Psychologist - Thriving Kids

Department of Education & Training, Victoria; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Thriving Kids is seeking a Psychologist to support children and families across Victoria, delivering early intervention and family‑centred allied health services in home, early childhood and school settings. You will provide assessments, interventions and practical advice tailored to each child and family, focusing on what matters most in daily life and participation.

You’ll work within a multidisciplinary team to coordinate responses with schools, health and community services.

Qualifications

• Eligibility for registration as a Psychologist.
• Experience in child development and early intervention.
• Experience with children aged 0–8 years and their families.
• Ability to apply sound clinical reasoning to assessments and advice.
• Strong communication and relationship‑building with families and professionals.
• Culturally safe, inclusive and strengths‑based practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide evidence‑informed psychologist assessments, interventions and advice tailored to each child and family.
• Build parents' knowledge, skills and confidence to support their child in daily activities and routines.
• Deliver targeted, time‑limited support to help children participate and thrive where they live, learn and play.
• Work across home, early childhood and school environments, adapting approaches to each setting.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary team to develop coordinated responses.
• Build partnerships with early childhood services, schools, maternal and child health, and health/community services.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Communication skills

Collaborative practice

Culturally safe practice

Family-centered practice

Education

Registration as Psychologist

Job description

About the Program

Help shape a new way of supporting children and families What if allied health could reach children earlier, build family confidence and help children thrive in the places they live, learn and play? Thriving Kids is creating a new way of supporting children and families across Victoria – bringing early intervention, allied health and family support closer to where children live their everyday lives.

About the Role

As a Thriving Kids Psychologist you'll have the opportunity to use your professional expertise in a new way – working alongside children, families and other professionals to provide practical support that makes a difference in everyday life. You'll work with families to understand what matters most to them, build on their strengths and identify practical ways to support children's development, participation and inclusion.

You will:

• Bring your clinical expertise to early intervention, providing evidence-informed Psychologist assessment, intervention and advice tailored to each child and family.
• Work alongside families, not just with children, building parents' and carers' knowledge, skills and confidence so they can support their child's development in everyday activities and routines.
• Focus on what matters in everyday life, delivering targeted, time-limited support that helps children participate and thrive where they live, learn and play.
• Think creatively about how support is delivered, working across home, early childhood and school environments and adapting your approach to the needs of each child, family and setting.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, sharing your professional expertise and drawing on the knowledge of colleague across allied health and other Thriving Kids roles to develop coordinated responses.
• Build strong partnerships beyond the therapy room, working collaboratively with early childhood services, schools, Maternal and Child Health, health and community services.

AH3 and AH4 roles available

About You

You're a Psychologist who is passionate about giving children the best possible start and working alongside families to make a real difference in everyday life. You bring strong clinical skills, curiosity and a collaborative mindset. You're comfortable looking beyond a diagnosis or a single clinical goal to understand the child, the family, their strengths and the environments in which they live, learn and play. You will have:

• Qualifications and eligibility for registration/membership as a Psychologist.
• Knowledge and experience in child development, early intervention and child- and family-centred practice.
• Experience working with children aged 0–8 years and their families/carers.
• The ability to apply sound clinical reasoning and evidence-informed Psychologist assessment, intervention and advice.
• Strong communication and relationship building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with families, professionals and services.
• A commitment to culturally safe, inclusive and strengths-based practice.

You'll be someone who is open to new ideas, enjoys working as part of a team and is excited by the opportunity to contribute to a new way of delivering allied health support. Experience across early childhood, education, health or community settings, and experience working in multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary environments, will be highly regarded.

About the Team

Be part of building something new. Thriving Kids is bringing together a multidisciplinary workforce of allied health, access and pathways, community development and administration professionals to create a new way of supporting children and families across Victoria. You'll be part of a collaborative team that values different perspectives, builds strong partnerships and works together to deliver practical, coordinated support. As part of a new service, you'll also have the opportunity to contribute your ideas and expertise to shaping how the model evolves.

About the Department

The Department of Education provides a wide range of learning and development support and services. The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.

Important Information

For more details about this role, please refer to the attached position description. If you have further questions, please contact Brooke Streatfeild at [e-mail] or phone: [phone] The Department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions, visit our website. Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence. If you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the advertisement or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g. large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements, please get in touch with the contact person listed on this advertisement. Applications close 11:59 pm Australian Eastern Standard/Daylight Saving Time on 4th November 2026.