Associate Director of Mental Health & Addiction Services

• Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Whanganui District
• Mental Health and Addiction
• Permanent, Full time

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

Why a great role - lead a team who contribute to making positive change to the outcome of Mental Health & Addictions Patients (tangata whaiora) in our community.

Work alongside like-minded people who are passionate about health and positive outcomes. Be part of a supportive team and grow as a leader/team player.

As an operational and professional leader of Mental Health & Addiction Services (MHA) you will lead our adult community and inpatient mental health teams.

You will be an experienced leader within Mental Health services with a strong focus on partnership with tangata whai ora, whanau and community, including iwi providers.  This role primarily focuses on adult mental health, bringing together community and inpatient teams under one service manager.

About the Team/Service/ Location

We work ‘from the mountain to the sea” and cover the geographical area including Waimarino, Taihape, South Rangitikei and Whanganui.

Te Awhina is an acute 12 bed, adult mental Health ward, including 3IPC beds.

Stanford House is a forensic, rehabilitation ward with 16 beds.

The community mental health & addictions team include rurals, AOD, OST and primary care liaison.

Each team has a CNM who report to this position.

You will be located on the Whanganui Campus. Whanganui is a great little progressive city with a friendly chilled vibe. Great café culture, schools and sporting opportunities with some of the best all year-round weather in the country. The rugged west coast beaches on your doorstep allow for all year surfing, fishing or just walking for miles. Skiing and hiking on mount Ruapehu just an hour up the road, Whanganui has all your bases covered for a family friendly lifestyle.  

For more information on living and working in Whanganui click here

About you

We are looking for an exceptional individual with a minimum of five years Mental Health leadership experience, and up to date knowledge of best practice.  You will have experience with change management, moving teams to least restrictive practice and ‘humanising' culture, in line with the Mental Health Act amendments. 

The successful applicant will have a current annual practising certificate and will have proven success in operational and budgetary oversight as well as professional leadership of services. You will display commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Pae Ora.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.  

How to Apply

To apply please click “apply now.”  All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by 7th May 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Stacey via jobs@wdhb.org.nz.

For more information about this exciting role, please contact one of the following:

Maurice.chamberlain@wdhb.org.nz Director of Nursing, local lead for Mental Health

Louise.allsopp@wdhb.org.nz Director of Allied Health, Scientific and Technical

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.