• Invercargill
• Two roles available – Option A: One-year fixed-term, full-time (1.0 FTE). Option B: Permanent, (1.0 FTE negotiable)
• Southland Mental Health, Addictions, and Intellectual Disability Service – Adult Mental Health Acute Inpatient Unit and Community Services

Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we’re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the role

Located in Invercargill, the breath of services provided by Southland Adult Mental Health Service includes:

• the Acute Inpatient Mental Health Unit (16-18 beds)
• the Invercargill Community Mental Health team
• the Southland Emergency Mental Health team serving Southland and Queenstown
• a Child and Youth Mental Health Service
• a Mental Health Service for older persons.

We are looking for two Medical Officer Special Scale (MOSS) to join our multi-disciplinary team in the Inpatient Unit or the Community Service to help us care for our local population. As a new team member, we offer a comprehensive orientation and induction to Southland Hospital and the Mental Health Service. We are committed to supporting all clinicians with their ongoing professional development.

Key responsibilities include the following

Clinical practice:

• Option A: This role would be ideal for an early career clinician considering psychiatry training or taking a break in training. To work on the inpatient unit supporting the full-time consultant – completing medical reviews, writing progress notes, collecting collateral information, meeting with families and completing discharge summaries
• Option B: This MOSS role would be ideal for a clinician seeking medium to long term career options as a MOSS in mental health. An experienced MOSS to work with the Inpatient Ward and/or outpatient setting, with a level of responsibility commensurate with their experience. This role comes with opportunities to work within areas of special interest e.g. Mental Health Service for older persons, Early Intervention Psychosis. We are also open to discussion around flexible or part-time hours

You will also:

• lead and contribute to educational sessions across the service
• utilise evidence-based assessment tools and clinical expertise and if you are interested, contribute to research projects that are part of the
• partnership with the University of Otago
• complete necessary administrative tasks to support clinical operations
• conduct comprehensive mental health assessments
• work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team
• utilise evidence-based assessment tools and clinical expertise
• monitor and evaluate clients’ progress, adjusting treatment plans as necessary to support their mental well-being
• maintain accurate and confidential client records and other required documentation
• prescribe medications when appropriate.

We offer:

• non-clinical administration time
• teaching and learning opportunities
• career progression support
• a friendly and professional working environment.

You will also have the opportunity to engage with local and regional colleagues.

We recognise there is more to life than mahi (work), and Southern has many staff benefits that reflect our commitment to staff wellbeing including discounted health insurance and free car parking on site. We also live in a very special part of Aotearoa with incredible scenery, affordable housing, education centres (primary school – tertiary), and outstanding recreational opportunities for you and your family to enjoy.

About us

At Southern, our people and our community matter to us. We are committed to delivering the best health outcomes for everyone. To help us do this, we need a strong workforce that reflects the community we serve.

We know that high quality and timely care is essential for supporting our patients through their mental health journey, and we are committed to providing a safe, supportive, collaborative, and high-quality service.

We encourage applications from clinicians who share our values and are passionate about making a difference.

About you:

• Experience working with adult patients with mental illness in an inpatient unit and/or community setting
• A motivated team player who delivers a high-quality care to patients and their family/whānau
• Commitment to clinical and professional development
• Current General/Provisional registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand
• Adhere to the professional codes of ethics and standards of practice of the New Zealand Medical Council

About Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We’re dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are a pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on providing equitable outcomes for Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disabled Community.

We welcome applications from overseas applicants and can provide information about immigration and registration requirements. We would love to hear about you and your experience, and how we could help to further your career by joining our team.

Salary range

This role belongs to the ASMS Collective Agreement and falls between Step 1 ($142,683) and Step 15 ($210,933 per annum pro-rata).

How to apply

To apply please click ‘apply now’. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Agatha Chen, Recruitment Advisor – Senior Medical Officers agatha.chen@southerndhb.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.

We only accept online applications. Please apply via our website.