Psychologist - Asylum Seeker Health Services

Mental Health Clinician - Psychologist (P2)
Cabrini Outreach – Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub, Northcote
Permanent part-time position - 0.6 FTE (Monday to Wednesday)

We’re building for the better!
By 2036, more than 150,000 patients will look to us for healthcare every year.

Cabrini Outreach is a Catholic community development organisation inspired by the spirit and vision of Mother Cabrini and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our mandate is to seek social justice, alleviate social inequality and enable better healthcare for people seeking asylum and people experiencing disadvantage within Australia and overseas.

The Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub focuses on providing free, compassionate primary care and mental health care to people seeking asylum who are Medicare-ineligible or who have no income. Our service provides integrated primary care, mental health care and health waiver programs. Our approach to care considers the psychosocial determinants of health, is recovery-oriented and grounded in trauma-informed practices, allowing us to holistically understand and address the unique needs of each person and family. We are a recognised leader in the work we do winning the Victorian Multicultural Commission Awards for Excellence in Health in 2021 and the Stronger Medicare Awards - Medicare Champions “Ensuring all Australians have access to quality healthcare, wherever they live” in 2024.

The Specialist Mental Health Service is a multidisciplinary team with psychiatrists (employed and pro bono), mental health clinicians (occupational therapist and social workers), with support from the Clinical Director and General Manager. The team works closely in an integrated model with the Primary Health Care team and other external community-based organisations supporting people seeking asylum.

What the role involves:
The Mental Health Clinician/Psychologist is a key member of the Specialist Mental Health Service providing clinical care and care coordination to people seeking asylum in Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs. The role involves triage/intake and assessment, developing treatment plans, therapeutic intervention and formulation, report writing and care coordination. The service is delivered primarily onsite with some limited outreach.

Key responsibilities include:

• Utilising a range of interventions to respond to the trauma, psychosocial impacts and mental health needs of clients and families, including both practical skills and psychological strategies using a recovery-based framework.
• Development of community-based mental health assessments of clients with trauma in different phases of mental illness/psychiatric disorder including comprehensive risk assessments and safety and wellness plans.
• Demonstrated ability to work with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams.
• Cross-cultural skills and competencies including working with interpreters.

What we're looking for:
We are seeking a Registered Psychologist with at least three years clinical experience in mental health who is passionate about working with people seeking asylum in a community-based setting.

You will have:

• Registration as a Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and eligible for membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS)
• Significant clinical experience working in a community setting.
• Ability to work autonomously under limited supervision, exercising sound professional judgement and seeking advice and consultation when appropriate.
• Demonstrated capacity to perform community-based mental health assessments of clients with trauma in different phases of mental illness/psychiatric disorder including comprehensive risk assessments and safety and wellness plans.
• Experience with therapeutic intervention(s) and knowledge of related theory such as: EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, psychodynamic therapy (including attachment theory), mindfulness, narrative therapy, internal family systems, and polyvagal theory.
• Previous experience working with asylum seekers and refugees (highly desirable).

What we offer:

• Work-Life balance with Monday to Friday roster between 9-5pm.
• Salary packaging: up to $15,900 tax-free each year, plus $2650 meal & entertainment card benefits
• ​Travel Perks: Myki Commuter discounted fares
• A commitment to health and wellbeing initiatives including discounted access to a wide range of gyms, pools, and fitness facilities through Fitness Passport
• Access to a range of retail offers, discounted hospital services and savings on eligible private health fund service
• Rewarding role in a supportive team passionate about supporting people seeking asylum
• Generous professional development opportunities and supervision support

Interested? For further information view the full position description here or contact Tracey Cabrie - General Manager Cabrini Outreach - on 9508 7000 or 0417 764 254.

Candidates will be shortlisted as applications are received, so don’t wait to apply!

Does this sound like your new role? Bring your skills and enthusiasm to Cabrini Health and help optimise the patient experience and health outcomes for our community.

Cabrini Health acknowledges the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for people of all backgrounds and abilities. Inclusion is core to our mission.

As part of our commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Working for Cabrini

Cabrini Health is a Catholic, private, for-purpose health service located in Melbourne’s southeast. Inspired by the mission and ethic of care of the Cabrini Sisters, providing quality, compassionate care to our community for more than 75 years.

There is something special about Cabrini Health. Our highly skilled staff and specialists incorporate clinical research, innovative models of care and state-of-the-art technology to deliver the best possible care and outcomes for our patients. We demonstrate our mission to serve our community through outreach programs that support asylum seekers, provide healthcare in rural communities and in underdeveloped countries.

Our size, reputation and growth strategy ensure genuine opportunities for our people to learn, grow and realise potential.

Our values: Compassion - Integrity - Courage - Respect

MANDATORY FOR ALL NEW STAFF TO CABRINI

Employment with Cabrini Health will be based on satisfactory background checks such as professional references, National Police Check, vaccinations for annual Influenza and COVID-19 (recommended), plus a Working with Children Check (WWCC) may also be requested.