Occupational Therapist - Community Mental Health

• Occupational Therapist, Community Mental Health Team
• Taranaki Base Hospital
• Fixed Term Fulltime (80 hours per fortnight) - 11 January 2027 to 7 January 2028

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

As an Occupational Therapist, you will play a vital role within the Community Mental Health Team. Occupational Therapists in the service provide keyworking for a caseload of clients, as well as conduct functional, cognitive and sensory assessments for whai ora across the Community Mental Health Service. There is also the opportunity to help facilitate groups.

Please click here to view the position description

About the Team/Service/ Location

Our team is composed of Psychologists, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Support Workers, Nurses, and Psychiatrists. Most of the work will occur in the hospital setting with the occasional opportunity for community work.

We can offer you a welcoming and supportive environment with a team that is committed to ensuring you are successful in your role. We will also provide a comprehensive orientation process when you start so that you become familiar not only with our service but also the wider mental health sector in Taranaki.

For more information on living and working in Taranaki click here

About you

Successful candidates will have:

• A current Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) in New Zealand
• Experience in, and passion for, working with whai ora experiencing significant mental health distress
• Excellent assessment skill
• Adept therapeutic skills and knowledgeable in a variety of therapeutic modalities.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication & relationship building skills
• Flexibility to work autonomously as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team and provide clinical leadership and supervision within the team.
• Understanding and application of the principles of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with a culturally safe and appropriate approach to practice
• Display enthusiasm to embrace new ideas and innovative thinking towards service delivery.

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 22 November 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Tayler Everett - Clinical Team Lead, North Community Mental Health at tayler.everett@tdhb.org.nz

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