Do you have a passion and commitment with working with Pacific communities? 

Do you have a natural ability to connect and advocate for children and their families? 

Do you want to create a positive impact for Pacific children and their families in a school setting?

Then this opportunity will be for you.  We are seeking a dedicated and passionate individual to join our Mapu Maia team in Auckland in our Kia Ora Ake contract. 

 

About the role:

This role will have a focus on establishing and maintaining excellent relationships with primary schools and school communities, being a key contact for those schools, and partnering to assess and respond to tamariki and whaanau wellbeing needs.  This can be through supporting the introduction of whole of school programmes, group or classroom level programmes, or individual work with tamariki and their whaanau. 

Kia Ora Ake is a locally co-designed tamariki hinengaro wellbeing approach for Counties Manukau and is part of the national Mana Ake programme. Mana Ake is a school based holistic wellbeing approach providing support to primary and intermediate school aged tamariki, their whaanau and schools.  

 

About us:

Mapu Maia was established in 2009 to provide a Pacific counselling and public health service in the area of problem gambling.

Since its set up in 2009, Mapu Maia’s services have evolved and expanded to include public health and health promotion, counselling in co-existing issues and other addictions, community advocacy, and psychoeducation and psychosocial programmes on mental health and addictive behaviours delivered in prisons, community settings and within external community providers. 

Our work is informed by culturally safe clinical practice and significant Pasifika health promotion experience. Our team consists of individuals with trauma informed and grief counselling experience, mental health, and addiction backgrounds with strong cultural and spiritual implementation skills. 

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage in situations of disclosures of risk and escalate to primary and secondary services as needed.

• Support schools with referrals to secondary services as appropriate

• Identify risk and follow provider and Kia Ora Ake escalation pathways

• Run large and small groups

• Provide 1:1 tamariki and whaanau support

• Lead and support engagement with whaanau

• Lead development and adjust wellbeing programmes to suit the demographic within individual schools

• Support all efforts to secure high rates of participation with tamariki Maaori and whaanau Maaori as the key priority, and with other priority groups including Pacific, disabled, rainbow and rural communities.

• Meet all case management and reporting requirements accurately and in a timely manner

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Qualifications:

• Graduate qualification from New Zealand recognised tertiary institution in counselling, psychology, psychotherapy or social work, minimum level 7.

• Member of appropriate professional body - minimum provisional registration (DAPPANZ, Social Work, NZAC, NZCCS, Psychology)

• A relevant post-graduate qualification is desired but not required.

• Experience in mental wellbeing service delivery

• Current full and clean driver’s licence

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What we offer: 

• Flexible working environment 

• Five Weeks Annual Leave

• Birthday Leave

• 12 Days Sick Leave

• Medical Insurance 

• KiwiSaver 

• Competitive salary based on skills and experience 

• Tools for work

• Career development and training opportunities 

• Use of company vehicle for work purposes

 

We are committed to delivering a high-quality Pacific service and the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff is important to us.  We value the connections you have with your community and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply. 

If you want to make a difference by working to support families and achieve healthy communities, we want to hear from you.