person-centred care.
• Provide clinical leadership and mentoring to support the development of colleagues and service excellence.

About the Team/Service/Location

Community Programmes, based at Dunedin Hospital in the Psychiatric Services Building, is a specialist adult mental health service that provides assessment and treatment through recovery-oriented therapeutic group programmes. The service supports adults experiencing significant mental health challenges that affect their daily functioning. Through evidence-informed interventions and a strengths-based approach, participants are supported to build skills, enhance wellbeing, develop resilience, and work towards their individual recovery goals.

About You

• To be considered for the role you should have social work registration with the New Zealand Social Work Registration Board (SWRB).
• You should also have a current, clean driver license.
• Be eligible to live and work in New Zealand.
• Candidates should have previous experience in mental health social work, ideally but not essential, experience in therapeutic group work.
• You should be a confident and effective communicator, truly passionate about your work and hold an unwavering belief in people's recovery.
• Experience in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is desirable, or a willingness to learn.

Salary range:

This role belongs to the PSA/DHBs Allied, Public Health and Technical Multi-Employer Collective Agreement and falls between Step 1 ($77,087 p.a) and Step 8 ($110,210 p.a pro rata) of the Degree-Based Allied, Public Health and Technical scale.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

How to Apply

To apply please click "apply now." All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by Sunday 30 August 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact: james.boyd@tewhatuora.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.