Senior Psychologist

Queensland Government; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Queensland Government is seeking a Senior Psychologist to provide trauma-informed assessment and intervention for young people in detention, ensuring culturally safe practice aligned with human rights.

You will lead multidisciplinary collaboration across agencies, coordinate suicide risk management, deliver expert mental health care, create detailed reports, and contribute to training and policy development. Strong communication and clinical leadership are essential.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate cultural capability and/or a commitment to developing cultural capability to ensure an inclusive culture that aligns with the Human Rights Act 2019 and supports departmental programs and community partnerships aimed at preserving cultural connections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Coordinate and facilitate the multi-disciplinary and multi-agency suicide risk management process for young people, which will include collaboratively developing and reviewing safety intervention strategies and suicide prevention plans to ensure these accurately reflect stakeholder input and are available to a range of stakeholders for case planning purposes.
• Apply independent professional judgement to a caseload of young people with severe and complex mental health concerns, complex disability presentation or other vulnerabilities to support client-centred integrated case planning that supports rehabilitation objectives.
• Undertake comprehensive, evidence-based assessment of young people's mental health presentation, behaviour and neurodevelopmental skills and develop and action associated reports, referrals and interventions, in both custodial and community settings.
• With a strong understanding of complex trauma, implement high-quality therapeutic interventions and support services to assist with young people's emotional regulation, mental health, criminogenic risk, and daily functioning within the YDC environment. This will include crisis intervention and supportive counselling.
• Lead, plan, coordinate and facilitate multi-disciplinary meetings with both internal and external stakeholders to support integrated case management and ensure open and effective communication is maintained for the best interests of the young person. As required, provide written information and other supports to staff to implement strategies.
• Provide expert advice and support to internal and external stakeholders on complex, profession-specific practice and client issues. This will include working closely with Queensland Health in relation to the management of young people presenting with severe, acute and/or chronic mental health conditions to support a multi-agency response to treatment and planning.
• Design and deliver high-quality training programs and initiatives that contribute to broader workforce learning and development in the areas of trauma and traumainformed practices, mental health, suicide risk and positive behaviour support and other subject areas as required.
• Demonstrate cultural capability and communicate effectively and sensitively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, understanding the historical impacts of First Nations people in institutional settings, to ensure holistic service provision that takes cultural protocols, influences and events into consideration.
• Lead regular peer collaboration and allocated case discussions to support clinical learning and development opportunities and continuous practice improvement contribute to the shared co ordination of psychology specific daily tasks to independently deliver high quality work.
• Understand the complexities of a high-risk environment and assist with the safety and security of the youth detention centres by adhering to operational procedures as required.

Skills

Cultural capability

Interagency collaboration

Suicide risk management

Crisis intervention

Trauma-informed practice

Assessment reporting

Written communication

Job description

The role of the Youth Detention Centre Psychologist is to provide assessment and intervention services to young people in a trauma-informed, evidence-based, and culturally safe manner.

In carrying out these duties and responsibilities you will be required to lead and facilitate multi-disciplinary collaboration across both internal and external agencies, to support effective and proactive communication in order to achieve positive outcomes for young people.

As a Senior Psychologist, You Will Specifically

• Demonstrate cultural capability and/or a commitment to developing cultural capability to ensure an inclusive culture that aligns with the Human Rights Act 2019 and supports departmental programs and community partnerships aimed at preserving cultural connections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Coordinate and facilitate the multi-disciplinary and multi-agency suicide risk management process for young people, which will include collaboratively developing and reviewing safety intervention strategies and suicide prevention plans to ensure these accurately reflect stakeholder input and are available to a range of stakeholders for case planning purposes.
• Apply independent professional judgement to a caseload of young people with severe and complex mental health concerns, complex disability presentation or other vulnerabilities to support client-centred integrated case planning that supports rehabilitation objectives.
• Undertake comprehensive, evidence-based assessment of young people's mental health presentation, behaviour and neurodevelopmental skills and develop and action associated reports, referrals and interventions, in both custodial and community settings.
• With a strong understanding of complex trauma, implement high-quality therapeutic interventions and support services to assist with young people's emotional regulation, mental health, criminogenic risk, and daily functioning within the YDC environment. This will include crisis intervention and supportive counselling.
• Lead, plan, coordinate and facilitate multi-disciplinary meetings with both internal and external stakeholders to support integrated case management and ensure open and effective communication is maintained for the best interests of the young person. As required, provide written information and other supports to staff to implement strategies.
• Provide expert advice and support to internal and external stakeholders on complex, profession-specific practice and client issues. This will include working closely with Queensland Health in relation to the management of young people presenting with severe, acute and/or chronic mental health conditions to support a multi-agency response to treatment and planning.
• Design and deliver high-quality training programs and initiatives that contribute to broader workforce learning and development in the areas of trauma and traumainformed practices, mental health, suicide risk and positive behaviour support and other subject areas as required.
• Demonstrate cultural capability and communicate effectively and sensitively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, understanding the historical impacts of First Nations people in institutional settings, to ensure holistic service provision that takes cultural protocols, influences and events into consideration.
• Lead regular peer collaboration and allocated case discussions to support clinical learning and development opportunities and continuous practice improvement contribute to the shared co ordination of psychology specific daily tasks to independently deliver high quality work.
• Understand the complexities of a high-risk environment and assist with the safety and security of the youth detention centres by adhering to operational procedures as required.

Applications to remain current for 12 months.

Occupational group

Psychology, Counselling & Social Work