Position overview
Exciting opportunities exist for graduates of clinical, forensic, or health psychology higher degree programs to work as new graduate psychologists across a range of inpatient, outpatient, and community settings within CHS. This two-year program provides structured support for early career psychologists and, where available, offers opportunities to undertake rotations across different clinical specialties. These experiences are designed to support the completion of a Clinical Psychology or Neuropsychology Registrar Program while fostering the development of broad clinical skills and experience across diverse practice settings.
Community Health and Integrated Care team (CHIC) provides integrated and effective services in the areas of rehabilitation, aged care and community care in a broader range of sites throughout the ACT, including Canberra Hospital (CH) and The University of Canberra Hospital (UCH), community health centres and the homes of clients. This includes health care and support for people with acute, post-acute and long-term illnesses.
The Acute Allied Health team is responsible for the care and support of patients across a range of critical and acute care areas of CH. These include the Medical and Surgical inpatient wards, Intensive Care Unit, the Emergency Department, Maternity and Paediatric inpatient wards and a range of paediatric and adult outpatient clinics. The Acute Support Psychology Team consists of clinical neuropsychology and clinical psychology positions. We work closely with our multidisciplinary colleagues and have a pivotal role in promoting client centred outcomes across the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Mental Health, Justice Health, Alcohol and Drug Services (MHJHADS) provide health services directly and through partnerships with community organisations. The services provided range from acute crisis support through to treatment, rehabilitation, recovery and harm minimisation. The participation of people accessing our services, their families and carers is encouraged in all aspects of service planning and delivery. The Division works in partnership with a range of government and non-government service providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for clients. Services are delivered at a number of locations, including hospital inpatient and outpatient settings, community health centres, detention centres, and other community settings including people’s homes. These services include (and are not limited to):
- Alcohol and Drug Services
- Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services
- Community Mental Health Services
- Justice Health Services
- Mental Health Inpatient Services
Successful applicants will be part of a large network of psychologists and will also receive education and support through the CHS Allied Health Interprofessional Graduate Program. This program is specifically designed to support new graduates to launch their careers in healthcare and develop their professional identity. The program provides graduates with individual support to optimise learning and career opportunities. New graduates will have onsite access to a registrar program principal supervisor who will work with them and support them to grow their clinical and professional skills. New graduates will also be matched with a peer from the previous cohort of new graduates to provide them with additional mentoring and support.
Clinical supervision for the registrar program is provided by the department and will be negotiated with the Psychology Manager.
Provisional Psychologists who have submitted their application and are awaiting formal approval of general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia are encouraged to apply.
Key Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Under direction of the team manager and under close professional supervision, you will:
- Provide appropriate assessments and interventions using established principles, techniques and methods, to people with a range of health conditions. Clinical assessment and intervention may include but is not limited to:
a.Case formulation and treatment planning.
b.Psychoeducation and structured psychological therapy interventions (both individual and group-based) for mental health conditions.
c.Specialist assessments and reports, including psychometric testing and outcome measures, and structured clinical interviews.
d.Crisis management and safety planning based on psychological principles. - Work collaboratively as part of your work area team, consumers, carers, significant others, GPs, and other service providers in therapeutic goal setting and in recovery planning process.
- Demonstrate awareness of and adhere to risk management processes.
- Complete clinical records and administrative data collection to standards.
- Participate in clinical supervision, continuing professional development and personal performance review process.
- Participate in the implementation of clinical governance activities, quality improvement projects, research programs, and health promotion in areas relevant to service.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.
Competencies
Specific competencies include but are not limited to the following.
- Ability to develop critical thinking skills and form defensible conclusions based on evidence and sound judgment.
- Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.
- Work with a wide variety of people.
- Adapt quickly to a changing environment.
- Commitment to achieving positive outcomes.
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- High standard of ethical practice in line with CHS and the relevant professional association or Board standards, such as maintaining patient confidentiality and making sound decisions.
- Problem solving and negotiation skills.
Qualifications
Essential
- Tertiary qualification in Psychology or equivalent.
- Be registered or be eligible for Psychology registration with the Psychology Board of Australia via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Desirable
- Current Australian Driver’s licence.
Experience
Essential
- Nil
Desirable
- Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, Clinical Governance Framework, and all other related frameworks.
Prior to commencement
Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances:
- Pre-employment National Police Check.
- Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
- Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.
Important information
All employees are required to:
- Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
- Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
- Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
- Be available for weekend and/or after-hours work.
CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.
What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)
These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.
- Proven ability to provide skilled clinical or neuropsychology assessments and interventions, consistent with the Psychology Board of Australia area of practice endorsement competencies in clinical psychology or neuropsychology in healthcare settings.
- Understanding of and ability to work effectively within the psychology and multi-disciplinary teams and collaborate with other service providers to ensure effective patient outcomes.
- A commitment to the evaluation of clinical services through quality initiatives, and to contribute to planning and development of the service to meet the needs of the clients.
- Demonstrated effective oral and written communication skills, including the ability to use a range of information technology applications to maintain clinical documentation and data collection
- Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful and kind.
Work environment description
The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.
| Administrative | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Telephone use | Frequently |
| General computer use | Frequently |
| Extensive keying/data entry | Occasionally |
| Graphical/analytical based | Occasionally |
| Sitting at a desk | Frequently |
| Standing for long periods | Occasionally |
| Psychosocial demands | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Distressed People e.g. Emergency or grief situations | Frequently |
| Aggressive & Uncooperative People e.g. drug / alcohol, dementia, mental illness | Frequently |
| Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries | Frequently |
| Restraining e.g. involvement in physical containment of clients/consumers | Never |
| Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide | Frequently |
| Physical demands | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit) | Frequently |
| Working outdoors | Occasionally |
| Manual handling | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Lifting 0 - 9kg | Frequently |
| Lifting 10 - 15kg | Occasionally |
| Lifting 16kg+ | Never |
| Climbing | Never |
| Running | Never |
| Reaching | Occasionally |
| Kneeling | Occasionally |
| Foot and leg movement | Occasionally |
| Hand, arm and grasping movements | Occasionally |
| Bending/squatting | Occasionally |
| Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting | Occasionally |
| Push/pull | Occasionally |
| Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time | Occasionally |
| Travel | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Frequent travel – multiple work sites | Occasionally |
| Frequent travel – driving | Occasionally |
| Specific hazards | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Working at heights | Never |
| Exposure to extreme temperatures | Never |
| Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift | Never |
| Confined spaces | Never |
| Excessive noise | Occasionally |
| Low lighting | Never |
| Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological. | Never |
| Slippery or uneven surfaces | Occasionally |
Directorate: Canberra Health Services
Division: Various
Business Unit: Canberra Health Services
Position number: P62657+ Multiple
Position title: New Graduate Psychology Registrar
Classification: Psychologist Level 1
Location: Canberra Health Services
Reporting relationships:
Direct Manager: Senior Director of Allied Health
Manager +1: Various
Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person-centred care. We provide acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions. More information can be found on the CHS website.
Our Vision: creating exceptional health care together
Our Role: to be a health service that is trusted by our community
Our Values: Reliable, Progressive, Respectful and Kind