VCID
No. 724261
About
the Mental Health Advocacy Service (MHAS)
MHAS is an
independent service providing advocacy, support, and rights
protection for people receiving, or at risk of receiving,
involuntary treatment under the Mental Health Act 2014
(the Act), people living in psychiatric hostels, and those with
mental impairment identified under the Criminal Law (Mental
Impairment) Act 2023 (the CLMI Act) and the Declared
Places (Mental Impairment) Act 2015 (the DP
Act).
We are
currently seeking to engage Mental Health Advocates -
Criminal Law Mental Impairment (CLMI) in the Perth
metropolitan area, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie. Training for
successful applicants is expected to commence in June/July
2026.
About
the Role
Mental Health
Advocates - CLMI advocate for unfit accused and supervised persons,
assisting them to understand and exercise their rights, have their
views heard, and raise concerns about their treatment, care, and
mandatory services.
In this role,
you will:
- Inquire
into and investigate conditions of detention or mandatory
services where these may adversely affect a person’s health,
safety or wellbeing.
- Seek to
resolve complaints about treatment, care, support and mandatory
services.
- Assist
unfit accused and supervised persons in relation to court
proceedings.
- Assist
and represent supervised persons in proceedings before the
Mental Impairment Review Tribunal.
- Liaise
with guardians, administrators, legal services and treating
teams, escalating matters to the Chief Mental Health Advocate
where required.
- Work
with professionalism, persistence, and sensitivity in complex
and challenging situations.
Mental Health
Advocates - CLMI deliver advocacy services in courts, prisons, the
Frankland Centre, the Bennett Brook Disability Justice Centre and
community settings. Service delivery hours can be flexible and
are not limited to standard “9 to 5” work patterns. At times, you
may need to be available at short notice during weekdays to respond
to advocacy needs.
This is a
contract for service role with a preferred minimum availability of
0.6–0.8 FTE (approximately 23–30 hours per week).
Applicants
assessed as suitable but not appointed may be placed in a pool for
future opportunities.
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 26/07/2027
For further
information about the role, please contact Fiona Tolley‑Risch on
(08) 6234 6300.
About
You
We would love
to hear from you if you:
- Are
passionate about social justice, human rights, and dignity for
all people.
- Have a
genuine interest in advocating for people with mental and
cognitive impairment.
- Enjoy
working in a range of dynamic and fast paced
environments.
- Bring
professionalism, resilience, initiative, and a practical,
solutions-focused approach to your work.
What
You Will Need
You will be
able to demonstrate:
- Knowledge of, and/or
experience dealing with mental health issues and contemporary
concepts and a strong commitment to human rights.
- High
level communication and interpersonal skills, including the
ability to engage with people from all walks of
life.
- High
level advocacy, negotiation, and investigative skills in a
range of situations.
- Good
letter and report writing skills.
- Good
organisational and time management skills to work effectively,
both independently and as part of a team.
- Good
computer skills.
- Strong
commitment to ethical practice, integrity and
professionalism.
Desirable:
- Experience working in
forensic, custodial, or justice settings, including work under
the CLMI Act or related legislation.
- Relevant
knowledge of and/or experience working with people with
intellectual or other cognitive disability.
Successful
applicants will also be required to obtain:
- A
National Police Clearance; and
- A
Working with Children Check.
What
We Offer
- Flexible
working arrangements, including opportunities to work from
home.
- Comprehensive training
on commencement and ongoing practice development.
- Access
to an Employee Assistance Program.
- Contracts of Engagement
of up to three years, with the possibility of
extension.
- Supportive,
values‑driven teams committed to rights protection and
respectful practice.
- The
opportunity to make meaningful individual and systemic change
within the mental health sector
How
to Apply
To be
considered for interview, applicants must submit all of the
following:
- Curriculum Vitae
outlining relevant skills and experience.
- Cover
letter addressing all service‑related requirements outlined in
the Service Delivery Specification document (maximum four
pages).
- Completed Application
Form.
All documents
must be prepared and attached as part of the online application
process. Please allow sufficient time to complete your
application.
If you
experience technical difficulties, please contact Health Support
Services – IT (Option 1) on 13 44 77 during business
hours.
Applications close
at 5.00 pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026, with
interviews planned for late April/early May 2026.
Late or
emailed applications will not be accepted.
Applications that do
not include the three required documents will not be
considered.
MHAS is
committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We
encourage applications from people with lived experience or
disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTQIA+
people, and people from all cultural and linguistic
backgrounds.
Further
information is available in the:
- Applicant Information
Package
- Service
Delivery Specification
- Terms
and Conditions of Engagement of Mental Health
Advocates
- Application
Form
