• Hillmorton Hospital, Christchurch
• Permanent, full-time role
• Are you a passionate and forward-thinking Psychiatrist looking to make a real difference in the lives of people with intellectual and learning disabilities?

Join our dedicated and supportive team where your expertise will help shape holistic, person-centred care that empowers individuals, their whānau, and the wider community. This is an opportunity to bring both your clinical knowledge and compassion to a service that values innovation, equity, and improving health outcomes across Aotearoa.

About us

Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora is committed to delivering equitable, high-quality healthcare to all communities. Our Pae Ora vision focuses on longer, healthier lives with improved quality and fairness in health outcomes.

About the Team/Service/Location

This specialist Intellectual Disability Mental Health Service provides care for adults with intellectual disabilities and a wide range of mental health concerns. These include dual diagnosis, complex challenging behavior, neurodevelopmental disorders, and forensic issues, supporting individuals from age 18 through older adulthood.

Our service operates across both inpatient and outpatient settings, including a small number of specialist beds, as well as individuals accommodated in other units such as the forensic mental health unit. We also have a well-established, multi-disciplinary community team dedicated to providing comprehensive support.

Our Intellectual Disability Services include:

• PSAID – a six-bed inpatient unit
• Whaikaha – a four-bed high-care area
• PSAID Outpatient Community team.

About the role

We are seeking a Specialist Medical Officer (SMO)/Consultant Psychiatrist to join our Intellectually Disabled Persons Health Service. In this pivotal role, you will deliver high-quality mental health and intellectual disability assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to individuals with diverse needs. You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to develop comprehensive treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique requirements. This is a full-time position, commencing as soon as possible.

Key responsibilities include the following:

• Conduct comprehensive psychiatric and risk assessments to inform treatment planning and interventions
• Collaborate closely with allied health professionals, including psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists, to ensure integrated care delivery
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, case conferences, and clinical reviews to optimise patient outcomes
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies, protocols, and clinical guidelines relevant to intellectual disability mental health services
• Engage in ongoing professional development activities to enhance your clinical knowledge and skills in the field of intellectual disability mental health

Skills and experience:

• Specialist registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand or eligibility to obtain registration
• Fellowship with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) or equivalent
• Experience in providing mental health services to individuals with intellectual disabilities is desirable
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills.
• A commitment to patient-centred care and continuous quality improvement

Why join us?:

• Be part of a leading healthcare system committed to patient-centered care and innovation
• Live in beautiful Christchurch, offering an unparalleled work-life balance with access to nature, adventure, and a thriving city culture

Working for 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. The Equity Work Programme at Health NZ focuses on helping everyone in the health system think about equity when they do their work. It also promotes the cultural change needed for the whole system to reach equity in health outcomes.

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.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

We want to see the real you in your application and welcome the real you on board if you come and work with us. Skills are gained across many areas of our life, not just in formal employment. If you can demonstrate the skills listed in the ad, but the experience was gained through whānau life, community or mahi aroha (volunteering) we encourage you to apply and share your story with us in your cover letter.

We particularly welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

If you are a dedicated SMO with a passion for delivering specialised mental health services and making a positive impact, we encourage you to submit your application for this exciting opportunity. Join us in providing exceptional care and support to individuals within our intellectual disability unit.

How to apply

To apply please click ‘apply now’. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Amy Walker, Recruitment Specialist amy.walker@cdhb.health.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.