Dietitian – Grade 2 – Locals
Date Posted:
- December 2, 2024
Job Description:
The Mental Health & Wellbeing Locals is community-led and integrated through a collaborative partnership between us at Inspiro, Wellways, Eastern Health, and Oonah. The Locals are dedicated to placing the community at the forefront of mental health and wellbeing reform in the Yarra Ranges.
The focus is on care and support for adults (26 and over), who are experiencing mental health concerns – including people with co-occurring alcohol and drug treatment and care needs and their family, carers, and supporters.
Our Towards Change team is seeking an experienced Dietitian who will utilise their specialised knowledge and experience in supporting adults with health and/or substance use challenges with nutrition counselling and therapy, to enhance their mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
The role is ongoing, part time 0.4FTE, (2 days per week) based at our Lilydale site, plus other sites if required (Yarra Junction and Belgrave).
Ideally you will have a background in community health or a health promotion setting with a desire to make a difference. If this sounds like you come and join our values-based, community organisation – being Friendly, Client Centred and Local are who we are and what we’re about!
About the role:
The role will provide a variety of treatment, preventative, early intervention and health promotion activities with a nutritional and mental health focus, with an aim to foster holistic wellbeing and recovery for our participants.
By offering personalised nutritional assessments and guidance, you will help alleviate symptoms, enhance mood stability, and promote overall wellness. Your compassionate approach and commitment to empowering individuals to cultivate healthy relationships with food will contribute significantly to the outcomes of our participants.
You will be enthusiastic and passionate about championing mental health reform in Victoria’s new mental health system with the goal of improving outcomes for participants, carers, and the wider community.
Position Responsibilities:
In the role you will:
- Conduct thorough nutritional assessments of participants to understand their dietary habits, preferences, and nutritional needs with expert consideration of their mental health and/or substance use and medications
- Support lifestyle change using individualised nutrition advice and counselling, including practical strategies such as cooking groups, label reading, food budgeting, meal planning, and using visual aids and demonstrations (such as food or meal portions)
- Provide individual and group nutrition education sessions to participants, caregivers, and staff members, emphasising the relationship between nutrition and mental wellbeing
- Offer evidence-based guidance on healthy eating patterns, portion control, meal planning, and mindful eating practices to support mental health recovery and symptom management
- Work closely with interdisciplinary teams to integrate nutritional interventions into comprehensive treatment plans
- Participate in case conferences, treatment meetings, and care coordination activities to ensure a holistic approach to participant care and optimise treatment outcomes
- Regularly monitor participants’ nutritional status, dietary compliance, and progress towards nutritional goals through ongoing assessments and follow-up sessions
- Evaluate the effectiveness of dietary interventions in managing mental health symptoms, improving mood, enhancing energy levels, and promoting overall wellbeing
- Adjust nutrition plans as needed based on participants’ feedback and treatment outcomes
- Foster collaborative relationships with community resources, nutrition experts, advocacy groups, and educational institutions to enhance service delivery and promote awareness of the link between nutrition and mental health
- Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to contribute to service and team development and the promotion of the Local and its services.
About You:
- Experience working with individuals holistically and contextually, considering systems, institutions, families, cultures, communities, and ethnicity
- Provision of nutrition counselling and therapy to individuals with mental health and/or substance use challenges
- Experience conducting comprehensive nutritional assessments
- Understanding of the link between nutrition and mental health, specifically regarding common conditions like depression, anxiety and eating disorders
- Skilled at tailoring interventions to individual needs and treatment plans considering mental health diagnosis, medications and social/cultural factors.
- Demonstrated high level of self-awareness and an ability to operate within clearly defined boundaries of responsibility
- Strong ability to convey warmth, openness, and concern for welfare of participants
- Capability to make informed decisions on reasonably complex issues, aligning with established policies and procedures, and adept at identifying and resolving problems or obstacles in collaboration with team members
- In-depth knowledge of trauma-informed practice and practical experience in applying person-centred approaches
- Exceptional communication skills, encompassing proficiency in written, verbal, and interpersonal interactions
- Ability to work respectfully and creatively with a CALD client population, including Indigenous Australians and the LGBTIQA+ Community.
You will also have:
- Tertiary qualifications in Dietetics
- Eligibility for Membership of Dietitians Australia
- Demonstrated experience working with Mental Health clients
- Demonstrated experience (minimum 2 years) and skill in a wide range of nutrition and dietary assessment procedures, treatments, and activities
- Minimum 2 years working in a community health or health promotion setting
- Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with mental health professionals to assess and address the nutritional needs of individuals with diverse mental health and/or substance use challenges. This includes understanding the link between nutrition and mental health, and tailoring dietary interventions to individual needs and treatment plans
- Ability to effectively communicate and motivate individuals to adopt and maintain healthy dietary behaviours. This includes using techniques like motivational interviewing, goal setting, and providing clear, actionable steps for dietary change within the context of their mental health journey
- Proficient in providing evidence-based nutritional counselling aligned with current guidelines and considering client preferences and cultural backgrounds.
Essential
To be the successful candidate you must:
- meet the position requirements,
- undertake a current National or International Police Record Check,
- hold an Employee Working with Children Check
- Australian Driver’s Licence
- provide evidence of right to work in Australia
- provide 100 points of identification
- hold or be willing to obtain a NDIS Worker Screening Check,
- complete induction training and NDIS Workers Orientation Modules.
Inspiro may request additional background checks subject to current legislation.
How to Apply:
Tell us why you’d like to work at Inspiro and what you can bring to this role.
Please send an updated resume and cover letter to our HR team at employment@inspiro.org.au. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No agencies please.
At Inspiro, we’re passionate about making a difference in our community. As a trusted provider of accessible, inclusive, and high-quality health care in the Yarra Ranges, our skilled team of over 100 employees works collaboratively to support healthier, happier lives. We’re committed to creating a workplace that’s inclusive, supportive, and focused on growth—for our team and the people we serve.
We’re excited to announce our upcoming merger with Access Health and Community, an organisation with a 150-year legacy of compassionate care. With over 400 employees and 200 volunteers across 18 locations, this partnership strengthens our shared commitment to delivering exceptional care. This is an exciting time to join Inspiro, as this merger brings new opportunities to grow, innovate, and make an even greater impact in the communities we support.
We welcome Everyone. Inspiro is committed to an inclusive workforce and celebrates the value of difference and diversity. We encourage applications from people of all abilities and ages, First Nations people and people of all cultures. We also encourage people to apply who have a lived experience of mental health challenges so that our workforce can better connect with our community and drive collaborative and innovative healthcare improvements.
