Position overview

Forensic Mental Health Services (FMHS) is one service with three distinguishable, yet integrated service components as follows:

• Custodial Mental Health services (CMH) 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 (FMHIS)
  • Dhulwa Mental Health Unit
• Forensic Community Mental Health Services (FCMHS) including:
  • FMHS Forensic Consultation and Intervention Service (FoCIS) including:
  • ACT Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (ACT FTAC)
  • FMHS Mental Health Court Assessment and Liaison Service (MHCALS)

As a specialist area, clinicians within FMHS are provided with specialist training and specialist clinical supervision and are consistently encouraged to be involved in a collaborative and multidisciplinary team environment. Clinicians are supported to maintain any continuing professional development requirements, appropriate to area of service provision, such as attendance to group supervision, research groups, and/or in- services.

Psychology Registrars will be supported to complete their registrar program through the provision of fortnightly secondary supervision relevant to area of endorsement. Primary supervision may be provided in some circumstances.

For full details of employment conditions and remuneration, please refer to the Health Professionals Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Under direction of a Team Manager, as an early career psychologist in Forensic Mental Health Services, you will deliver structured, low complexity, mental health assessments and interventions and care planning to adults and young people presenting with mental illness who have had contact with the criminal justice system, including community mental health consumers and detainees within the ACT’s two correctional centres - the Alexander Maconochie Centre and Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. You will have the opportunity to plan and deliver treatment interventions for mental health problems and will facilitate referral and follow-up where appropriate. You will actively liaise with other health professionals, the ACT Law Courts, ACT Corrective Services, youth justice services, other community and inpatient mental health services, and community stakeholders to support effective risk management and for consumers of MHJHADS services in custody and in the community.

You will be expected to keep effective records and data sets, including keeping up-to-date clinical notes.  With the support of senior staff, you will prepare professional clinical reports. You will be required to participate in quality improvement activities and other service development processes.

1. Provide low complexity assessment and interventions to individuals experiencing mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system.
2. Exercise sound judgment in solving problems.
3. Complete case and program records to a professional standard and meet local and national data collection requirements.
4. Liaise effectively with a range of stakeholders as required including other mental health services, non-government organisations, and ACT Corrective Services.
5. Participate actively in reflective clinical supervision, professional development and mandatory learning.
6. Contribute to the planning, implementation and evaluation of client programs and services.
7. Contribute to and participate in research programs in relevant areas of service delivery.
8. Undertaking 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.

• Demonstrated psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention skills
• Demonstrated advanced verbal and written communication skills appropriate to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to work effectively and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and respond to novel situations.
• Resilience and calm in the face of challenges, conflict, or uncertainty.
• Curiosity

Qualifications

Essential

• Be registered or be eligible for general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Desirable

• Current driver’s licence.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• Prior experience in conducting psychological assessment and intervention.

Desirable

• Prior experience in a public mental health setting or with people presenting with moderate to severe mental health concerns.
• 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.
• 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 and must be addressed in your application:

1. Proven ability to undertake collaborative mental health assessments, treatment planning and intervention for people experiencing significant mental health conditions.
2. Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritise a caseload, under supervision, in a time pressured environment.
3. A demonstrated understanding of the principles of Recovery in mental health treatment and care.
4. Proven effective oral and written communication skills, including an understanding of working in a multidisciplinary team by establishing and maintaining effective dialogue and working relationships with staff, people, carers and service providers.
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.