Psychologist - Te Whare Manaakitanga STU at Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Wellington (Te Whanganui a Tara)

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Te Whare Manaakitanga Special Treatment Unit, Rimutaka Prison, Wellington

• Work in an intense therapeutic setting
• Opportunity open to newly qualified and experienced fully registered Psychologists
• Based at Rimutaka Prison in Upper Hutt

'Kotahi anō te kaupapa, ko te oranga o te iwi'  –  ‘There is only one purpose to our work:  the wellness and wellbeing of our people'.

Hōkai Rangi is Ara Poutama Aotearoa's organisational strategy.  A key focus of Hōkai Rangi is the humanising and healing of those people in our care.  Ara Poutama Aotearoa staff focus on having relationships with these people, and their whānau, that are based on manaaki and contribute positively to their wellbeing.  As part of our strategy, you will directly contribute to our commitment to do better for Maori in our management.

Te Whare Manaakitanga (TWM) is a purpose built 30-bed intensive treatment unit for high risk violent offenders.  It is based in Rimutaka Prison (approximately 30 minutes from Wellington city), and is one of four units in New Zealand where the Special Treatment Unit Violent Offending programme (STU:VO) is delivered. 

The STU:VO has been recognised as the Department of Corrections most effective treatment programme.  As a TWM psychologist, you will thus become part of a team dedicated to, and succeeding in, making real change in the lives of men identified as high risk violent offenders, their whanau, and the wider community. 

Your core task at TWM will be to recruit, assess and develop individualised treatment plans for 10 men.  You will subsequently co-facilitate the nine month cognitive-behavioural group treatment programme with the 10 men, complete specialist reports outlining their treatment progress, and consult on reintegration pathways for the men post-programme.  All staff will also have the ability to design and deliver complementary individual treatment sessions as appropriate, and to take an active role in the running of TWM's ‘community of change' environment designed to provide participants with opportunities to rehearse and generalise the skills acquired in treatment sessions.  Senior psychologists will have further opportunities to provide clinical supervision and training. 

If you would like the chance to work in a more intensive therapeutic manner with a smaller number of clients, TWM could be the opportunity you are looking for.  Applications are invited from Registered Psychologists with a specialty in Forensic or Clinical Psychology - who can demonstrate knowledge and the ability to apply Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy, and/or Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques. 

All staff will be provided with weekly supervision from psychologists who are experienced in group work and supportive of staff development.   

If you would like to discuss this position further, please contact Nicky Perkins, Manager Psychological Services on 04 529 0101 or email nicola.perkins@corrections.govt.nz

As part of the COVID-19 response, health workers regulated by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act are required to be vaccinated and boosted. This includes doctors, nurses and psychologists .

Staff not regulated by the HPCA do not currently need to provide evidence of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Utu ā-tau | Salary

The full range (85%-120%) is $81,049 - $125,485. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Ko wai mātou | About us

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu. 

As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our strategy - Hōkai Rangi (https://careers.corrections.govt.nz/strategy).

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To apply, please submit a tailored CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience. Alignment to our kaupapa is critical to our success - we ask that you provide examples which reflect and demonstrate our organisation values. 

It is an exciting time to join us and we continue to seek out talented individuals who are committed to an inclusive, vibrant workplace. We recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, and that of the collective talent in our whānau.  All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency. Applications close 18th August. Applications received via email will not be considered. 

If you want to find out more about a career with us, visit careers.corrections.govt.nz or email our team at careers@corrections.govt.nz.