About the role:

The Specialist Investigators Support Unit (SISU) established in early 2018 sits within Family Violence Command. The SISU provide specialised clinical services to proactively identify and address the psychological health and wellbeing needs of employees working in the themes of child abuse, sexual offending and family violence, including the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams (SOCITs) and Family Violence Investigation Units (FVIUs). This is achieved through individual, team and organisational strategies and interventions. The SISU has also received recent funding to trial its model of service delivery to Search and Rescue and Water Police squads.  Given this, we are looking to expand our workforce.

Victoria Police is a contemporary and agile workplace and supports flexible working arrangements.

Your duties will include:

Delivery of individual, group and organisational interventions to support mental health and psychological wellbeing to Victoria Police employees, in particular those working in the crime themes of sexual offending, child abuse and family violence. Tasks include:

• Contributing to the development and implementation of best practice psychological services targeted to the specific needs of individual work areas.
• Providing individual clinical services to Victoria Police employees. This includes psychological assessment, short term counselling, critical incident response, crisis/risk interventions and case management.
• Provision of group interventions, including, facilitation of reflective practice and the development and delivery of training and education sessions.
• Consultation with senior managers and operational supervisors around clinical and organisational psychology concerns associated with their teams. This includes the provision of specialist opinion regarding crisis situations, critical incidents and other issues affecting the mental health and psychological wellbeing of employees.
• Provision of manager/supervisor coaching.
• Building and managing collaborative relationships with assigned work units and other stakeholders within and external to Victoria Police.
• Participating in research and projects relevant to the mental health and psychological wellbeing of Victoria Police employees.
• Providing subject matter expertise to a range of projects, policies and programs within Family Violence Command and where appropriate across Victoria Police more broadly.

As the successful applicant, you will have:

• Demonstrated ability in the provision of clinical assessments, brief counselling interventions, case management and group facilitation.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience in critical incident interventions and psychological first aid.
• Demonstrated ability to provide immediate and autonomous clinical judgement and crisis intervention in highly stressful, complex and sensitive situations.
• The ability to build and maintain effective relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in tailoring organisational based interventions and support to large work units.
• Highly developed written, verbal communication and presentation skills with the ability to utilise these skills to motivate and influence a broad range of audiences including senior management.
• A proven record of ethical behaviour.

Requirements and relevant information:

• One (1) x FTE (0.6) two-year fixed contract position available. Salary plus superannuation will be pro rata.
• This position is mainly located at Victoria Police Centre, 311 Spencer Street, Docklands however, this involves travel around Victoria, including overnight stays on a regular basis.
• Full registration as a Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Registration number must be provided; or Eligibility for Membership as a Social Worker with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). Proof of qualification must be provided.
• Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa.
• The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include fingerprint checks and misconduct screening.
• In accordance with the Acting Chief Health Officer’s Direction – COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions, you are required to be fully vaccinated (this includes a booster vaccination) and your employment with Victoria Police is subject to proof of vaccination.
• Successful candidates will be required to possess a current Victorian Driver Licence and hold or qualify for an appropriate Victoria Police driving authority within three (3) months.

Your application must include:

• Resume
• Completed application form – the word document (2. Application form) for you to complete and attach to your submission, is attached to the job advertisement.

Applications close midnight, 29 September 2022.

Please Note: All applications will need to be submitted through one of the following platforms; Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE) website, Victorian Government careers website (Careers.vic) or Seek. Applications will not be accepted via other platforms or email.

Current Victorian Government employees must apply via Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE). 

For further information, please contact: Michelle Spinks on 0429 603 685 or [email protected]

If you have a disability/medical condition and require a copy of this advertisement and attached documentation in an accessible format or would like to discuss an access requirements/reasonable adjustment for the recruitment process, please contact VPS Recruitment via email [email protected] or on (03) 8335 8081.

About Us:

Victoria Police has a dedicated workforce of more than 22,000 employees consisting of police, protective services officers, police custody officers, and public service staff. Each employee plays a vital role in providing the 24/7, 365 days a year emergency response and public safety capability the organisation delivers to its community. As a Victoria Police employee, you have a dedication and commitment to community safety. 

Having a workforce that reflects the community we serve is important to Victoria Police. We want to attract and retain people of all genders, ages, religions, disability, sexual orientation, family and caring responsibilities, and cultures including people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. If you are interested in a position, we encourage you to apply as we celebrate the benefit that diversity brings to our employees, our services, and our community.

Find out what it is like working as a Victorian Public Servant for Victoria Police: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/vps