Mental Health Ireland

Job Specification

Position Title      :       Mental Health Promotion Officer

Reports to          :        Mental Health Promotion Manager

Location             :       Head Office (Glasthule, Co. Dublin)

Mental Health Ireland (MHI) is a national voluntary organisation with a network of Mental Health Associations (MHAs) active throughout the country. Mental Health Ireland aims to promote positive mental health through evidence based programmes, training and awareness raising and to support persons who experience mental health difficulties, their families and significant others through the activities of Mental Health Associations’ and national advocacy.

POSITION SUMMARY

In 2018 Mental Health Ireland developed a new Mental Health Promotion Department to broaden the scope of delivering on our aims, mission and vision as an organisation. Working closely with the Mental Health Promotion Manager, the Mental Health Promotion Officer will support the development, design and implementation of mental health promotion programmes and resources to advance Mental Health Ireland’s strategy. The Mental Health Promotion Officer will work to enable and encourage people to increase control over their own health/mental health through health education, programmes and initiatives. 

The Mental Health Promotion Officer will support the development of education and training programmes, promoting positive mental health across all Life Stages (children and families; adolescents; adults; older people) and Settings (community; educational; workplaces; primary care).

The Mental Health Promotion Officer will work with our Head Office Team, Development Officers and Volunteers around the country in areas including mental health promotion, national awareness and advocacy campaigns, and projects for specific key groups across the life stages.

  The role demands flexible working hours and out of office hours from time to time.

The successful candidate will have skills in specific areas including mental health promotion, resource development, research and communications and be capable, through coproduction, of planning and implementing mental health promotion programmes with various community groups.

THE PERSON

The successful candidate will be expected to have:

• A recognised third level qualification in health promotion with relevant post qualification experience.
• Knowledge/experience of research and evaluation in health promotion practice.
• Knowledge/experience of developing, implementing and evaluating mental health promotion/health promotion programmes/initiative/policies.
• An understanding of implementing health promotion actions within different settings.
• An understanding of the health promotion competencies and principles of mental health promotion.
• A knowledge of national policy - Healthy Ireland, Vision for Change, Connecting for Life and the Framework for Recovery in Mental Health.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Mental Health Ireland.
• The ability to represent Mental Health Ireland across a diverse range of audiences and to build effective relationships with Mental Health Associations, HSE, service user groups, community/ voluntary organisations and cross sectoral stakeholders.
• Analytical skills with an ability to access information accurately & quickly.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills (Both verbal and written).
• A high level of motivation and capacity for working on one’s own initiative.
• A positive, flexible and ‘can-do’ attitude

The following experience is a distinct advantage:

• Experience of working in mental health promotion or voluntary sectors.
• Experience of volunteering and working with volunteers.

The successful candidate is required to have their own car and a clean driving licence.

 MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

The Mental Health Promotion Officer will:

• Support the Mental Health Promotion Manager in delivering on key actions and priorities as outlined in MHI strategy – Empowerment – From Ideas to Action 2019-2021.
• Work within the known evidence base to co-design Mental Health promotion resources and programmes for MHI and partner agencies.
• Stay up to date with current research and trends in the field of mental health promotion supporting our continuous improvement and evidence based evaluation culture.
• Support the co-development and co-production of general health and mental health promotion programmes for people with significant and enduring mental health issues.
• Support MHAs and enhance the work of MHAs around the country, reflecting the mental health promotion priorities of MHI.
• Support & encourage MHAs to organise and promote mental health promotion events – i.e. national campaigns, seminars and information days.
• Support the co-development and co-delivery of mental health promotion initiatives for specific settings – e.g., workplaces, educational and community settings.

Organisation

The Mental Health Promotion Officer will:

• Promote the objectives, policies and practices of MHI.
• Contribute to the promotion of equality of opportunity, anti-discriminatory practice, diversity, individual rights and choice in all aspects of work.

• Undertake such other duties as might be reasonably assigned from time to time in consultation with the Mental Health Promotion Manager and Management Team.

Conditions of employment:

The Mental Health Promotion Officer will be based at Head Office. The position is based on a 5 day week (37 hours), exclusive of lunch hours, with regular evening work and occasional week-end working.

This post is a two year fixed term contract.

The salary for this post is aligned to Grade IV, HSE and is subject to Garda Vetting.

If you require further information, contact Aisling on aisling@mentalhealthireland.ie

 In order to apply, applicants should send their CV & Cover letter highlighting how they meet the above criteria to the following e-mail: recruitment@mentalhealthireland.ie

Closing date: 27^th February 2019 at 5pm.

Interviews are scheduled to take place on the 12^th & 13^th of March 2019.