Principal Clinician for Intellectual Disability

Please note this role is open only to current staff of Health New Zealand. Please do not apply if you are not employed by Health New Zealand

Location: Porirua

Contract:  Permanent, Part time (0.2 - 0.3 FTE)

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we’re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the role

Intellectual Disability (ID) Forensic Services is part of the Mental Health Addiction and Intellectual Disability Service Directorate (MHAIDS).  It has adult, youth and community services.

We currently have two vacancies for Principal Clinician roles in the Intellectual Disability Service, working across our inpatient and community service.

The roles are positioned to work alongside the Clinical Nurse Specialists, Care Managers, Service Educator, Workforce Coordinator, Team Leaders, and relevant internal and external stakeholders to implement and maintain high quality and sustainable clinical services consistent with the ID Services Model of Care. 

The Principal Clinician is an active member of the service’s clinical team and a key contributor to the ID Service Clinical Governance Group. The role is part time and would sit alongside a clinical role to work either part time or in a full time capacity. They report to the Clinical Leader for the Intellectual Disability Service and supports them to develop and implement high quality and sustainable clinical services within the Intellectual Disability Service. 

We are a progressive service committed to providing a culture of ongoing professional development for staff through regular clinical supervision, excellent professional development and recognition programme (PDRP) for nursing, regular in-service training and support towards external education.

About the Team/Service Location 

Haumietiketike is a regional intellectual disability adult secure forensic inpatient unit which has eleven beds. 

The Step-Down Rehabilitative Cottages include two separate houses providing four adult beds in each cottage. 

Hikitia Te Wairua is the National intellectual disability secure forensic inpatient unit for young people with six beds. This building is co-located with the Rangatahi (Youth Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit) and Nga Taiohi (National Secure Youth Forensic Unit).

Manawai Individualised Service Units (ISU) is a six bed National inpatient facility for adults with an intellectual disability and/or mental illness who have conditions of such severity that they have been subject to long-term hospital level care compromising their quality of life.

Our Community Team provides a regional tertiary service for adults with an intellectual disability and co-existing mental illness.  The team also delivers services for community forensic clients with an intellectual disability.  As a consultation liaison team, our input is generally short term, providing intensive assessments, recommendations and advice for clients and their care team.

We have a Model of Care, which incorporates all the features of current best practice within forensic secure services including Positive Behaviour Support, nuanced risk assessment, and psychological formulation. All staff receive training on Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) as this is the basis for our philosophy of care within the service.

About you

To be considered for this role you will; 

-The application of psychological frameworks to the care and rehabilitation of offenders with an intellectual disability.

-Theories of behaviour change in neurotypical and neurodiverse populations.

-The Good Lives Model of Offender Rehabilitation and other forensic frameworks.

-Risk assessment and risk management within a forensic intellectual disability setting.

-Positive Behaviour Support.

-The delivery of forensic intellectual disability services in both inpatient and community settings.

-The legal and ethical frameworks that underpin forensic mental health and intellectual disability services.

-Equity issues in the delivery of health services.

-Te Ao Māori and, specifically, bicultural models of healthcare.

Someone well suited to the role with place a high value on the following:

Working at Health New Zealand 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community. 

How to Apply 

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal by 18th July. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Marianne.Lovgren@tewhatuora.govt.nz

Please note this role is open only to current staff of Health New Zealand. Please do not apply if you are not employed by Health New Zealand

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advertisement.