Team Leader - Mental Health Acute Alternative Services

Team Leader/Registered Nurse - Te Toki Haumanu

Acute Mental Health & Addiction Services, Rotorua

Permanent Full Time (Monday to Friday)

Lead Change. Transform Care. Make a Difference.

Are you an experienced mental health clinician ready to shape the future of community-based care? Join Te Toki Haumanu and play a pivotal role in transforming Acute Mental Health & Addiction Services (MHAS) across the Lakes district.

Guided by Te Ara Tauwhirotanga, our innovative Model of Care, we are bringing services closer to home, improving access, and ensuring people and whānau remain at the centre of everything we do. This is your opportunity to influence service delivery, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, and drive innovation that creates lasting impact for tāngata whaiora and their whānau.

As Team Leader / Registered Nurse, you will lead a diverse and highly skilled team delivering responsive, recovery-focused mental health services. This is more than a leadership role. It is an opportunity to inspire change, champion equitable outcomes, and help build a more accessible and connected mental health system for our community.  Suitably qualified and experience health professionals (Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Psychologist) will be considered.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting time to become part of a service transformation that values innovation, collaboration, and community voice. In return, you'll enjoy:

• The opportunity to lead meaningful service change and innovation

• Ongoing professional development and leadership growth opportunities

• A supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary environment

• Competitive remuneration and excellent employment benefits

• Free staff parking and annual flu vaccination

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) support

• Discounts with a range of local businesses

• The chance to make a genuine difference in the lives of people and whānau every day

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

Reporting to the Adult Community MHAS Clinical Nurse Manager, you will lead the Te Toki Haumanu (Acute MH&A Services) team and provide operational and clinical leadership across multiple specialist services. You will be responsible for leading a group of experienced and dynamic clinicians and manage resources, service performance, and quality improvement initiatives while ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centred care.

This unique role combines strategic leadership with direct clinical practice, allowing you to maintain a proportionate clinical caseload within Triage and Brief Intervention.

You will provide leadership across six key service areas with 11 staff in total:

• Triage & Brief Intervention

• Home Based Treatment

• Primary Liaison & Integration

• SBIRT Addictions Team 

• Mental Health Clinical Nurse Educator in ED

• Hospital Consult Liaison Services

You will play a key role in strengthening service integration, supporting workforce development, and advancing innovative models of care that improve outcomes for those accessing mental health and addiction services.  You will work closely alongside the Team leaders for ART (Acute Response Team, 24-7 crisis) and the Regional Reintegration Service (Forensic), with Waikato operating as the main hub.

About the Service

Te Toki Haumanu Acute services are at the heart of our commitment to delivering accessible, community-based acute mental health care. Our multidisciplinary teams work collaboratively to provide flexible, culturally responsive support that reduces hospital admissions and promotes recovery within the community.

We are passionate about delivering care that is inclusive, equitable, and centred on the needs of tangata whaiora and their whānau.

About the Location

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Lakes provides services across Rotorua and Taupō, two of New Zealand's most sought-after lifestyle destinations.

From world-renowned mountain biking trails, lakes, geothermal attractions, and outdoor adventures to vibrant communities and excellent schools, the Lakes region offers an outstanding quality of life. Here, you can enjoy a rewarding leadership career while embracing an exceptional work-life balance.

About You

You are a confident and collaborative leader with a passion for delivering high-quality mental health care and empowering multidisciplinary teams to achieve outstanding outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Registration as a Registered Nurse (or other health professional) with a current Annual Practising Certificate

• Relevant postgraduate qualifications, such as a Master's degree in Mental Health or Addictions, or evidence of actively working towards advanced qualifications

• A minimum of two years' clinical experience within acute mental health and addiction services

• Strong understanding of community-based and interdisciplinary models of care

• Experience in leadership, service coordination, workforce leadership, and continuous quality improvement will be an asset

• A commitment to culturally responsive practice and the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and change leadership skills

Click here for Position Description

Click here for Collective Agreement (if applicable)

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

If you are passionate about leading people, driving innovation, and improving mental health outcomes for our communities, we would love to hear from you. Join us and help shape the future of mental health care in the Lakes region.   To apply please click apply now. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal before end of posting date. If you have any questions about the role, please contact vacancy@lakesdhb.govt.nz

The selection process starts from the date of advertising. Due to the fast-paced nature of our roles, the vacancy close date may be subject to change.