Whānau Support Worker

Who We Are

Yellow Brick Road is a well-respected national organisation with a proud history. We provide specialised support, advocacy and education to empower whānau/families to harness their strengths and create sustainable strategies to help navigate the complexities involved as they journey alongside a loved one who is experiencing mental health challenges. Our work/mahi is whānau centered and driven, underpinned with a Te Whare Tapa Whā approach, and grounded in solution focused and trauma informed practice. Whānau are the unsung heroes of our mental health system, who every day provide the essential workforce that supports the physical and emotional needs of their unwell loved ones.

The Role

The core focus of this role requires an experienced and skilled family/whānau support worker. As a whānau support worker you will have excellent relationship building skills, strong organisational abilities, and extensive community and mental health related experience. With established social services and wellbeing community contacts in the Auckland region, you will be skilled in relating to diverse groups and interacting with the health professionals (clinical and non-clinical) and agencies who are involved in the care of those facing mental health challenges.

Proven facilitation skills and experience delivering programmes, as well as running groups, is important, as are excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to capture comprehensive and detailed client notes. For this reason, we ask that you submit a one-page application letter with your CV highlighting your strengths and suitability to meet the key requirements of the role. Please do not use AI to write this, as we want to get a feel for your personal writing style.

The Applicant

The ideal applicant will have:

• The right to work without sponsorship or Visa restrictions in Aotearoa New Zealand. Please do not apply if you do not meet these criteria.
• A NZ Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) level 4 qualification, preferably related to social services, social work, counselling, psychology, education or other health, wellbeing, and community-based care.
• Strong knowledge of mental health conditions, the mental health system and what families experience with mental health and addictions challenges.
• Understanding of and preferably experience in engaging with, tikanga Māori and/or other ethnicities.
• Experience and understanding of supporting people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• The ability to pursue and manage a full caseload, strong written and verbal communication, and effective listening skills.
• Computer literacy with experience using (MS365) word, excel, outlook, TEAMs, OneDrive, and client management systems.
• The ability to contribute to your team with kindness, respect and confidence, supporting the achievement of regional targets and goals.
• Empathy and understanding of the challenges whānau experience when a loved one is mentally unwell.
• Clean, full and current NZ driver’s licence.

We welcome applications from Māori, Pasifika, Asian, or other diverse and minority communities. We also value lived experience and want to hear from people who have supported their own whānau through mental health challenges, and who have good support structures in place for themselves as a result. Internal and external supervision, peer support and training will be provided.

Yellow Brick Road is a different kind of mental health and wellbeing service - one that supports the growth of whānau expertise. Help us work holistically to build happy, healthy, and self-sustaining communities

If you are interested in applying for this highly rewarding position and want to start making a significant impact on the lives of the people you work with, please submit your CV and a cover letter no later than Tuesday, 2 June 2026. Screening will commence as soon as suitable candidates apply.