Social Worker - Mental Health Inpatient Ward at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Taranaki, Taranaki

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

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Social Worker

Te Puna Waiora - Acute Mental Health Inpatient Service

Taranaki Base Hospital, New Plymouth

1.0 FTE (80 hours per fortnight)

Permanent Position

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Social Worker with strong mental health & addictions experience to work in our acute mental health inpatient ward. You will work within a supportive multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments and intervention for tangata whaiora inpatient at Te Puna Waiora Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth. You will liaise closely with individuals and whanau and develop strong links with community services as required to provide integrated care for individuals. You will have regular supervision and support with continuing professional development.

Please click here to view the position description

About the Team/Service/ Location

Te Puna Waiora is a 23-bed unit catering for General Adults (12 beds), Older Adults (4 beds) and has a 7 bed Intensive Psychiatric Care unit. The unit has a full complement of Registered and Enrolled Nurses, Psychiatric/Mental Health Assistants, Occupational Therapist, Activities Facilitator and Administrative staff. Cultural support for the ward is delivered by our Pou Hāpai team from Te Pā Harakeke. Medical staff include 2 Psychiatrists, 1-2 Psychiatric Registrars and 2 House Officers. Health NZ Taranaki is a teaching hospital and we routinely have students on placement from our local nursing school, medical students, support worker students as well as allied health when applicable. For more information on living and working in Taranaki click here.

About you

Successful candidates will be:

• New Zealand registration with the Social Workers Registration Board and a current Annual Practicing Certificate;
• Ideally, youll have two or more years of experience working in a health field of practice;
• Ability to work under pressure, be a good team player, demonstrate leadership skills and positively contribute to service delivery;
• Adept at developing strong working relationships both within specialist Mental Health & Addiction Services as well as NGO and other state service providers;
• Excellent interpersonal skills is a must as well as a commitment to continuous learning, is innovative and whai ora/whanau focused.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

How to Apply

To apply please click apply now. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by Monday 16 March 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Ross Ekdahl at ross.ekdahl@tdhb.org.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.