This position is open in South Africa for relocation to Australia.
Role: Psychologist - Full-time (Sydney, Australia)
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 08:00am - 5:00pm AEST - Time zone in Sydney NSW, Australia (GMT+10)
Salary: Australian Award Rates
Scope of the Role: Our client is currently seeking a dedicated Psychologist to join their growing team in the Health and Disability industry. As a Psychologist, you'll provide counseling and therapy services to individuals in need of emotional support and mental health guidance. This is an opportunity to make a positive impact on people's lives and contribute to their well-being. Persons working within this role are responsible for more complex, specialised, or intense support activities, including health and allied health practitioners and other specialists.
Key Responsibilities
- The Psychologist delivers services and provides expert consultation and intervention to clients with a disability who have complex needs, allowing them to participate fully in life.
- The Psychologist will provide tailored services in line with individual individual NDIS plans. (Equivalent to plans as guided by the South African National Health Act and relevant disability support guidelines.)
- All practices are participant-focused and promote their choices, rights, and decisions. Due to the variable nature of participants, this role requires the worker to promote participants' voices, choices, and report any areas of concern.
- The Psychologist must apply the Child Safe Standards in their practices. (Equivalent to the Child Protection Policies (Children's Act in South Africa).
- The Psychologist is required to follow all policies and procedures and report to management:
- Feedback from participants (positive, constructive, and complaints).
- Changes in participant circumstances or environment.
- Work health and safety issues and concerns.
- Need for resources to undertake the role.
- If you think that the participant is experiencing discrimination, exploitation, neglect, abuse, or violence.
- When unsure of actions that should be undertaken.
- Stressed or anxious feelings.
Main Duties (General):
- Always check the participant's support plan before service provision.
- Implement personal hygiene and infection control procedures. (In line with South African Department of Health guidelines).
- Be alert if you notice the participant is distressed or apathetic (uninterested or listless).
- Record strategies and practices as per the organisation's requirements.
Work Practices
Psychologists must:
- Perform initial evaluations of participants' needs and develop customised plans, including behaviour support plans
- Educate relevant staff on implementing behaviour support strategies
- Provide psychological assessment, intervention and behaviour support strategies.
- Developing an NDIS behaviour support plan containing evidence-based, proactive strategies that meet the needs of the person. (Develop behaviour support plans containing evidence-based, proactive strategies that meet the needs of the person (aligned with South African regulations).
- Work with implementing providers on the strategies and train staff in how to implement them.
- Working with disability services that focus on supporting people with both intellectual and physical disabilities.
- Assist with vocational goals and plans for clients.
- Collaborate and assist with supported living assessments.
- Plan, monitor and review client outcomes.
- Conduct psychometric, behavioural and functional assessments.
- Complete reports and work towards goals within the participants' plans.
- Monitor participants' progress and modify their plans as needed.
- Coordinate with social and medical agencies, healthcare providers and community outreach programs to provide participants with needed services.
- Meet with participants to discuss their emotional, mental or lifestyle issues.
- Evaluate participants' needs and create a custom treatment plan utilising a strengths-based approach.
- Act as a facilitator of group counselling sessions or a mediator in a conflict resolution setting.
- Discuss the participants' desired goals and outcomes.
- Encourage participants to discuss emotions and experiences.
- Provide relevant information or resources specific to the participant's needs.
- Assist participants in setting goals and adopting strategies to address their issues.
- Help individuals with the resources needed to reach personal goals
- Referring participants to other healthcare professionals where appropriate.
- Liaising with healthcare professionals as part of a health management team
- Review and adjust the plan to meet current participant needs
- Inform and train relevant staff in new strategies.
- Incorporate Child Protection Policies in their practice when working with children and young people.
- Report any real or potential risks of harm to a participant, including child and young people.
Requirements
- Relevant degree in Psychology and full registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
- Ability to obtain registration against the South African equivalent of the NDIS Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework. (Equivalent to obtaining registration with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) and adhere to relevant guidelines under the National Health Act and Mental Health Care Act.)
- Knowledge of relevant legislation, policies, and procedures impacting the delivery of services to people with a disability in South Africa.
- South African Police Clearance.
- Completion of an induction module aligned with South African regulations and standards.
- Current membership with the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) (highly recommended).
- Complete continuing education courses to maintain certification and stay up-to-date on the latest practices.
- Previous experience as a psychologist or therapist.
- Valid license to practice as a psychologist in South Africa.
- Proficient in conducting virtual counseling sessions.
- Strong knowledge of counseling techniques and therapeutic approaches.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Empathetic, compassionate, and non-judgmental approach.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Flexible availability to accommodate clients' schedules.
- Experience in working with diverse populations.
Experience and Skills
- Experience writing assessments and reports to monitor participant progress.
- Experience working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability, and other complex diagnoses.
- Understanding and practical application of relevant legislative regulations and standards (aligned with the South African National Health Act and other relevant regulations).
- Ability to train and work with support workers implementing behaviour support strategies.
- Demonstrated Continuing Professional Development (aligned with HPCSA CPD requirements).
- Demonstrated ability to manage a caseload efficiently and effectively.
- Experience delivering therapy services to children, young people, and adults.
- Knowledge of continuous quality improvement principles.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Demonstrated ability to manage a caseload efficiently and effectively.
- Ability to work in a team-oriented and collaborative environment.
- Advanced written and verbal communication skills with an ability to develop a professional rapport with a diverse range of people.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to empathise with participants.
- Ability to handle crises.
- Excellent problem-solving and conflict management skills.
- Incident response and reporting procedures and protocols to ensure the participant's safety, self, and others (in line with South African Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requirements and Children's Act for safeguarding).
- Techniques and communication skills to take notes and prepare reports that provide objective information free of judgments or assumptions.
- Ability to work independently.
- Infection prevention and control, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and waste handling practices.
- Understanding of the principles and processes of disability support systems in South Africa, such as services provided under SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) and the Department of Social Development.
- Reflective practices and processes.
- Working within current best practice tools, approaches, and expectations about disability and related support.
- Strategies and tools to manage work stress and manage personal wellness.
Benefits
- Training & Development
- End to End experience and exposure
- Direct access to high level management
- Relocation to Australia including visa arrangements
About the Company:
Our client specialises in disability support services aimed at empowering individuals to sustain their independence within the comfort of their own homes. From the outset, our client has been driven by a single, overarching mission: to cater to the unique needs and aspirations of each of their clients. Accessibility and affordability are at the forefront of their operations. Our client's team takes the time to offer the most effective support tailored to individual circumstances. Quality isn’t something our client compromises on, and provides timely, as-requested services to meet their clients' specific requirements.
