Forensic Clinical Team Leader, Medium Security Prisons

About the role

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is recruiting two ongoing Forensic Clinical Team Leaders for medium security prisons, based in Melbourne. You will help develop programs and policy and advise on the placement and management of the service user cohort, while leading a multi-disciplinary team and overseeing consistent service delivery to people with complex forensic presentations. The work involves direct service delivery, including risk assessments and group or individual interventions, and travel to correctional facilities across the state.

Key responsibilities

• Provide leadership to a multi-disciplinary team.
• Oversee consistent delivery of services to individuals with complex forensic presentations and varied treatment needs.
• Build partnerships with stakeholders to strengthen multi-disciplinary approaches and influence complex decision-making.
• Stay involved in direct service delivery, including comprehensive risk assessments and group or individual interventions in prisons across the state.
• Travel to correctional facilities across Victoria.

Required profile

• Demonstrated experience managing and leading staff in multidisciplinary clinical teams.
• Advanced understanding of the theory and therapeutic frameworks behind assessment and treatment in the justice system, applied in practice (e.g. Risk-Needs-Responsivity principles).
• Significant experience and knowledge of evidence-based forensic risk assessment and individual and group treatment and behaviour intervention models with complex populations (e.g. CBT, DBT, Schema Therapy, Transtheoretical Model of Change, Trauma-Informed Care, Strengths-Based Approaches).
• Therapist characteristics such as empathy, warmth, being rewarding and directive.
• Eligible for one of: general psychologist registration (AHPRA), AASW membership, mental health nurse credentialed by the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, occupational therapist registration, or a master's in psychotherapy or counselling with PACFA registration or ACA membership.

What we offer

• Salary of $116,413 - $140,849 per year plus superannuation (grade AH4).
• Specialised induction program with foundation, theory and mentored on-the-job training.
• Exposure to national and international forensic experts.
• Mental health and wellbeing care, including essential debriefing for the first 12 months.
• Ongoing professional development, including clinical scholarship, research program and study leave.
• Annual funding of professional association membership or registration (e.g. PBA/AHPRA, AASW).
• Relocation allowances for eligible candidates.
• Flexible home and on-site working arrangements.

Applications close 24 November 2026 and include a resume and covering letter; pre-employment checks may include reference, police and misconduct checks.