Psychologist - Mental Health

**About the Job**:

- Contribute to enhancing the oranga of the tāne in our management
- New full-time permanent role as part of our mental health services expansion
- Join a values-based agency committed to advancing health equity for Māori

**_'Kotahi anō te kaupapa, ko te oranga o te iwi' - ‘There is only one purpose to our work: the wellness and wellbeing of our people'._**

Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Corrections) Health Services lead the delivery of patient-focused primary health care services to tangata within corrections facilities across Aotearoa. Hōkai Rangi, our over-arching strategic direction, places the focus on health at the heart of our business. Building our frameworks from a Matauranga Māori basis is our focus to drive and support equity for Māori, which in turn will contribute to achieving our outcomes of reducing reoffending.

**Mō te tūnga | About the role**

As a Psychologist within our multi-disciplinary team at Christchurch Men's prison, your role will encompass providing a full range of secondary mental health psychological services including triage, comprehensive and systemic assessment and treatment based on best practice psychological service delivery. Ara Poutama devotes significant time and resources into caring for tāne vulnerable to self-harming behaviour or suicide. A core part of your role will be to monitor, promulgate and promote best practice in the delivery of mental health services for tāne at risk of suicide and self-harm within the Intervention and Support Unit and wider prison environment.

We are especially committed to providing a culturally safe practice and approach for the people in our care that recognises their complex and entwined histories of severe trauma, mental health issues, substance abuse, unhealthy relationships, and poverty that have often contributed to their offending. As an experienced clinical specialist, you will also be accountable for directing, monitoring and evaluating psychological care that is provided by others, including providing clinical leadership and fostering teamwork and collaboration.

**Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience**
- Masters Degree in Psychology, and eligible to be registered in New Zealand as a Psychologist;
- Can operate effectively in a Māori cultural setting and has an understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi;
- Strong, clear and adaptable communication skills - both written and verbal;
- Able to provide psychological assessment and treatment services based upon evidence of what constitutes best practice in a Corrections setting;
- Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of people to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals;
- Ability to be flexible and adapt behaviour to reflect diverse situations and people, and deal positively with difficult situations and people;
- Ability to maintain professional boundaries; and
- Can effectively manage time and workload, taking responsibility for learning and development, while maintaining a balance between work and personal life.

As part of the COVID-19 response, health workers regulated by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act are required to be vaccinated and boosted. This includes doctors, nurses and psychologists.

Staff not regulated by the HPCA do not currently need to provide evidence of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

**Utu ā-tau | Salary**

The salary range for the role is $81,049 - $125,485. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

**Ko wai mātou | **About us**

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu.

To apply, please submit a** tailored CV and a cover letter **describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience. Alignment to our kaupapa is critical to our success - we ask that you provide examples which reflect and demonstrate our organisation values.