Position overview

Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol and Drug Services provides support to youth and adults via inpatient and outpatient settings, community health centres, justice health facilities and other community settings, including people’s homes. We partner with our health care consumers, their family, carers, government, and community organisations to ensure that they receive the best possible care during their treatment and recovery.

All care that we provide is driven by our values of being kind, reliable, respectful, and progressive. We’re also guided by contemporary mental health and human rights legislation which means we operate within a framework that ensures the rights and dignity of people are promoted and protected.

The Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (AMHRU) is an inpatient rehabilitation unit whose aim is to attain and maximise independence through bio-psychosocial rehabilitation in all aspects of daily living for graduated community re-integration. Service delivery is underpinned by evidence based mental health care, the principles of Recovery and the provision of collaborative care involving the person, their carers, and other key stakeholders.

The psychologist is an integral member of the multidisciplinary team and, under limited supervision from the Allied Health Manager, is responsible for the provision of high-quality psychological services to achieve sound outcomes for people within a therapeutic environment. This includes: -

• Promoting positive  outcomes through the provision of high-quality clinical services
• Networking and  health promotion activities /education
• Education,  individual or group service delivery
• Perform novel,  complex, critical, or difficult tasks with professional supervision
• Participation in  the supervision and training of other staff, as directed.

The Psychologist position is a senior role within the AMHRU, it is expected that the role will contribute its expertise to the multidisciplinary team, provide supervision to Health Professionals, Allied Health Assistants, and to students.

In this role you will also have the opportunity to work within the out-patient services, the Adult Mental Health Day Service, which is co-located with the AMHRU. The Adult Mental Health Day Service (AMHDS) is a specialist team within MHJHADS that delivers effective evidence-based and recovery-focused interventions to people living in the community to help enhance their quality of life and/or improve their functional status. The AMHDS offers a variety of programs, including several group-based interventions, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and other specialist services that target people who are living in the community and who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health conditions. The team aims to provide collaborative care involving the person, their families/carers and community support services.

The AMHRU and AMHDS are located at the University of Canberra Hospital.

Key Responsibilities

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

Under limited direction of the Allied Health Manager and Allied Health Clinical Lead you will exercise independent professional judgment on moderately complex tasks. You will:

1. Provide appropriate assessment and interventions using established principles, techniques, and methods, to people with complex and serious mental health conditions. Clinical assessment and intervention include but is not limited to:
   • Case formulation and treatment planning.
   • Psychoeducation and structured psychological therapy interventions in evidence-based therapies for mental health and other psychological conditions.
   • Specialist assessments and reports, including psychometric testing and outcome measures, and structured clinical interviews.
   • Crisis management and safety planning based on psychological principles.
2. Contribute to the development, coordination, and implementation of the provision of client programs and services.
3. Include carers, children, Nominated Persons, GPs, and other service providers in the recovery planning process, as required.
4. Adhere to risk management processes and identify risks, suggest mitigating actions and escalating issues appropriately.
5. Complete clinical records and administrative data collection to standards.
6. Participate in clinical supervision, continuing professional development and personal performance review process. Provide professional supervision and training to Health Professionals Level 1/2, as appropriate, students, Allied Health Assistants, and other support staff. Provide education to internal and external stakeholders.
7. Initiate, coordinate and contribute to the implementation of clinical governance activities, 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.

• Strong organisational skills with a high degree of drive.
• Be flexible, adaptable, and comfortable with a changing working environment.
• Commitment to achieving positive outcomes for mental health consumers.
• Ability to respond to and prioritise competing demands in a calm and efficient manner while maintaining high work standards.

Qualifications

Essential

• Be registered or eligible for general registration with Psychology Board of Australia.

Desirable

• Training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
• Be approved or eligible for approval as a Psychology Board of Australia Principal and/or Secondary Supervisor for 4+2 interns and/or Higher Degree Students.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

The successful applicant will be appointed to the relevant level 2 or 3 Psychologist position increment based on their qualifications and experience.

• Level 2 Psychologist- A minimum of 12 months paid, professionally relevant experience.
• Level 3 Psychologist - A minimum of 3 years (ideally 5) professionally relevant experience in a related/relevant organisation/service.

Desirable

• Experience delivering Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
• 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 clinical competence in psychological assessment, formulation, treatment, and intervention for people with complex mental illnesses/dysfunction.
2. Demonstrated understanding of the principles of recovery, The National Standards for Mental Health Services (2010), contemporary issues in mental health practice, and the implications for service delivery.
3. Demonstrated ability to facilitate a variety of groups including psycho education, therapy and/or skills development.
4. Demonstrated ability to provide and engage in supervision, to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team, establish priorities, exercise initiative, and deliver outputs within agreed timeframes.
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.