Lead, inspire and shape the future of child and adolescent mental health social work while making a lasting difference for young people and families.
Employment Type: Permanent Full Time
Position Classification: Social Worker Level 4
Remuneration: $126,524 - $129,591 per annum + super + salary packaging
Hours Per Week: 38
Location: Charlestown
Requisition ID: REQ663890
Applications Close: Sunday, 12th July 2026
Where you'll be working:
An exciting opportunity is available for an experienced Senior Social Worker (Level 4) to join our supportive and dynamic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Greater Newcastle team on a permanent basis.
This position is based with the Lake Macquarie CAMHS team at 1A Dudley Road, Charlestown, with occasional travel to other Greater Newcastle CAMHS locations during work hours as required. While operationally based within Greater Newcastle, this role also has district-wide responsibilities, supporting the development and growth of the Social Work workforce across Hunter New England CAMHS.
This is a unique opportunity to combine specialist child and adolescent mental health practice with district-wide professional leadership and workforce development, contributing to the future direction of Social Work within HNE CAMHS.
CAMHS is a specialist mental health service providing assessment, treatment, and care coordination for children and young people aged 0–17 years and their families/carers across Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD). We work within a collaborative multidisciplinary environment, delivering individual, dyadic, and family-based interventions to support young people experiencing complex and severe mental health difficulties.
Staff are supported through strong local governance structures and the broader CAMHS and Mental Health networks. The Senior Social Worker (Level 4) is a key leader within both the local team and the wider CAMHS Social Work network.
About the role:
As a Senior Social Worker (Level 4) within CAMHS, you will provide high-quality specialist assessment, therapeutic intervention, consultation, and clinical leadership to children, young people, and their families/carers experiencing significant mental health concerns.
The role combines direct clinical work with discipline-specific leadership responsibilities, including consultation, mentoring, education, supervision, and support to clinicians within a multidisciplinary environment.
You will provide specialist patient-centred clinical advice to consumers, families/carers, and healthcare professionals, contribute to service development and quality improvement initiatives, and support the capability and professional growth of Social Work staff across the HNE CAMHS network.
About you:
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Senior Social Worker who can demonstrate:
- Extensive experience undertaking psychosocial assessments and delivering evidence-based therapeutic interventions for children, young people, and their families/carers experiencing complex mental health presentations.
- Highly developed interpersonal, consultation, and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective professional and therapeutic relationships.
- Ability to provide advice to service managers regarding clinical service delivery, practice development, and service redesign in response to consumer and community needs.
- Advanced clinical reasoning skills and the ability to provide specialist clinical consultation and leadership within a multidisciplinary environment.
- Commitment to evidence-based, trauma-informed, family-centred, and culturally responsive practice.
- Flexibility, initiative, and the ability to prioritise competing demands while contributing to service improvement and positive consumer outcomes.
- A willingness to be part of a dynamic and collaborative team that values psychological safety, continuous learning, and staff wellbeing.
How you'll be supported:
You will receive direct line management from the CAMHS Greater Newcastle Team Leader and work alongside an experienced multidisciplinary team including Social Workers, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Dietitians, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.
The role includes regular professional supervision, discipline-specific mentoring, structured orientation, and ongoing professional development opportunities. You will also have access to specialist consultation, peer support, and district-wide Social Work leadership networks to support your ongoing growth as a senior clinician and leader.
Requirements:
- Must hold as a minimum a bachelor degree in social work which provides eligibility for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers, or other qualification deemed equivalent by the employer. Please upload a copy of your qualification/s with your CV.
What we can offer you:
At Hunter New England Health, enjoy a career where you're challenged by interesting work and surrounded by spectacular locations. You'll contribute to the team enriching health in millions of ways every day. On top of this we also offer:
- Sustainable Healthcare: Together towards zero
- Monthly Allocated Days Off (for full-time employees)
- 4 weeks annual leave (pro-rata for part time employees)
- Paid parental leave (for eligible employees) - giving you the opportunity for true Worklife balance
- Salary packaging options - up to $11,600 plus novated leasing
- Fitness Passport for health and well-being - discounted gym options for you and your family
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for staff and family members
Additional information:
- An eligibility list will be created for future permanent full or part time and temporary full or part time vacancies.
- To be eligible for permanent employment in this position you must be an Australian Citizen, or a permanent resident of Australia, or a New Zealand citizen with a current New Zealand Passport. Employment of a temporary visa holder may only occur if no suitable local candidate is identified for the position; in this instance, you may only be offered employment in line with the conditions and expiry date of your visa.
- We are unable to accommodate visa sponsorship for applicants requiring a visa for this position.
How to apply:
Click apply online, submit your information and resume, and address the criteria listed below providing examples that demonstrate your ability.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain co-operative professional and therapeutic relationships with key stakeholders, patients/consumers and their families/carers through the application of well-developed interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to provide advice to service managers on clinical service delivery, development, practice and redesign. This includes guidance in the development of mental health clinical services in response to demand and client needs.
Extensive experience in mental health assessment, intervention, and evaluation of clinical outcomes. This includes demonstrated understanding of the principles of trauma informed care, recovery-oriented service delivery and the need for co-designing and co-producing mental health services with consumers, carers and clinicians (Minimum of 3 years full time clinical experience).
Need more information?
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For role related queries or questions contact Esther Michaels on
[email protected]
Information for Applicants:
Applicants will be assessed against the essential requirements and selection criteria contained within the position description (link below). For assistance addressing selection criteria visit: https://bit.ly/3vL5fq2
Stepping Up Website is a resource designed to help indigenous job applicants apply for positions in NSW Health. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/HNEHealthSteppingUp
This is a Category A position. Recommended applicants will be reviewed for compliance with NSW Health policy directive PD2024_015: Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases for Category A positions prior to offer. All new employees must agree to comply with the requirements outlined in the policy.
Hunter New England Health is dedicated to fostering a child-safe environment that respects and upholds the rights of children and young people, aligned with NSW Health’s commitment to implementing the Child Safe Standards. We aim to ensure that children and young people feel safe, supported, and included in their care. All current and prospective staff are expected to prioritise the safety, welfare, and well-being of children and young people, actively working to protect them from harm and abuse.
At Hunter New England Local Health District, we are an inclusive employer dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. Our commitment to a workforce that reflects the community we care for is essential for delivering the highest quality healthcare to our community. We encourage people with diverse lived experiences to apply. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to the recruitment process please let us know when you apply or at any stage of the process. We will work with you to meet your needs and create the best possible experience. Please contact [email protected] for confidential support.
