Access & Referral Team Leader – Mental Health & AOD Services

📍 Heatherton | Full-time, Ongoing | Hybrid working model

Lead with Purpose. Empower Access. Make a Difference.

Are you ready to take the next step in your leadership journey within a purpose-driven health organisation?

We’re looking for a passionate and experienced Team Leader to join our Access & Referral (A&R) team — the heart of SEMPHN’s mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) service system.

As a key part of our Commissioning & Capacity Building Services Directorate, you’ll lead a high-performing team dedicated to connecting people to the right care, at the right time.

Who We Are

At South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN), we’re building a more equitable, person-centred and seamless health system.

From GPs and mental health providers to hospitals and community organisations — we bring the system together so people get the support they need.

We serve over 1.6 million people across our region, supporting priority areas such as:

Mental health and wellbeing

Alcohol and other drugs

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

Aged care

Digital health and workforce development

Learn more at www.semphn.org.au

The Opportunity

As the Access & Referral Team Leader, you’ll provide hands-on leadership and operational oversight for the intake and triage functions across SEMPHN’s funded Mental Health and AOD services.

You’ll guide your team in managing complex referrals, supporting clinicians, and ensuring people across South East Melbourne have clear, compassionate access to the care they need.

In this role, you will:

Lead and support a skilled team delivering high-quality intake, triage and referral functions.

Oversee service operations, ensuring timely, safe and efficient responses to referrals across the stepped care model.

Provide clinical oversight and guidance for complex or high-risk cases.

Coach, mentor and onboard new team members, fostering capability and wellbeing.

Collaborate widely across SEMPHN teams, service providers, and system partners to strengthen referral pathways.

Drive continuous improvement, embedding quality, safety and best-practice approaches into daily operations.

Champion consumer-centred access — ensuring people and providers experience a clear, coordinated journey through the system.

About You

You’re a collaborative, confident leader with a deep understanding of the mental health and AOD sectors. You thrive in dynamic environments and bring both compassion and structure to complex service delivery.

You’ll bring:

Demonstrated experience leading teams in a clinical, intake, triage, or referral environment.

Strong people management and mentoring skills — fostering professional growth and high performance.

Sound clinical judgement and experience in mental health, AOD, or psychosocial support.

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills — able to influence, collaborate and advocate effectively.

A focus on quality and risk management, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Proficiency in client management systems and Microsoft Office tools.

Flexibility with working hours (rostered between 8:30am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday).

🎓 Desirable: Tertiary qualifications in psychology, social work, nursing, occupational therapy, or human services, with relevant registration.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

💰 Boost Your Take-Home Pay: Generous salary packaging options.

🏡 Hybrid Work, Real Flexibility: Balance office collaboration with remote work.

👶 Parental Leave that Cares: 10 weeks paid leave.

🌴 Extra Leave: Leave loading and festive season leave days.

❤️ Wellbeing First: Free and confidential EAP for you and your family.

🌱 Grow with Us: Access to ongoing learning, development and leadership opportunities.

🎯 Purpose-Driven Culture: Be part of a values-led team making a real difference in your community.

Ready to Lead with Purpose?

If you’re passionate about improving access to mental health and AOD services — and have the leadership experience to drive meaningful impact — we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Click “Apply Now” and start your next chapter with SEMPHN. Please note, the job ad closes on 16 November, however we may commence interviews during the advertising period if a suitable candidate is identified.

At SEMPHN, we celebrate diversity.

We know that strength comes from diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Even if you don’t meet every criterion, we encourage you to apply — your unique background could be exactly what we’re looking for.