WACHS Clinical Nurse Specialist - Community Mental Health Pool

WA Country Health Service

Date posted: September 25, 2025

Closes: Oct 25, 2025


This is for Permanent, Fixed Term and Casual appointments at 76 hours per fortnight with the possibility of an extension and/or permanency.

This is a pool recruitment and there are currently 3.0 FTE available for immediate filling.

This is an “open-ended” recruitment pool, and as such the following should be noted:

The panel will monitor this recruitment pool for applications, and will assess on a regular basis.Suitable applicants will be placed in a pool from which appointments may be made when similar vacancies occur.Appointments may be made from this pool until 31/12/2026.

An opportunity exists for a talented and enthusiastic Clinical Nurse Specialist Community Mental Health to join the Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service Team in Kununurra.

Great benefits including location allowance, annual travel allowance and an additional week annual leave.Generous Salary Packaging Benefits.The Country Nursing & Midwifery Incentive Program.As a WA Country Health Service employee, you’re entitled to discounts across some private health care funds. Please see attached flyer for further details.

To be successful, you will have...

Eligible for registration in the category of Registered Nurse by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.Demonstrated ability to apply recovery approaches when working with individuals, families and communities affected by mental health conditions.Exhibits advanced community mental health nursing skills in working with individuals with complex mental health conditions, including mental state assessment, risk assessments, crisis intervention, and care coordination.Extensive and recent experience in community-based mental health nursing practice.Demonstrated ability to work alone and within a multidisciplinary team.Highly developed interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with Aboriginal consumers, their families, and other stakeholders accessing mental health services.Demonstrated knowledge of medications used, and experience in the dispensing and administering of medications used in the treatment of mental health disorders.Current knowledge of legislative obligations in relation to the WA Mental Health Act 2014.Working knowledge of computer use and information systems relevant to the position.Current C Class drivers Licence and an ability and willingness to travel including overnight stays away from home.

Position Profile

Provides advanced community mental health services to clients of the KMHDS which is based on best practice. Provides a service, which is culturally secure and takes into account the emotional, social and spiritual well-being of clients. Conducts Mental Health and/or drug and alcohol (AOD) Triage, acute initial assessments, Risk Assessments crisis intervention, care management planning and implementation of care plan and referral services to clients and their carer/s.

What We Offer

In addition to the great salary our employees enjoy an amazing range of benefits:

Location based allowances including:Additional North West paid leaveDistrict Allowance - regional specificAnnual travel subsidy (ALTC)Air-conditioning subsidy allowance.Paid study Leave assistance – regional specific as per EBA.Generous salary packaging benefits:Up to $9010 on a range of benefits such as mortgage, your rent or other everyday living expensesUp to $2650 on meal entertainment, holiday accommodation and venue hireAccess to novated leasing to use pre-tax dollars for a car and expenses.Plus, Additional Remote Area Specific Benefits.Professional Development opportunities Continuous learning opportunities12% Superannuation GuaranteeWACHS supports flexible working practices and consideration will be given to flexible work/roster options, where operationally appropriate. As a WA Country Health Service employee, you’re entitled to discounts across some private health care funds. Please see attached flyer for further details.
The Country Nursing & Midwifery incentive program is available to new and existing nurses and midwives - across a broad range of patient-facing roles - on fixed term or permanent contracts at eligible locations. Eligible nurses and midwives can receive between $5,000 and $17,000 in support over 12 months. Please refer to the WA Country Health Service - Country Nursing and Midwifery Incentive Program website for eligibility criteria.

Area Profile

WACHS Kimberley is the most northern health region of WACHS. The Kimberley region has approximately 200 Aboriginal communities, over 34 different Aboriginal language groups and 45 percent of the population are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. WACHS Kimberley consists of six hospitals, an inpatient mental health unit, three Community Directorates and a Corporate Office. WACHS Kimberley provides hospital, community health, public health, remote area health, community aged care, and mental health services across the region through a dedicated team of medical, nursing, Aboriginal health, allied health, and support staff.

Want to know more about this role?

We encourage you to contact Steven Lowes on 0437 464 388.

Eligibility to Apply: To be eligible for appointment, applicants must have a valid working visa (for fixed term appointments) or be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or have a visa to live and work indefinitely in Australia (for permanent appointments).

How to Apply: Applicants are requested to apply online http://www.jobs.health.wa.gov.au/

Please provide the following information as part of your application:

A detailed CV that clearly shows your experience relevant to this roleA cover letter outlining their suitability for this position.A 2-3 page maximum document addressing the selection criteria listed on the Job Description Form (JDF).The names and contact details of two (2) professional referees - preferable for one to be your current/recent supervisor or manager.

Selection Criteria: Please see the attached Job Description Form

If you experience difficulties while applying online, please contact Employee Services on 13 44 77 for immediate assistance during business hours.

Other Conditions: WA Health engages staff in positions of trust and responsibility. WA Health policies require applicants to undertake criminal records screening and integrity checking as part of the appointment process. Referees may also be asked to comment on an applicant’s integrity and past demonstration of ethical behaviour.

Please note this recruitment process requires completion of satisfactory Pre-Employment Health Assessment (PEHA). Any offer of employment with WA Country Health Service (WACHS) is conditional on satisfactory PEHA to ensure you are able to perform the inherent requirements of the position. An unsatisfactory PEHA will result in the offer of employment being withdrawn. Please see the attached WACHS PEHA Policy for further information.

This vacancy is subject to a Western Australian Working With Children (WWC) Check. For further information please refer to the WWC website at: https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce where every employee feels valued and empowered. We believe that a diverse team brings unique perspectives and drives innovation to meet our community’s needs. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and experiences to join us in shaping a more equitable future and as a measure to achieve equality, under sections 51, 66R and 66ZP of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984, encourage applications from people living with a disability, Aboriginal people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women and youth (24 years of age and under).

Lodgement is system generated. Any submissions on, or after, 4:00pm will not be accepted.

LATE OR EMAIL APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

WA Health is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of our service. We embrace diversity and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally diverse backgrounds and people with disabilities.

WA Health supports flexible working practices within the context of a quality health service. WA Health is committed to a smoke free environment across all buildings, grounds and vehicles.

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