Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS) is a new, dedicated public youth mental health service and is the first of its kind in Australia. We are looking for a passionate and dedicated individual to join our team.

Social Worker – Graduate & Early Career Program

Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS)
(Formerly Orygen Specialist Program)

24 month Fixed Term until February 2028 | Full-Time 1.0 EFT |📍 Parkville, Sunshine, Footscray, Wyndham

Develop direct clinical mental health practice and core mental health competencies, focusing on specialist training in youth mental health.

• Feb 2026 Graduate Program | Two supported clinical rotations over 24 months
• Weekly supervision | Peer Reflective Practice | Professional Development
• Salary Packaging | Monthly ADO | 5 weeks Annual Leave

About Us:

Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS) is Victoria’s newest public mental health service dedicated to the care of young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing complex mental health challenges. 

PYMHWS is leading a bold and values-driven transformation in youth mental health care across Melbourne’s north and west. We exist to walk alongside young people, their families, carers, supporters and kin delivering care that is accessible, inclusive, developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed, and grounded in lived experience. Our service model is shaped by the voices of young people and their communities, and underpinned by a commitment to safety, equity, and continuous learning.

At PYMHWS, we are working with our community and partners to build in a future where all young people can access world-class mental health support, close to home. As we grow, we are looking for passionate, skilled, and visionary professionals to join us in shaping a new era of youth mental health in Victoria.  

The Opportunity:

Our service is made up of compassionate, curious, and committed people. As we continue to grow, we are looking for new Graduate Social Workers who are dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of young people across the North-Western suburbs of Melbourne.

Many Social Workers currently working at PYMHWS commenced their careers in the Early Career & Graduate program, and others transitioned from different sectors, bringing valuable skills and experiences.

Why Join PYMHWS?

• Be part of a large youth-specific mental health service, where early intervention can make a real difference.

• Provide meaningful care that is evidence based, developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive.
• Work in close partnership with youth mental health research leaders integrating  new knowledge into practice.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development, with a dedicated Early Career Training Program
• Salary packaging options, up to $11,600 tax free earnings
• 5 weeks annual leave plus monthly ADO for full time employees
• Employee wellbeing focused, access to EAP
• Fitness Passport membership
• Flexible, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture

About the Role:

The PYMHWS Allied Health Graduate & Early Career Program offers graduate and early career Social Workers and Occupational Therapists the opportunity to develop skills in clinical youth mental health and wellbeing, through hands-on learning. Successful applicants will be offered a two-year contract – spending 12 months in one clinical setting, then rotating to another clinical setting for the second 12 months.

The program supports graduates with a structured education and learning program, in-team and discipline specific supervision, monthly facilitated peer critical reflective practice, and a focus on self-care. Learning opportunities are aligned with the Our Workplace, Our Futures Capabilities Framework, and AASW Standards, and supported by the Orygen National Centre for Excellence knowledge translation and training.

With training in specialised areas of youth mental health (across acute and community settings) graduates develop generalist and discipline specific skills through hands-on experience, delivering targeted interventions such as case management, assessment, family support, risk assessment and recovery-oriented practice. Opportunities to develop clinical skills in evidence-based interventions are under-pinned with strength-based practice, building on our commitment to provide safe and ethical care that is in partnership with people of diverse cultural backgrounds, supports and respects learning and partnering with communities, and is trauma-informed.

The program aims to equip staff with the knowledge, capabilities and confidence to apply for Grade 2 positions in youth mental health at the conclusion of the program.

What You'll Do:

• Use your social work knowledge and skills to support mental health recovery and wellbeing in young people.

• Work with a broad range of clinical presentations and young people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• Commit to regular supervision, engage in a facilitated peer support group, and attendance at a youth-specific program of professional development (minimum of 10 protected days per year).
• Work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams of medical, nursing, allied health (occupational therapy, social work, dietetics, speech pathology), psychology, and lived experience staff. 

About You:

We encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply and are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workforce.

✔️ Bachelors of Social Work or Masters (qualifying) of Social Work within the past 24 months from a recognised school of Social Work according to the AASW.

✔️ Less than 24 months work experience post qualification.

✔️ If qualified overseas, provide an International Qualification Assessment via AASW.

✔️ Social Workers must have or be eligible for full registration with the Australian Association of Social Work (AASW) by 1 February 2026.

✔️ Conscientious and dedicated to working with young people experiencing complex mental health difficulties, their families and wider supporters and kin.

✔️ Enthusiastic and engaged in learning, seek feedback, embrace new challenges and rewards working in a mental health setting.

✔️ A strong interest in youth mental health sector and practice, and understanding of frameworks including MARAM, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022, and biopsychosocial issues impacting consumers.

Ready to Make a Difference?
If you're looking to be part of something truly meaningful—we’d love to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Lucy Angwin (Social Work Graduate Clinical Educator) on 03 9966 9100.

To view the full Position Description, please click HERE

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Record Check and a Working with Children Check. Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of an immunisation assessment prior to commencement.

PYMHWS stands in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in work and care. We are proud to be a workplace that champions diversity, inclusion and equality for our staff and our community.  Our goal is for our people to feel safe, included and supported so that they can be at their best every single day. We encourage talented people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply to our vacancies, and will consider adjustments to support such applications.