First Contact and Response Practitioner

We’re looking for someone who :

• Is passionate about helping people and wants to make a lasting change for whānau and communities.
• Wants to work at the forefront of a new model of care, contributing to gambling harm best practice approaches.
• Is keen to be a member of a team that makes a real difference, striving for social justice and reducing gambling harm inequities.

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Te Waharoa Kaihaumanu / Practitioner (First Contact and Response) in the mental health and addiction field to join our PGF Services team in Christchurch – Ōtautahi. This opportunity requires skills, empathy and a desire to help people and their whānau. It offers a chance to work for an organisation that values diversity, cares about staff wellbeing and has a dedicated, passionate team.

About us

The PGF Services nationwide team consists of qualified counsellors providing free, professional and confidential counselling services for both gamblers and others affected by gambling, and a dedicated public health team working on harmful gambling issues in the community using a health promotion approach.

Harmful gambling is a significant social issue in New Zealand and at PGF Services, we work with communities, district and city councils, gambling providers and policy makers to support the change necessary to reduce gambling harm.

About the role

This Te Waharoa Kaihaumanu / Practitioner (First Contact and Response) role is based in Christchurch – Ōtautahi. It is a fixed‑term position from the 16th of February 2026 until the 12th of February 2027 to cover the maternity leave of one of our Te Waharoa Kaihaumanu / Practitioners (First Contact and Response).

You will participate as a member of a multidisciplinary team to provide clinical care and case management to individuals, whānau / families and affected others experiencing gambling harm and other co‑existing conditions such as mental health, drug and alcohol use and wellbeing. The role offers variety, from providing whānau support services to raising awareness of gambling harm through education and community engagement in the Christchurch region. It will involve after‑hour appointments to meet the needs of our Tāngata Whaiora. Experience as an addiction practitioner, social worker, corrections, justice or mental health worker will be beneficial, however we don’t require experience working with gambling harm treatment.

The successful candidate will have :

What we Offer

We are committed to delivering a mana‑enhancing service and the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff is important to us. We value the connections you have with your community and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply.

If you want to make a difference by working to reduce gambling harm and achieve healthy communities, then we want to hear from you. We anticipate reaching out to candidates to arrange interviews in January 2026. We may reach out earlier depending on the volume of candidates we receive.

Please note : To apply for this role, you must be eligible to work in New Zealand.

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