Careers in psychology

What our psychologists do

Psychologists are employed across a range of programs. While some are employed in psychology-specific roles, others work within multidisciplinary teams as key clinicians, using their skills as clinical psychologists to inform and provide a broad range of psychosocial interventions.

The roles of clinical psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists are varied. The specialty psychology tasks can be grouped into:

Direct clinical work
Consultation
Research and evaluation
Specialist interest groups and portfolios

Our psychologists have opportunities to use and develop their discipline-specific knowledge and provide evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapies (such as ACT, CBT, DBT, SFT, and others) in individual and group formats to aid consumers’ recovery.

Psychologists also have a role in providing psychological assessments and offering diagnostic opinions in their specific area of practice.

Direct Clinical Work

Clinical psychologists

Clinical psychologists aim to improve consumer outcomes through the provision of psychological services within a case management practice or via specific direct referrals.

Most clinical psychologists develop expertise in specific areas or practice in subspecialties. These include:

Psychological assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning
Evidence-based therapy, including cognitive-behaviour therapies, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, and approaches aimed at reduction of positive symptoms, adaptation to disability and improvement of psychosocial functioning
Family work (family psycho-education, problem-solving, therapy to reduce trauma experienced by carers and clients and to reduce relapse rates)

Clinical psychologists provide specific interventions in the areas of:

Anxiety (OCD, GAD, PTSD, Panic)
Mood disorders (depression, bipolar affective disorder)
Eating disorders
Personality disorders (to reduce the incidence of self-harm, use of medical and hospital services and to improve adaptive functioning)
Positive and negative symptoms of psychosis
Sleep disorders
Behaviour management, such as analysis and modification of disordered behaviour patterns
Development of social, vocational and daily living skills via either formal or informal programs based on learning theory
Group work (such as ACT for Psychosis, ACT for Personality Disorders, anxiety management, social phobia, reducing functional impairment)

Clinical neuropsychologists

Clinical neuropsychologists work with consumers to provide assessment, rehabilitation or education and counselling.

They also work within a team to assist in the ongoing management and treatment of people who suffer from known brain dysfunction including mental illness, with the aim of improving overall functioning and quality of life.

Clinical neuropsychologists provide specific interventions, including:

Cognitive screening, such as to rule out delirium or organic (physical brain) aetiologies
Neuropsychological assessment of intellectual functioning (IQ), memory, language, visuospatial skills and executive function
Differential diagnosis of various neuropsychiatric and dementing syndromes
Personality profiling
Learning difficulties assessment, vocational guidance and counselling
Delineation of psychological/neuropsychological sequelae of organic deficits
Assistance with differential diagnosis of functional deficits due either to mental illness, medication, substance abuse or head injury
Assistance with strategies for cognitive or psychosocial rehabilitation
Psychoeducation regarding the effects of mental illness on neural function and behaviour
Behavioural support and intervention
Consultation
Group work (provision of support groups for people with cognitive changes)

Consultancy work

In addition to direct provision of service, clinical psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists work within programs to enhance awareness of psychological approaches to the treatment of mental illness, and to promote and support the use of psychological and neuropsychological interventions.

This occurs through input to multidisciplinary team meetings and the provision of advice and supervision for other healthcare professionals on psychological aspects of care and neuropsychology issues.

Research and evaluation

Clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology training is grounded in the scientist-practitioner model, and both have specific training in evaluation and research methodology. Many clinical psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists have roles within their organisations that effectively make use of this skill base.

A strong link with LaTrobe University including the joint appointment of an Academic Advisor supports psychology research across our service.

Supervision & Continued Professional Development

All clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists receive regular supervision by a suitably trained senior psychologist to ensure their competent and effective clinical practice as well as their continued professional development (including the registrar program for clinical endorsement).

There are multiple opportunities to access high-quality clinical training, including:

A psychology-specific Entry Level Program for staff in their first years of practice
Regular local staff training
The programs of the Mental Health Training and Development Unit and several external training partner institutes

Portfolios and interest groups

All clinical psychologists are invited to participate in activities to promote psychology and assist to provide high standards of psychological services. Staff often hold portfolios in teams that reflect their interests and skills as a clinical psychologist, such as evaluation portfolios.

Employment

Recruitment requirements

All psychologists employed with us must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia via the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA), or provisionally registered and enrolled in a registrar program.

We offer a registrar program for psychologists who are working towards their endorsement to practice as a clinical psychologist or clinical neuropsychologist.

Interstate and overseas applicants

Interstate and overseas-trained psychologists are welcome to apply for available roles at the RMH.

Psychologists from overseas will need to have their qualifications assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) for migration purposes and/or the Psychology Board of Australia for registration purposes. This is to determine equivalency with Australian qualifications.

In addition, overseas applicants should consider whether they need to take an English language test and if they need to have a certificate of registration status supplied by their overseas licensing board (if they have been registered in another county). On some occasions, we will consider overseas applicants for a transitional program.

Find out more about current vacancies on our recruitment system.