Mental Health Clinician

Ko wai mātou - About us

Hato Hone St John has been serving New Zealanders since 1885. Today, our 11,000-strong team of kaimahi work across Aotearoa to enhance the health and wellbeing of our communities. From responding to 111 calls to supporting people to stay healthy through our mahi in health education, access, and monitoring, we are making life-changing differences every day.

We respond to over 400,000 incidents a year. Mental health presentations are one of the fastest growing challenges facing health services in Aotearoa increasing in both volume and complexity. We are committed in providing a clinically led approach to ensuring these incidents are met with the right expertise, at the right time.

The Mental Health Clinician is a newly created role with scope to shape how Hato Hone St John supports mental health incidents. You will lead a programme of work spanning clinical pathway development, workforce capability building, care planning, crew support, education, and clinical governance. You will have autonomy and influence to implement how mental health emergencies are handled in the Integrated Operations Centre (IOC).

Please note: This role can be based in Auckland or Christchurch.

Key responsibilities

• Work alongside Secondary Triage Clinicians and Clinical Support Officers to strengthen how mental health presentations are assessed, managed, and resolved.

• Design and embedding the frameworks, tools, and pathways that give our clinicians the confidence and structure to make safe, consistent decisions on complex and high-risk calls.

• Developing best-practice risk assessment frameworks, establishing clear disposition pathways, building safety planning approaches, and contributing to the clinical governance that it underpins.

• Play a key role in building workforce capability supporting education and upskilling across the Secondary Triage and IOC team so that every clinician feels equipped when assessing mental health incidents.

Qualifications

Ko wai koe - About you

This role is positioned with a focus of both clinical excellence and operational innovation- it is an opportunity to combine specialist mental health expertise with meaningful system level impact.

You will be joining a collaborative, multidisciplinary team that values your expertise, with the backing of clinical leadership.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Current APC as a Mental Health Nurse, Registered Nurse, Social Worker, or Psychologist

• Significant post-registration experience in mental health settings, particularly acute or crisis care

• Advanced competency in suicide risk assessment and safety planning

• Demonstrated experience developing clinical processes, frameworks, or pathways

• A strong understanding of crisis response systems and local mental health service pathways

• The credibility and communication skills to influence without authority and bring others on the journey with you

• Understanding of leadership and management principles, with experience applying these in a senior role to support staff, guide practice, and contribute to service outcomes.

• (Desirable) Experience supporting or leading service improvement or project-based work, including planning, stakeholder engagement, progress tracking, and implementation of change

Additional Information

Click “ I’m interested” before applications close on 25 June 2026.

For further information please contact Azure Manunui - Recruitment Advisor ***email_hidden*** or +64 9 526 0528 Ext: 8216 for a confidential discussion.

At Hato Hone St John, we embrace diversity, welcoming everyone to bring their authentic selves to work. We value unique perspectives, fostering inclusivity to better serve our communities, and we’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone belongs.

E pōhiritia nei e mātou, te whānau o Hato Hone St John, ngā rerekētanga o ia tāngata ki te haramai. E āwhinatia e mātou I ngā whakaaro rerekē, kia mahi pai I roto I ngā hāpori katoa. Ko tā mātou nei haepapa, kia hanga tētahi āhuru mōwai mā tatou, kia mahi haumaru ai.

If you need accommodations for accessibility, please reach out to the recruiter listed for equitable participation in our recruitment process.

Research shows that women and people from under-represented groups are less likely to apply for roles when their experience doesn’t match the job description perfectly. If you’re excited and think you have what it takes, we want to hear from you! Even if your experience doesn’t align 100%. Please apply or contact the recruitment advisor listed on the advertisement for a kōrero.