Director, Statewide Forensic Programs

Forensicare; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 181,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging options

Forensic skills training

Job summary

Forensicare seeks a Director, Statewide Forensic Programs to provide strategic and operational leadership of statewide forensic mental health services in Victoria. The role drives cohesion, evidence‑led program development and expansion across communities and secure settings.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams, champion cultural safety, and partner with CFMS SLG to integrate services and advance Royal Commission objectives. Travel to regional sites will be required.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in a clinical discipline with registration to practice in Victoria.
• Experience leading complex mental health or forensic service delivery.
• Proven ability to drive service integration and innovative practice.
• Strong data literacy to inform service improvement and reporting.
• Ability to lead cultural safety and consumer-centered care.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Statewide Programs.
• Foster integration across Forensicare and external stakeholders.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Multidisciplinary teams

Data analytics

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Tertiary qualification with clinical registration

Job description

$201,203 + Spr - RPN7 or AH + potential Over Award

Grade: RPN7, Allied Head or Psychology equivalent

Location: Paul Mullen Centre, Clifton Hill, 3068
Will be required to travel to regional sites

Full time

$201,203 + super + benefits + salary packaging

Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) is Victoria’s specialist provider of forensic mental health services. We deliver recovery-focused programs that support consumers living with serious mental illness or problematic behaviours who are connected to, or at risk of contact with, the justice system, across a variety of settings including community-based services, inpatient units, and secure environments throughout Victoria.

Position Objective

The Director, Statewide Forensic Programs provides strategic and operational leadership of the delivery of safe, effective and consumer focused forensic mental health services across Victoria. The Director will foster a cohesive, evidence led forensic mental health system, develop and innovate Statewide Programs and expand our reach. Together with the Community Forensic Mental Health Service (CFMHS) Senior Leadership Group (SLG), this role will contribute to driving innovation and fostering integration across Forensicare and with the broader forensic mental health system.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide operational oversight and leadership for the delivery of safe and effective Statewide Programs,ensuring compliance with clinical and operational standards, policies and procedures including accurate documentation and reporting.
• Champion integration within Forensicare and among external stakeholders, actively breaking down silos and enabling cross functional solutions that support people to live safe, connected and meaningful lives in the community.
• Lead with influence and integrity, build high performing multidisciplinary teams and foster a culture of accountability, respect and responsiveness.
• Ensure improvement and innovation are guided by evidence and shaped by lived experience so that people can live safe, connected and meaningful lives in the community.
• Actively embed cultural safety and self-determination in system design, innovation and delivery across all Community Forensic Mental Health Services.
• Drive evidence based innovation of Statewide Programs in line with the intent of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health Services and Forensicare’s strategic objectives.
• Demonstrate strategic foresight and systems thinking to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities and contribute to whole-of-organisation decision-making

Key Selection Criteria

• An appropriate tertiary qualification with clinical discipline registration relevant to the delivery of forensic mental health services and a commitment to providing care for people in the mental health and justice systems.
• Leadership experience in community mental health service delivery or similar complex service delivery environments, with a track record of driving service integration and innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, integrating diverse professional perspectives to achieve shared goals and deliver cohesive, consumer focused care
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and use data to inform service improvement and innovation.
• Strong, transformative leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to mentor and manage high performing teams
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, recognising and integrating diverse professional perspectives to achieve shared goals and deliver cohesive, consumer focused care
• Sound financial management experience inlcuding understanding and operating within budget
• Demonstrated experience translating strategic priorities into measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience influencing executive stakeholders, governing bodies and external partners to deliver strategic outcomes.

Please note, applications close on 28th September 2026

• Excellent supervision and investment in the skill development of all our team members.
• Well defined career pathways existing across our Directorates with multi-disciplined Teams.
• Salary Packaging Options available – Mortgage, Rent, Car, Expenses
• A leading, multi-faceted approach to safety, with unparalleled strategic, practical, individualised and team-based supports to minimise risks and fear and maximise safety and security, underpinned by our workplace health and safety strategy.
• Celebration and reward for good performance, through employee recognition.
• Access to an employee assistance program – an external, confidential, self-referral employee wellbeing program, for personal or work-related matters.
• A mental health and wellbeing program providing psychological, peer support and critical incidence response programs.
• Influenza and Immunisation Evidence
• This position is subject to a Police Check

Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to attracting and developing a diverse workforce which reflects the community we serve. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people who identify as LGBTQI, people with a lived experience of disability, as well as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Forensicare promotes our guiding principles ofRESPONSIVENESS, INTEGRITY, IMPARTIALITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPECT, LEADERSHIP, HUMAN RIGHTS; and promotes behaviours that are consistent with these values at all times. Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and offers a smoke free environment.

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Clinical excellence and translational research enable our consumers to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives in a safer community.

Our mission

We will provide high quality, specialist clinical services that:

focus on the recovery of our consumers,

build our translational research capacity; and

work collaboratively with our stakeholders to achieve better and safer outcomes for our consumers and the community.

Our values

Forensicare is guided by the values established by the Victorian Public Sector Commission for the public sector, and promotes behaviours consistent with these values at all times and in all circumstances:

Our story

Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) is the state-wide specialist provider of forensic mental health services in Victoria. Forensicare is the only agency in Victoria that provides clinical forensic mental health services which span all components of the mental health and criminal justice sectors – giving Forensicare a unique perspective on mental health and public safety issues. It is able to provide specialist forensic mental health services tailored to meet the specific needs of both sectors.

We provide forensic mental health services for people:

with a serious mental illness in the criminal justice system

at risk of offending who pose a risk to themselves or others

referred from the general mental health system for specialist advice, support and/or treatment.

Forensicare’s primary focus is the provision of clinical services within a recovery framework. These services include the effective assessment, treatment and management of forensic patients, prisoners and clients.

Source: This is an extract from the company's own website.

Our vision

Clinical excellence and translational research enable our consumers to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives in a safer community.

Our mission

We will provide high quality, specialist clinical services that:

focus on the recovery of our consumers,

build our translational research capacity; and

work collaboratively with our stakeholders to achieve better and safer outcomes for our consumers and the community.

Our values

Forensicare is guided by the values established by the Victorian Public Sector Commission for the public sector, and promotes behaviours consistent with these values at all times and in all circumstances:

Our story

Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) is the state-wide specialist provider of forensic mental health services in Victoria. Forensicare is the only agency in Victoria that provides clinical forensic mental health services which span all components of the mental health and criminal justice sectors – giving Forensicare a unique perspective on mental health and public safety issues. It is able to provide specialist forensic mental health services tailored to meet the specific needs of both sectors.

We provide forensic mental health services for people:

with a serious mental illness in the criminal justice system

at risk of offending who pose a risk to themselves or others

referred from the general mental health system for specialist advice, support and/or treatment.

Forensicare’s primary focus is the provision of clinical services within a recovery framework. These services include the effective assessment, treatment and management of forensic patients, prisoners and clients.

Source: This is an extract from the company's own website.

Perks and benefits Salary Packaging options - reduce your tax! Forensic skills training