Permanent. Full Time. Te Au Rere a te Tonga, Palmerston North

Do you want an influential role that allows you to provide expertise to implement and improve care that leads to young people realising a better future?

We have an exciting role available for Senior Psychologists to join Oranga Tamariki.

Mō mātou | About us

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of what we do. In our work, we aim to demonstrate these values:

• We put Tamariki first
• We believe Aroha is vital
• We respect the Mana of people
• We are Tika and Pono
• We value Whakapapa
• We recognise that Oranga is a journey

Our Youth Justice Residences, provide a safe, secure and supportive environment where rangatahi (young people) who have offended can make changes and get their lives back on track. In addition to maintaining secure facilities, we aim to help rehabilitate young offenders.

We understand that the causes of offending are complex, and that successfully dealing with young offenders needs integrated care across multiple domains.

Mō te tÅ«nga | About the role

As a Senior Psychologist in our leadership team you will provide expertise in the application of psychological science. You will contribute to the care of our rangatahi by providing specialised assessments and treatment for the young people supported in the residence.

Your expertise in applying psychological knowledge to enhance the team's surrounding the young person will improve the effectiveness of our outcomes. You will work within our multidisciplinary environment to help young people in our care realise a positive future.

We need you to have an understanding of mental health and other legislation to provide advice and training for our helpful team to improve practices and site initiated programmes.

Te Au rere a te Tonga is a 40 bed residence supporting both males and females. It operates within the Whakamana Tangata restorative practice framework and will soon pilot the Alert programme for supporting self-regulation of rangatahi. The Senior Psychologist is a member of the Residence leadership team and will have a central role across the residence to support trauma informed practice as well as providing staff development training and individual assessment and treatment to rangatahi. There are equivalent positions in the other youth justice residences and this provides a peer group. There is practice leadership and support from the National Office team.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

• A Masters or Doctoral degree Psychology and Annual Practicing Certificate with the Psychologists Board of New Zealand with the Clinical or General Scope of Practice (or eligibility to Register).
• People with the general scope should have extensive experience in a forensic setting with young people.
• Continual research and up to date knowledge of rehabilitation practices
• Knowledge of what works with offending behaviours
• People leadership experience, specifically with implementing new practices
• Proven relationship management experience, with the ability to influence, negotiate and persuade across group and service boundaries to achieve desired outcomes
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team environment
• An understanding of tikanga Māori, the importance of whakapapa and appreciation of cultural differences and how this should influence practice
• An understanding of legislative and regulatory accountabilities in psychology and care treatment
• Understanding of the impact of neuro-disability, trauma and attachment on a young person's behaviour

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

In return we offer a supportive team and annual remuneration between $95,242 - 142,878. We also support continuing competency programmes and flexibility in working hours and arrangements

To see all the benefits of working for Oranga Tamariki, please visit https://mahi.orangatamariki.govt.nz/working-with-us/employee-benefits/

Applications close: 10 February 2022 

Me pÄ“hea te tuku tono  | How to Apply

Apply online by clicking "Apply Now" please include your CV and cover letter.

If you are an Oranga Tamariki employee, please register or log in using your Oranga Tamariki e-mail address.

If you have any queries, please contact mirko.tojaga@ot.govt.nz

At Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, our highest priority is the safety and welfare of our kaimahi and the tamariki and whānau we support.

At this time Oranga Tamariki invites applications from fully vaccinated people or people with a valid medical exemption (under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021).We will require evidence of your vaccination status or a valid exemption.We will require evidence of your vaccination status at the pre-employment stage of our recruitment process.