Earlier Mental Health Response Clinician - Crisis Team

To tatou tikanga | Our Culture

Our kaimahi (employees) are passionate people, each driven to contribute to better health outcomes, with a focus on high priority populations.

Whakarongorau Aotearoa (Whakarongorau) is committed to understanding and improving mana taurite (equal status) starts with the understanding of self and how we, as health professionals, think and behave each minute of each day to serve the health needs for Aotearoa.

We are committed to ensuring our workforce reflects the community we support.

Ko wai mātou | About us

Whakarongorau, a social enterprise, is a virtual health and social services organisation with a proven record of connecting people seamlessly with care when they need it. Whakarongorau aims to be there when face to face health and social services cannot, providing consistent, clinically supported access to services for those in need or when people are unable to access other options due to location, time of day, financial or cultural barriers.

Mō tēnei tūranga - About the role

As an Earlier Mental Health Response Clinician, you’ll be the first point of professional support for people experiencing mental distress, including referrals from Police, Ambulance, crisis mental health support requests and frontline workers seeking expert advice. You’ll use your clinical crisis mental health expertise to efficiently triage calls, assess risk and mental health , provide immediate, culturally responsive support, and guide callers toward safe and effective next steps based on the application of a validated clinical triage tool. You’ll collaborate closely with crisis teams and external partners, ensure accurate documentation,  and may step into shift coordination as your confidence grows. This is impactful, fast‑paced mahi where your skills directly support the immediate mental wellbeing and safety of individuals and whānau across Aotearoa.

Ngā haepapa matua | Key responsibilities

• Efficiently deliver high‑quality mental health telephone triage, deescalation interventions and support planning for callers, ensuring safety, dignity and cultural responsiveness.
• Build rapport quickly with service users and whānau, working collaboratively to create effective support plans and referrals.
• Work closely with Police, Ambulance, crisis teams and other frontline partners to ensure seamless handover, communication and outcomes applying the ISBAR model
• Maintain accurate, professional documentation in line with regulatory and organisational standards. Ensure that consult documents reach the correct clinical team quickly, to support continuity of care. 
• Use clinical guidelines, decision‑support tools and technology effectively to support safe clinical practice, including acting as shift coordinator when required.

Ngā hua mōu | What's in it for you

• A supportive, values‑led team that embraces collaboration, reflection and continuous improvement.
• Work from the comfort of home - No commute, more balance, and the freedom to bring your best self to each shift.
• Access exclusive discounts with Boost and Samsung.
• Purchase up to two extra weeks of leave, giving you more time for rest, whānau, adventures, or whatever fills your cup.
• Be part of a collaborative team working towards better health outcomes for all of Aotearoa.

Mōu ake | About you

You’re a calm, confident and compassionate clinician with strong assessment skills and the ability to think clearly under pressure. You have good crisis mental health experience and can build trust quickly, communicate effectively, and support people in crisis experiencing distress with respect, cultural safety and professionalism.

You value teamwork as much as autonomy, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and bring both empathy and clinical rigor to every interaction. You embrace Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in your practice and are committed to improving equity for Māori and priority communities.

Ōu wheako ōu mātauranga hoki | Qualifications and Experience

• 5+ years’ experience in working in an Acute Mental Health setting i.e. Crisis Team, liaison Psychiatry, In-patient Mental Health or Triage team
• Registered with the NZ Professional Registration Board & hold a current Annual Practising Certificate
• Experience of delivering triage and interventions, within mental health settings via the telephone and can use tools as part of this process
• Experience in working with suicide and risk, and can effectively undertake risk assessment and management
• Ideally have had DAO experience

Ōu āheitanga ōu pūkenga hoki - Skills and Competence

• Confident and competent using multiple IT systems, documenting accurately, managing workload responsibly, and engaging in reflective practice and supervision.
• Excellent clinical judgement in mental health triage, suicide risk assessment, intervention planning and telephone‑based support.
• Ability to build rapport quickly and deliver calm, recovery‑focused, person‑centred support to callers in distress.
• Able to work efficiently and with highly effective communication skills
• Strong cultural competence, with practical application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally safe practice.

If you're excited about this role and think you have what it takes, but your experience doesn't align 100%, we still want to hear from you and would encourage you to apply. 

Ō mātou uara | Our values

E kimi ana mātou i ētahi tangata e kaha whakanui i ēnei uara - We are looking for people who align naturally with these values and will champion them

• Mahia te mea tika / Do the right thing
• Hihiri e te kounga / Motivated by quality
• Ngākau nui ki te pai ake / Passion for better
• Pokohiwi ki Pokohiwi / Shoulder to shoulder