• Casual opportunity for Registered Psychiatric Nurses Grade 3
• Based across our Prison Services (Melbourne Assessment Prison, Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, Ravenhall and Port Phillip Prison)
• Diverse and supportive environments

A career in the forensic mental health sector is diverse, challenging and rewarding. A career at Forensicare will be like no other. If you’re passionate about supporting people in their mental health recovery, Forensicare is where you need to be. You will be a part of a caring and supportive team, making a real difference to people living with the dual stigma of mental illness and offending. We approach our work with curiosity and a commitment to understanding the unique needs of our consumers and carers. Working across community, hospital and prison settings, you can learn, apply your specialist skills and advance in your profession. Together, we can contribute to a more connected, compassionate mental health and criminal justice system.

Job location

Forensicare is the statutory agency responsible for the provision of adult forensic mental health services across Victoria.

Completed in 2017, the new medium-security men's prison is located at Ravenhall Correctional Centre in Melbourne's west, providing world-class forensic mental health services in Victoria in a purpose-built state of the art facility developed to international best practice standards.

The services provided by Forensicare address the needs of offenders experiencing mental health issues, the mental health sector, the justice sector and the general community. The Mobile Forensic Mental Health Service (MobileFMHS)?is a multidisciplinary team that provides specialist mental health?assessment and treatment services to prisoners. This position is based at the Metropolitan Remand Centre, Ravenhall Correctional Centre, Karreenga Prison, Lara, and Marngoneet Correctional Centre, Lara.

Forensicare provides specialist mental health services at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in the Marrmak Unit, a 20-bed residential program for women prisoners with an intensive outreach program and a therapeutic day program. There is a strong focus on providing a healing environment not only for people in prisons, but importantly also one that supports the well-being and safety of all staff. This approach recognises that many women who are imprisoned are also victims of crime and have challenging mental health conditions as a result. The word Marrmak is from the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people meaning ‘safe’.

 St Paul’s Unit is a 30-bed psychosocial rehabilitation service that provides specialist, voluntary mental health care, treatment and therapeutic programs to prisoners with a mental health diagnosis. Participants selected for the program require psychosocial rehabilitation to minimise risk of relapse and enhance their social functioning in preparation for returning to general prison environment or release to community.

Forensicare provides a detailed reception mental health screening assessment for every prisoner received into custody at the Melbourne Assessment Prison in Spencer Street, West Melbourne; outpatient clinics to mentally ill prisoners within the prison; a 16-bed acute assessment unit which provides initial assessment and treatment to seriously mentally ill prisoners; an after- hours mental health crisis intervention service; and consultancy and training services for prison and service staff on the treatment and management of male prisoners with mental health issues.

About the Role:

 The Mental Health Nurse (RPN3) delivers care within a custodial setting, practicing within a recovery framework and using sound judgement to assess, plan, implement, evaluate, and maintain a high standard of patient care. In doing so, the Mental Health Nurse recognises the needs of the individual within the boundaries set by the profession, Forensicare and correctional services.

Duties:

• Delivery of high quality care coordination, 'At Risk' assessments and provision of individual and group programs
• Administer and monitor the effects of medical interventions
• Maintain comprehensive, patient focused, clinical documentation

About You:

• Demonstrated thorough working knowledge of current standards of practice, contemporary mental health nursing practices and relevant legislation.
• Proven knowledge, skills and experience in mental health nursing preferably within a custodial setting.
• Demonstrated commitment to mental health consumer recovery.
• Demonstrated comprehensive risk assessments skills and ability to plan and implement risk management plans. 

What you need:

Nursing

• Postgraduate qualification in Mental Health Nursing or equivalent.
• Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulations Agency (AHPRA).
• The successful candidate will be required to register their qualifications on eCredential

This position is subject to a Police Check.

A culture where people matter.

• Excellent supervision and investment in the skill development of managers and supervisors.
• Celebration and reward for good performance, through employee recognition.
• A leading, multi-faceted approach to safety, with unparalleled strategic, practical, individualised and team-based supports to minimise risks and fear and maximise safety and security, underpinned by our workplace health and safety strategy.
• Access to an employee assistance program – an external, confidential, self-referral employee wellbeing program, for personal or work-related matters.
• A mental health and wellbeing program providing psychological support, peer support and critical incidence response programs, as needed.

For more information on employee benefits visit https://www.forensicare.vic.gov.au/careers/employee-benefits 

COVID19 & Influenza Vaccination Evidence

Under the Victorian Public Health orders, all employees working within the Public Health system must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and Influenza and are required to provide acceptable evidence of their vaccination status. The current orders require evidence of three doses for COVID-19.
All applicants to positions with Forensicare will need to upload acceptable evidence of full vaccination against COVID-19 and Influenza as part of their job application. Acceptable evidence is a copy of your Immunisation History Statement which can be accessed via MyGov. For international candidates, acceptable evidence is documentation issued by the relevant government authority. Offers of employment will only be made to candidates who can provide evidence that they meet full vaccination status.

Current Forensicare employees should apply through eRecruit using an account which is linked to their Forensicare email address and should contact People and Culture if they are unable to access their Forensicare eRecruit account.

Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to attracting and developing a diverse workforce which reflects the community we serve. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people who identify as LGBTQI, people with a lived experience of disability, as well as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Forensicare promotes our guiding principles of curiosity, purpose, strong ethics, compassion and fairness; and promotes behaviours that are consistent with these values at all times. Forensicare is an equal opportunity employer and offers a smoke free environment.