Psychologist - Tai Aroha, Hamilton

New Zealand Government; Hamilton; Hybrid; NZD 83,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5 weeks annual leave

Professional development funding

Flexible working arrangements

Health and wellbeing support

EAP access

Job summary

Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections in Hamilton, NZ seeks a psychologist to recruit, assess and develop tailored treatment plans for residents in a 16-week Cognitive Self-Change program. You will contribute to reports, reintegration planning, and the therapy community, with potential for supervision duties.

The role requires NZ-registered psychologists with a current Annual Practising Certificate and experience in delivering group therapy and report writing.

Qualifications

• Registered with the NZ Psychologists' Board.
• Must hold Annual Practising Certificate.
• Experience delivering therapeutic interventions is essential.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, assess and develop individualized treatment plans for new residents.
• Facilitate the 16-week Cognitive Self-Change rolling-group programme.
• Complete progress reports and consult on reintegration pathways.
• Contribute to running the therapeutic community and provide supervision as needed.

Skills

Māori culture

therapeutic interventions

group therapy

report writing

diverse populations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Psychology

Job description

Tai Aroha - Community-based Special Treatment Unit, Hamilton Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi amma he toa takitini - my strength is not the strength of my own, but the strength of many Mō te tūnga

About the roleTai Aroha is a beautiful purpose-built 10-bed residential treatment facility for men considered to have a high risk of violent offending. It is run by a dedicated team of psychologists, reintegration coordinators, a programme facilitator, a Kaupapa Māori practitioner, and other support staff, who work together to help residents address the causes of their offending and build pathways for positive and crime-free lives. It incorporates therapeutic community principles and processes, tikanga Māori practises, and offence-focused psychological treatment.

As a psychologist at Tai Aroha - your core tasks will be to recruit, assess and develop individualised treatment plans for new residents. You will help facilitate the 16-week Cognitive Self-Change rolling-group treatment programme, complete reports outlining their treatment progress, and consult on reintegration pathways for the men post-programme. All staff will have the ability to deliver bespoke individual treatment sessions as appropriate and take an active role in running the therapeutic community, and senior staff will have further opportunities to provide clinical supervision and training.

This role is available as either a permanent position or a 6-month fixed-term contract, depending on your preference, with flexible hours ranging from 0.5 FTE up to full-time (1.0 FTE).

About you

We're looking for a skilled treatment provider capable of developing meaningful therapeutic alliances with men that have often been entrenched in the criminal world and had few safe relationships in their lives, who will work collaboratively with colleagues to maintain an environment that allows these men to let down their defences so real change can occur. It is essential that all staff have strong professional boundaries and understand the importance of proactively navigating transference issues to keep our residents and staff safe. This is a chance to be proactive and reflective, combining your expertise with the satisfaction of making a real difference in the lives of those we serve. To be considered for this role you must be registered with the New Zealand Psychologists' Board and hold a current Annual Practicing Certificate.

Skills and experience

• Has knowledge of, or shows a willingness to learn, about Māori culture and protocols
• Has experience in delivering therapeutic interventions, ideally group therapy with people who have a high-risk of violence
• Has life experience that means they can work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and ethnic groups
• Is comfortable having their practice viewed and are receptive of regular feedback on their practice
• Has experience with report writing

The benefits

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
• Te Reo Māori and Tikanga allowance
• APC reimbursement and Professional Indemnity Insurance contribution
• Expert Witness Allowance (where applicable)
• Health, wellbeing, and EAP support

About us

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.