Mental Health Allied Health Early Careers program

Belinda Scott, Executive Director, Mental Health welcomed the graduates, saying, “This program is committed to the development of our workforce by ensuring that students and early careers clinicians are provided with the required learning opportunities in a supported and structured manner.”

The program, which is inclusive of the disciplines of Dietetics, Exercise Physiology, Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, will actively promote a pathway from student placement through to continued employment. The purpose of this program is to support the learning and development of early career clinicians including;

• students on clinical placements
• pre-qualification positions
• new graduate clinicians
• transition to practice clinicians

“The Allied Health Education Team are excited to welcome a large and robust group of allied health graduates into the first year of the Mental Health Division Early Careers Program,” said Michelle Wines, Co-ordinator Early Careers Program.

“The team has been working hard for the last few months to ensure we are recruiting quality graduates into our teams, as well as designing and developing an education program to ensure our early career clinicians are well supported throughout the program. Our overall aim is to contribute to the development of a resilient and highly skilled mental health workforce.”

The Early Careers Program is a structured two-year program with most positions including two 12-month rotations, ideally from two different clinical areas to optimise the learning opportunities and development of the early career clinician. It features a structured professional development training calendar which includes a focus on both discipline specific and interdisciplinary learning.

It has a strong focus on wellbeing and support for early career clinicians through:

• intensive discipline specific supervision
• support from a discipline specific clinical educator
• monthly multi-disciplinary facilitated peer support sessions
• individualised learning plan linked to Department of Health, discipline specific key competency framework
• supernumerary days designed to facilitate orientation to other practice areas and programs
• support for early career supervisors including peer support sessions and individual support from clinical educators
• structured reviews at four, 12 and 18 months
•  An electronic learning passport to support early career clinicians.

John Belanti, Director of Allied Health, Mental Health, said, “Fostering growth and providing our staff with diverse learning opportunities and pathways for career progression is an integral part our program. Thank you to all involved.”

Featured image shows Belinda Scott, Executive Director, Mental Health, welcoming the graduates.