Position overview

The Division of Allied Health, Canberra Health Services, places a strong emphasis on accessible and timely care, delivered to a high standard of safety and quality.  This is underpinned by the Division’s commitment to research and training.  The Division works in partnership with professional colleagues, consumers, and a range of government and non-government service providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for clients.

The Psychology team in Acute Allied Health Services provides evidence-based care to inpatients and outpatients across the Canberra Hospital and Canberra Health Services. The Canberra Hospital is an acute care teaching hospital of approximately 600 beds, and a tertiary referral centre that provides a broad range of specialist services to the people of the ACT and Southeast NSW. The team consists of Registered/Health/Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists.

Roles currently exist for a psychologist (general registration/health psychologist/clinical psychologist). The psychology position is open to a registered/health/clinical psychologist.

You may work across several areas, including:

• Inpatient psychology services at the Canberra Hospital.
  • The inpatient psychology service supports people experiencing persistent pain, eating disorders, and functional symptoms, as well providing psychological interventions for other reasons. We also provide education to colleagues across the Canberra Hospital and deliver care in a group format.

• Inpatient and outpatient psychology services at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children.
  • The paediatric service supports young people and their families, including those people that are experiencing persistent pain, eating disorders, and functional symptoms. We also provide psychological interventions for other reasons, including adjustment to chronic illness. Psychologists also support people admitted to the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children.

• The Canberra Region Cancer Centre.
  • A referral cancer treatment centre for the ACT and Southern NSW, psychology provides care to inpatients and outpatients receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy and haematology services.

The position reports to the Psychology Manager, with day-to-day operational coordination and service planning through the associated clinical team as appropriate. Clinical supervision will be provided by a Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) approved supervisor, supervision arrangements are negotiated with the Psychology Manager.

Depending on clinical caseloads, the position may be located at the following locations:

• The Canberra  Hospital and Centenary Hospital for Women and Children

Key Responsibilities

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

1. Provide appropriate skilled clinical assessment and intervention to adults, adolescents and children, across a range of clinical areas, with routine supervision, including liaising with carers and other service providers to facilitate effective service provision.
2. Exercise independent judgement on routine matters and perform novel, complex or critical tasks under professional supervision, decreasing as expertise increases.
3. Actively contribute to the planning, development and evaluation of client programs and services including clinical and administrative data collection, analysis and evaluation to standard.
4. As required, and consistent with relevant Psychology Board of Australia requirements, assist in the supervision and education of other staff and students.
5. Actively contribute to education programs for area of clinical service delivery.
6. Actively contribute to the development, analysis, evaluation and planning of services in specific area of work, as required.
7. Actively contribute to the organisation as appropriate and the implementation of clinical governance activity, quality improvement projects, research programs, and health promotion in areas relevant to service.
8. 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.

Displays skills across the eight core psychology competencies (AHPRA Psychology board, 2025)

• Competency 1: Applies and builds scientific knowledge of psychology to inform safe and effective practice
• Competency 2: Practises ethically and professionally
• Competency 3: Exercises professional reflexivity, deliberate practice and self-care
• Competency 4: Conducts psychological assessments
• Competency 5: Conducts psychological interventions
• Competency 6: Communicates and relates to others effectively and appropriately
• Competency 7:  Demonstrates a health equity and human rights approach when working with people from diverse groups
• Competency 8:  Demonstrates a health equity and human rights approach when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, families and communities

Displays organisational competencies in line with the ACT health professional work-level standards, including:

• Provides clinical care to a well-defined caseload under close supervision.
• Participates in quality improvement activities and/or research activities as directed.
• Provides procedural supervision to HP1s, AHAs, and psychology and AHA students as required.

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant Tertiary qualifications in psychology.
• Registration with the Psychology Board of Australia under AHPRA.

Desirable

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

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 12 months experience working as a psychologist.

Desirable

• Previous work experience as a psychologist in an acute hospital setting.
• 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.

1. Proven ability to provide a skilled evidence-based clinical assessment and interventions to health consumers experiencing health conditions consistent with Psychology Board of Australia professional competencies and standards.
2. Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
3. An understanding of how to evaluate clinical services through quality initiatives, and to contribute to planning and development of the service to meet the needs of the clients.
4. Well-developed written and oral communication skills with a proven ability to successfully interact and work collaboratively with clients and carers.
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.