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Psychology and Specialist Services

Psychology and Specialist Services (PsySS) is responsible for the professional governance of all Psychologists across Monash Health which includes the professional supervision of psychologists, psychology workforce development, the Psychology Registrar Program and for all Post-Graduate Psychology Student Placements across Monash Health.

PsySS also holds operational responsibility for the BeWell staff wellbeing and support program for all Monash Health Employees and a number of clinical programs including the Acute Neuropsychology Unit, the agile Psychological Medicine Clinic, the agile Comprehensive Care initiative, the Forensic Mental Health Team, Rehabilitation and Aged Care Psychology, and the Wellness and Recovery Centre (Eating disorders).

Forensic Mental Health Assessment and Consultation Unit (MHFACT)

The role is located within the Forensic Mental Health Assessment and Consultation Unit (MHFACT) which is part of Psychology and Specialist Services. MHFACT is a specialist forensic team that provides clinical service enhancement to individuals and their treating teams from the South-East of Victoria who are showing signs of mental ill health and who have developed a pathological grievance, have become fixated or may be at risk of radicalisation. Referrals are received from the Victorian Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (VFTAC), a joint Victoria Police and Forensicare service, which identifies and targets individuals who pose a threat to both themselves and the Victorian community. MHFACT are part of Forensic Mental Health Services at Monash Health that includes a forensic psychiatrist, forensic psychologist and the Forensic Clinical Specialist (FCS) Program

About the Role

The Senior Psychologist is responsible for the provision of specialist support to the wider Mental Health Program in providing treatment to consumers who are engaging in offending behaviours or who are at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. Where necessary, the role has the capacity to focus on the subset of these consumers who are neurodiverse or who are suspected of being so and to provide technical expertise to the treatment and management of comorbid mental health and forensic and/or behaviours of concern in the context of neurodiversity.

The position sits operationally within MHFACT, providing service to VFTAC-referred patients of MHFACT, but has the potential to address the needs of patients of the Secure Extended Care Unit (SECU) and the wider mental health program. Referrals are triaged utilising the Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model, prioritising those patients who pose the most risk and delivering interventions most likely to maximise responsivity specific to the needs of neurodiverse clients.

The Senior Psychologist Forensic provides primary and secondary consultation regarding identified consumers who are engaged in a wide variety of challenging behaviours including but not limited to violence, sexual offending, fixation, stalking, fire-setting, and threatening behaviours. This may include the provision of risk assessment reports utilising structured professional judgement tools, working as a secondary case worker for VFTAC referred clients, the development of or input into behavioural management plans, and assisting treating teams to provide interventions based on best practice. The position is also responsible for the provision of training and education on contemporary best practices regarding risk assessment, the implementation of behaviours of concern plans, and the management of neurodiverse consumers with complex forensic issues.

Utilising specialist knowledge and skills, the Senior Psychologist will partner with the Mental Health and Adult Autism Project (MHAAP) to promote best practices and optimal outcomes for neurodiverse patients with complex forensic presentations as well as contribute to service development. The position has access to forensic mental health peer support through MHFACT and neurodevelopmental psychiatry peer support through MHAPP, to assist with the development of service delivery initiatives for this vulnerable patient group.

About You

You are experienced, energetic and determined in the clinical work you have undertaken within mental health and forensic settings. You’re serious about clinical assessment and providing evidence-supported treatments. You work collaboratively and think flexibly about what interventions may assist each individual and keep the community safe. Your track record includes demonstrated success in the following areas:

• Undertaking structured assessments to assist in diagnosis, formulation and treatment planning
• Undertaking clinically effective treatments with individuals
• An interest in achieving the best outcomes for neurodiverse consumers of mental health services
• Proven ability to develop and implement comprehensive management plans including behavioural plans across a variety of settings
• A commitment to service provision in public health
• Provision of supervision to other psychologists and post-graduate students

You are highly motivated and thrive on the challenge of supporting and developing clinical programs. Naturally, you have strong written and verbal communication skills, you are a team player and possess well-developed negotiation and influencing abilities that will be used in working with internal and external stakeholders.

What you need:

• Current general registration with AHPRA
• Working with Children’s Check
• Forensic or Clinical Endorsement with AHPRA
• AHPRA registration to supervise post-graduate program students and registrars
• 5 years or more of proven clinical experience

What’s in it for you?

• Genuine career opportunity to influence and shape the development of a public mental health service
• Support, mentoring and development from a highly experienced and well regarded leadership team
• Satisfaction derived from supporting the development of forensic mental health competencies amongst mental health staff and other stakeholders.

As an employee of the largest public health service in Victoria, you will have access to salary packaging, onsite staff car parking and gym and a generous Employee Assistance Program.

Monash Health is a great place to work

In 2022 Monash Health was nominated by LinkedIn as one of the top 25 organisations in Australia to grow your career. Our employees enjoy a range of benefits including:

• salary packaging options that increase your take-home pay
• a comprehensive Health and Wellbeing program
• free vaccinations
• private health insurance at discounted rates
• health imaging services
• + more

Monash Health is Victoria’s largest public health service. We are proud to provide healthcare to one quarter of Melbourne’s population, across the entire life-span from newborn and children, to adults, the elderly, their families and carers. More than 22,000 employees work at over 40 care locations across south eastern Melbourne, including Monash Medical Centre, Monash Children’s Hospital, Moorabbin Hospital, Dandenong Hospital, Casey Hospital, Kingston Centre, Cranbourne Centre, and an extensive network of rehabilitation, aged care, community health and mental health facilities. For more information please visit www.monashhealth.org.

How to Apply

Applications are only accepted that are submitted via the Monash Health online Mercury System (e-recruit). Click Apply Now to access this page.

For a confidential discussion and to explore the opportunity further, please call:

• Glenn Batterley - Manager
• t: 0472861015