Occupational Therapist - Graduate & Early Career Program (Mental Health)

Occupational Therapist - Graduate & Early Career Program (Mental Health)

Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS)

Full Time | Grade 2 | 24 month Fixed Term until February 2029
📍 Parkville, Sunshine, Footscray, Spotswood, Wyndham

Join a graduate program which combines direct clinical mental health experience with specialist training in youth mental health.

• Feb 2027 Graduate Program | Two supported clinical rotations over 24 months
• Weekly supervision | Peer Reflective Practice | Professional Development
• Salary Packaging | Monthly ADO | 5 weeks Annual Leave

About Us:

Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS) (formerly Orygen Specialist Program) is Victoria's newest public mental health service dedicated to the care of young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing complex mental health challenges.

PYMHWS is leading a bold and values-driven transformation in youth mental health care across Melbourne's north and west. We exist to walk alongside young people, their families, carers, supporters and kin delivering care that is accessible, inclusive, developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed, and grounded in lived experience. Our service model is shaped by the voices of young people and their communities, and underpinned by a commitment to safety, equity, and continuous learning.

At PYMHWS, we are working with our community and partners to build in a future where all young people can access world-class mental health support, close to home. As we grow, we are looking for passionate, skilled, and visionary professionals to join us in shaping a new era of youth mental health in Victoria.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking Graduate or Early Career Occupational Therapists for Grade 2 entry level positions, with a structured 2 year program designed to build confident, capable mental health clinicians.

Experience the breadth of youth mental health through two rotations across community and acute/inpatient-based services, supported by experienced discipline and clinical leaders. You'll receive high quality clinical supervision, professional development and opportunities to develop skills across assessment, formulation, therapeutic intervention, care planning and multidisciplinary practice.

This is more than a graduate position - it's an opportunity to establish your career in a specialist youth mental health service, work alongside passionate multidisciplinary teams and build a strong foundation for ongoing practice in public mental health.

Why Join PYMHWS?

• Be part of a large youth-specific mental health service, where early intervention can make a real difference.

• Provide meaningful care that is evidence based, developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive.
• Work in close partnership with youth mental health research leaders integrating new knowledge into practice.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development, with a dedicated Early Career Training Program
• Salary packaging options, up to $11,600 tax free earnings
• 5 weeks annual leave plus monthly ADO for full time employees
• Employee wellbeing focused, access to EAP
• Fitness Passport membership
• Flexible, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture

About the Role:

The PYMHWS Allied Health Graduate & Early Career Program offers graduate and early career Social Workers and Occupational Therapists the opportunity to develop skills in clinical youth mental health and wellbeing, through hands-on learning. Successful applicants will be offered a two-year contract - spending 12 months in one clinical setting, then rotating to another clinical setting for the second 12 months.

The program supports graduates with a structured education and learning program, in-team and discipline specific supervision, monthly facilitated peer critical reflective practice, and a focus on self-care. Learning opportunities are aligned with the Our Workplace, Our Futures Capabilities Framework, and Professional Standard of each discipline, supported by the PYMHWS Clinical Training and Orygen Knowledge Translation.

With training in specialised areas of youth mental health (across acute and community settings) graduates develop generalist and discipline specific skills through hands-on experience, delivering targeted interventions such as case management, assessment, family support, risk assessment and recovery-oriented practice. Opportunities to develop clinical skills in evidence-based interventions are under-pinned with strength-based practice, building on our commitment to provide safe and ethical care that is in partnership with people of diverse cultural backgrounds, supports and respects learning and partnering with communities, and is trauma-informed.

The program aims to equip clinicians with the knowledge, capabilities and confidence to apply for Grade 3 positions in youth mental health at the conclusion of the program.

What You'll Do:

• Use your occupational therapy perspective and skills to support mental health recovery and wellbeing in young people.

• Work with a broad range of clinical presentations and young people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• Commit to regular supervision, engagement in a facilitated peer support group, and attendance at a youth-specific program of professional development (minimum of 10 protected days per year).
• Work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams of medical, nursing, allied health (occupational therapy, social work, dietetics, speech pathology), psychology, and lived experience staff.

About You:

✔ Occupational Therapy qualification from a recognised school of occupational therapy with less than two years work experience post qualification.

✔️ You hold registration as an occupational therapist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Newly graduated occupational therapists can provide proof of pending registration, however full registration is required before commencing the role.

✔️ Conscientious and dedicated to working with young people experiencing complex mental health difficulties, their families and wider supporters and kin.

✔️ You are committed to building a career in youth mental health, and are looking for a role that combines direct clinical experience with an early career training program designed to equip you with the skills needed to excel in your career.

Ready to Make a Difference?
If you're looking to be part of something truly meaningful—we'd love to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Sarah White (Occupational Therapy Clinical Educator) on 03 •••• •100.

To view the full Position Description, please click HERE

Please APPLY NOW. To view the full position description, please visit our careers page - PYMHWS.org.au

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Recruitment is ongoing, with interviews commencing as soon as suitable candidates are received. Advertising may cease prior to the closing date.

We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support all applicants. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application prompts or inform our People and Culture team if you're contacted for an interview.

PYMHWS stands in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in work and care. We are proud to be a workplace that champions diversity, inclusion and equality for our staff and our community. Our goal is for our people to feel safe, included and supported so that they can be at their best every single day. We encourage talented people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply to our vacancies, and will consider adjustments to support such applications.

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Record Check and a Working with Children Check. Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of an immunisation assessment prior to commencement.