Are you wanting to start your career as an occupational therapist in forensic mental health?

• Full time, ongoing Grade 1 Occupational Therapist role
• Based in Thomas Embling Hospital, Fairfield
• Great salary packaging conditions and leave entitlements
• Free onsite parking

Forensicare is the statutory agency responsible for the provision of adult forensic mental health services across Victoria. Forensicare is situated across five sites across Victoria with its largest site being Thomas Embling Hospital, located in Fairfield just 15 minutes north of the Melbourne CBD. 

Thomas Embling Hospital is a 136 bed secure hospital providing acute care, rehabilitation and continuing

About the role:

The Grade 1 Occuptional Therapist will be responsible for planning, implementing, documenting and evaluating occupational therapy assessment and treatment with an identified patient group. They will work collaboratively and impartially with patients to identify occupational therapy treatment priorities and assist in the delivery of a responsive campus wide therapeutic program. Supported by a large and progressive Occupational Therapy team, the Grade 1 OT will be provided with opportunities to develop their clinical practice within the specialised area of forensic mental health.

Duties:

• Assesses, interprets and intervenes to improve occupational performance through identifying individual needs based on functional deficits and strengths, and through promoting occupational choices that balance work, leisure and self-care.
• Focuses on the development of life roles and skills required by patients for community adaptation and integration, including vocational planning, development and maintenance of a responsible attitude to time use, drug use and other behaviours which may lead to re-offending.
• Contributes to the creation of a therapeutic environment where natural and legitimate decision-making, adaptive functional behaviour and independent living can be practised and reinforced.
• Participates in the assessment and treatment of patients through group work and individual sessions, making a discipline-specific contribution to the clinical team’s understanding of the patient and their situation.

Skills and experience:

• To have a solid conceptual understanding of the theories of occupational performance, including the Model of Human Occupation and be committed to understanding and improving patient functioning through formal assessment and interventions using recognised occupational therapy models of intervention.
• An ability to plan, implement and evaluate Occupational Therapy interventions for patients with a serious mental illness.
• Ability to work autonomously and to work within a multi-disciplinary team.
• A demonstrated commitment to learning through analysis of own performance, engaging in clinical supervision and professional development, and a commitment to applying this knowledge to practice.
• Possesses good interpersonal and organisational skills, and the ability to prepare and deliver written and verbal reports of a high standard.

Mandatory qualifications & registrations:

• Approved degree in Occupational Therapy recognised for membership of OT Australia – Australian Association of Occupational Therapists.
• Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulations Agency (AHPRA)
• The successful candidate will be required to register their qualifications on eCredential

This position is subject to a Police Check.

Benefits:

We value our staff and provide a range of employee benefits including:

• Great salary packaging conditions.
• Excellent leave entitlements.
• Post-graduate scholarship programs.
• Ongoing training and full orientation.
• Comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Programs including Employee Assistance Programs.

Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to attracting and developing a diverse workforce which reflects the community we serve. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people who identify as LGBTQI, people with a lived experience of disability, as well as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Forensicare promotes the following values: responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect and leadership; and promotes behaviours that are consistent with these values at all times. Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and offers a smoke free environment.