Earlier Mental Health Response Clinician - Crisis Team
Full-TimePosted on 10/19/2026
NZ$47.82/hr
Senior
Auckland, New Zealand
Remote
Medical, Clinical & VeterinaryMental & Behavioral Health
About the job
Requirements
At least five years of experience working in an acute mental health setting, such as a crisis team, liaison psychiatry, community mental health, inpatient mental health, or a triage team.
Be registered with the New Zealand Professional Registration Board and hold a current Annual Practising Certificate.
Have experience delivering triage and interventions via telephone in mental health settings and using tools as part of this process.
Have experience working with suicide and risk, including conducting risk assessment and management.
Be confident and competent using multiple IT systems, documenting accurately, managing workload responsibly, and engaging in reflective practice and supervision.
Demonstrate clinical judgment in mental health triage, suicide risk assessment, intervention planning, and telephone-based support.
Be able to build rapport quickly and provide calm, recovery-focused, person-centred support to callers in distress.
Work efficiently and communicate effectively.
Demonstrate cultural competence, including practical application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally safe practice.
Responsibilities
Deliver mental health telephone triage, applying the UK triage tool, de-escalation interventions, and support planning while ensuring safety, dignity, and cultural responsiveness.
Build rapport with service users and whānau, working collaboratively to create effective support plans and referrals.
Work with Police, Ambulance, crisis teams, and other frontline partners to coordinate handovers, communication, and outcomes using the ISBAR model.
Maintain accurate, professional documentation in line with regulatory and organisational standards, and ensure consult documents reach the correct clinical team promptly to support continuity of care.
Use clinical guidelines, decision-support tools, and technology to support safe clinical practice, including acting as shift coordinator when required.
Desired Qualifications
DAO experience is preferred.
Job Description
Are you an experienced registered Mental Health Clinician looking for a change in 2027?
We have just the job! Utilise your skills from the comfort of your own space, no more travel time, no more rush hour traffic and transport costs. This is the perfect work life balance opportunity for you!
We are excited to announce a fantastic opportunity for the role of Earlier Mental Health Response Clinician at Whakarongorau Aotearoa. As we prepare for our next intake in January 2027, we are seeking enthusiastic and qualified candidates to join our dynamic team.
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 applying the UK triage tool, 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.
Be part of a collaborative team working towards better health outcomes for all of Aotearoa.
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.
To matou tukanga tono | Application Process
While our official start date for this role is 25 January 2027, we are commencing our search now to ensure we find the best candidates. We encourage interested applicants to apply early. Please note that due to the advanced timeline, there may be a delay in our initial response. However, rest assured that all applications will be thoroughly reviewed, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Qualifications
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, Community MH, 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.
Additional Information
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