Position overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join the collegial Forensic Mental Health Services (FMHS).

FMHS is a unit of Mental Health, Justice Health, and Alcohol & Drug Services, Justice Health Services (MHJHADS). FMHS provides mental health care across the lifespan and across a range of settings, including a centralised community health facility, youth and adult custodial facilities, off campus community liaison, court settings, and secure inpatient units. The care provided is underpinned by the National Principles for Forensic Mental Health Services. The service aims to provide collaborative care guided by principles of Recovery and involving the consumer, their carers and other key services.

FMHS is one service with three distinguishable, yet integrated service components as follows:

• Custodial Mental Health services including:
  • CMH – Child and Adolescent at Bimberi Youth Justice Centre (CMH – CA)
  • CMH – Adult at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (CMH – A)
• Forensic Inpatient Mental Health Services
  • Dhulwa Mental Health Unit
• Forensic Community Mental Health Services, including:
  • FMHS Forensic Consultation and Intervention Service (FoCIS)
  • ACT Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (ACT FTAC)
  • FMHS Mental Health Court Assessment and Liaison Service (MHCALS)

This position is for a Clinical Lead role and is primarily based in the community facets of Forensic Mental Health Services.

Community facets of Forensic Mental Health Services encompass specialist multidisciplinary tertiary mental health services that aim to provide expert assessment, knowledge, and skills to general mental health services (including community and inpatient services) and other stakeholders (including police, courts, and custodial centres) regarding treatment and support of people experiencing mental illness/disorder who are at high-risk of offending and/or those already in the criminal justice system.

As a specialist area, clinicians within FMHS are provided with specialist training and clinical supervision and are consistently encouraged to be involved in a collaborative and multidisciplinary team environment. Clinicians are supported to maintain continuing professional development requirements, appropriate to area of service provision, including forensic mental health-specific training, individual and group-based clinical supervision, research groups, and regular in-services.

Key Responsibilities

Under direction of the Senior Manager, Forensic Mental Health Services, Clinical Leads for Forensic Community Mental Health teams, which could include FoCIS, FTAC and/or MHCALS, are expected to provide clinical oversight of team operations. This includes providing clinical guidance on complex matters and supporting staff development.

Clinical Leads are responsible for providing clinical leadership to a team of health professionals providing specialist services, including providing high-level and specialist reports to various audiences. Clinicians in this role have the opportunity to prepare professional clinical reports and undertake forensic risk consultations with mental health clients including structured risk assessments for offending behaviours for complex clinical cases. Relevant specialised training is provided to support Clinicians in this field of practice.

Clinical Leads are required to liaise with various stakeholders intersecting with Forensic Mental Health Services regarding the treatment and management of high-risk individuals, including those presenting before the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT), ACT Law Courts, ACT Policing, community and inpatient mental health services, and non-government services.  Clinical Leads are required to provide clinical governance strategies to maintain service delivery and quality, and with the support of the Senior Manager, complete a range of administrative tasks and human resource management including rostering, chairing team meetings, and performance management.

All staff in senior clinical roles within FMHS are supported and required to initiate and participate in quality improvement and service development activities and provide clinical supervision to other health professionals. Senior clinicians working within FMHS are also supported to access specialist clinical supervision and training, work within a collaborative and multidisciplinary team environment, and engage in professional development appropriate to area of service provision.

Clinical Leads for community facets of FMHS:

1. Provide a high-level of appropriate skilled clinical oversight to the assessment and management of individuals experiencing mental illness who are involved with, or at risk of becoming involved with, the criminal justice system.
2. Exercise independent judgment in solving problems and managing complex cases.
3. With support of the Senior Manager, provide HR management to a small multidisciplinary team including rostering, professional development, and performance management.
4. Liaise effectively and communicate with influence, including in the provision of specialist reports, with a range of stakeholders including other mental health services, ACT Police, and the ACT Law Courts.
5. Provide professional supervision and education to Health Professionals/Psychologists up to and including the Level 3 classification.
6. Contribute to clinical governance of the service by maintaining data, preparing service reports, and maintaining Work, Health, and Safety requirements.
7. Contribute to the evaluation and analysis of policies, procedures, and programs applicable to professional practice, and participate in and/or implement research programs in relevant areas of service delivery.
8. Undertake other duties as directed, within the approved scope of clinical practice ensuring the delivery of high-quality person and family centred, safe and high-quality patient care.
9. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Competencies

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Strong organisational skills with a high degree of drive
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and respond to novel situations
• Ability to communicate with influence
• Resilience and calm in the face of conflict or uncertainty

Qualifications

Essential

• Psychologists: Registered or eligible for general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia under AHPRA
• Social Workers: Degree in Social Work and a member or eligible for membership of the AASW and hold a WWVP Act card.
• Occupational Therapists: Registered or eligible for general registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia under AHPRA.

Desirable

• Psychologists: Approved or eligible for approval as a Psychology Board of Australia Supervisor
• Postgraduate study or training in Forensic Mental Health and/or within a related field of practice.
• Knowledge or experience in the use of structured professional judgement tools for assessing risk of offending behaviours.
• Current driver’s licence.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 5-years post-qualification professional practice experience

Desirable

• Previous experience in public mental health services and/or forensic/custodial service provision.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care 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.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 is required.
• 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.

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.

1. Demonstrated clinical competence in structured assessment, care and treatment planning, and risk management of individuals experiencing moderate to severe mental illness.
2. Proven ability to provide effective clinical leadership and operational management to a multidisciplinary team to achieve high quality mental health outcomes and effective risk management.
3. Demonstrated excellence in communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills which enhances partnerships with the service’s key stakeholders to ensure effective mental health service delivery and includes the ability to develop reports for professional audiences.
4. Demonstrated ability in developing, implementing, and reviewing systems to ensure effective, responsive clinical governance and quality outcomes including initiating service evaluation, quality improvement activities, policy development, and implementing change.
5. 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.