Psychologist, Mental Heath - Auckland Prison

Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections); Auckland; On-site; NZD 83,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks annual leave

Annual Departmental Day

Psychology training opportunities

Professional indemnity insurance

Health and wellbeing support

Job summary

Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections in Auckland Prison invites a Registered Psychologist to work within the Intervention and Support Practice team. You will assess, formulate, and implement interventions for people with complex mental health needs in a correctional setting.

You’ll collaborate with health staff, custodial teams, and external providers, delivering individual and group therapies while contributing to risk management and mental wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Registered psychologist with current practising certificate.
• Experience assessing and treating complex mental health presentations.
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team and contribute to care planning.

Responsibilities

• Complete psychological assessments, formulations, and intervention plans.
• Provide individual and group psychological interventions.
• Collaborate with health staff, custodial teams, case managers, and external providers.
• Contribute to risk management and wellbeing within the prison environment.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Formulation

Mental health intervention

Group interventions

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

Registered psychologist

Job description

Psychologist, Mental Heath - Auckland Prison

Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections) – Auckland, North Island

• Work with complex presentations that will challenge and grow your assessment, formulation, and intervention skills
• Use your expertise to influence care, risk management, and wellbeing across the wider correctional environment
• Join a multidisciplinary team with strong clinical and cultural supervision and ongoing professional development

Mō te tūnga | About the role

As a Psychologist in the Intervention and Support Practice team at Auckland Prison, you'll work with people experiencing significant mental health challenges who require specialist assessment, formulation, and intervention.

A large part of your role will involve completing psychological assessments, developing treatment and support plans, and providing individual and group interventions. You'll work with people presenting with a range of mental health needs, including trauma-related difficulties, personality concerns, emotional distress, self-harm risk, and other complex presentations.

You'll work closely with health staff, custodial teams, case managers, and external providers to support effective care and risk management. This includes providing psychological advice and recommendations that help staff respond to mental health concerns and support people safely within the prison environment.

The role offers a balance of direct clinical work, consultation, case planning, and multidisciplinary collaboration. You'll be supported through regular clinical and cultural supervision, ongoing professional development, and a team committed to high-quality practice.

You'll be a registered psychologist who enjoys working with complex presentations and values the opportunity to apply your assessment, formulation, and intervention skills in a meaningful way. You're comfortable working as part of a multidisciplinary team and can build effective relationships with a wide range of people.

You'll be motivated by challenging and rewarding casework, where thorough assessment, formulation, and intervention can make a meaningful contribution to an individual's wellbeing. You'll enjoy contributing to multidisciplinary decision-making and working in an environment where psychological expertise is valued.

This role will suit someone who is curious, reflective, and committed to ongoing professional growth. In return, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside experienced colleagues, access regular clinical and cultural supervision, and continue developing your practice through diverse and engaging work.

The salary range for this role is $83,286–$133,370 per annum, with appointment and remuneration based on clinical competency, skills, and experience.

Frontline Psychologists may also access additional allowances, professional development funding, flexible working arrangements, and a range of benefits including:

• 5 weeks annual leave, increasing to 6 weeks
• Annual Departmental Day
• National psychology training and development opportunities
• APC reimbursement and Professional Indemnity Insurance contribution
• Expert Witness Allowance (where applicable)
• Health, wellbeing, and EAP support

Join Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections, where your work will contribute to improving public safety, reducing re-offending, and address the overrepresentation of Māori in correctional facilities. As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship), and whānau (relationships) to guide our work and achieve the goals of our Hōkai Rangi strategy.

We value inclusion and diversity in our workforce, and as a Public Service organisation we are committed to building a workforce that reflects the public we serve. We strive to make our recruitment process fair, and we encourage you to discuss reasonable accommodations with us if required.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about a career with us, contact ************@corrections.govt.nz, or visit careers.corrections.govt.nz.