Job Description

OUR ORGANISATION

Join Lifeline Australia and you will be helping to support the delivery of critical services ensuring that “no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.”

Lifeline Australia is a national suicide prevention charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. We are committed to empowering Australians to be suicide-safe through connection, compassion and
hope.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Mental Health Practice Lead is a project-based role that provides clinical oversight and expertise to support the safe, consistent, and effective delivery of service pathways. The role ensures clinical safety and risk management are embedded in service processes, supports the development of clinical process flows, and contributes to training and capability building
across the service.

This role is a temporary contract for 12 months. It is full-time with hybrid working arrangements in our offices at Sydney, CBD

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide senior clinical guidance on project workflows, referral pathways, and follow-up processes.
• Lead or contribute to clinical risk assessment, escalation pathways, and safety considerations within project service delivery.
• Providing hands on clinical support to the project teams, design team, service delivery workforce and service users participating in projects, as required.
• Review and update policies, procedures, and operational guidance documents (including Operations Manual content) to reflect best practice and consistent delivery standards.
• Develop, document and maintain clinical process flows, outlining step-by-step practice expectations for staff.
• Convert process flows into practical implementation tools such as job aids, decision trees, checklists and quick-reference guides.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of training materials, including facilitator guides, competency exercises and reflective practice components.
• Support capability building, coaching and calibration activities to promote consistent clinical judgment and referral practice across staff.
• Review complaints, incidents, and practice feedback related to projects to identify themes and drive continuous improvement.
• Contribute to ongoing clinical governance and evaluation planning, including outcome measures and quality indicators for projects.
• Work collaboratively with Practice, Operations, Digital, Lived Experience, and Data/Insights teams to ensure clinical integrity and user-centred design in all service improvements.

ABOUT YOU

• Tertiary qualification in psychology, counselling, social work, mental health nursing or related field.
• Current registration/membership with a relevant professional body (e.g., AHPRA, AASW).
• Significant clinical experience in mental health or crisis support, including risk assessment and safety planning.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to clinical governance, policy development, or service quality improvement.
• Experience developing training, supervision or practice capability building.
• Knowledge of digital mental health models, remote support contexts, or referral-based care pathways is desirable.
• Knowledge of National Safety & Quality Mental Health Standards (or similar NGO standards) is desirable.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, mental health risk assessment and escalation.
• Ability to translate clinical expertise into operational processes that are feasible and scalable.
• Collaborative and confident in working across clinical, operational, and design/innovation teams.
• Committed to person-centred, culturally safe, trauma-informed health practice.
• Practical, solution-focused mindset; comfortable working in iterative and agile environments.
• All employees of Lifeline Australia must undergo a National Police Check.

OUR CULTURE

The team are passionate, supportive and hardworking. They are very driven to reach their goals, so that they can continue to grow and deliver critical support to all Australians at a time when the importance of mental health has never been so prevalent.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PACKAGE

• Salary Packaging – being a not-for-profit organisation allows us to offer our employees access to some amazing tax savings through salary packaging.
• Lifeline Learning Academy – access to instructor led and online courses through Australian Institute of Management and e-learning modules.
• Flexible working – we provide flexibility and support to all employees and encourage work-life balance.
• Employee Assistance Program – access to free counselling sessions for you and your family.
• Beautiful office facilities in central location – including shower facilities.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please select “Apply Now” and follow the prompts to submit your expression of interest.