Senior Clinical Psychologist - Allied Health Lead Maple Leaf House

Employment Type: Permanent Full Time
Position Classification: Senior Clinical Psychologist
Remuneration: $150,490 - $159,112 Per Annum + Super + Salary Packaging 
Hours Per Week: 38
Requisition ID: REQ696909
Location: John Hunter Hospital and Hamilton Campus
Closing Date: Sunday 15 November 2026
Tentative Interview Date: Tuesday 24 November 2026

Lead with compassion, empower young people, and shape the future of inclusive, evidence-based care at Maple Leaf House

About the Team 

Maple Leaf House is located in Hamilton East, Newcastle. There is free, accessible parking with easy access via public transport and is close to retail and other services.

Maple Leaf House is one of three specialist service hubs in NSW providing outpatient based holistic care to young people under 25 years who are transgender, gender exploring or experiencing gender dysphoria. We are a service provided through the John Hunter Children’s Hospital and have a dynamic multi-disciplinary team including psychology, psychiatry, social work, speech pathology, dietetics, and specialist nursing and medical staff. The team is supported by a dedicated administrative staff.

The successful applicant will be working in an evolving area of health care with the opportunity to have a significant impact on the lives of young people.

About the Role

The Allied Health Team Lead, Maple Leaf House (Trans and Gender Diverse Service), provides clinical leadership, consultation, guidance and professional supervision to the Allied Health workforce within the service. The role is responsible for the operational management of a small team of highly skilled allied health clinicians, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care to children, young people and their families/ carers accessing the service.

The Senior Psychologist position maintains a clinical caseload and provides assessment, consultation and, where appropriate, therapeutic intervention for children and young people experiencing gender dysphoria or diversity. Working in partnership with the Service Manager and Clinical Lead as part of a collaborative leadership triad, the role contributes to strategic and operational decision-making, ensuring the service delivers safe, trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate and evidence-based care that meets the needs of children, young people and their families/ carers.

The psychology team and psychiatrist also participate in peer supervision, providing further opportunities to discuss assessments, clinical formulation and discipline-specific considerations within the service.

The broader Maple Leaf House team participates in weekly clinical supervision, providing an opportunity to discuss complex cases, reflect on clinical practice and seek additional guidance and support.

On-the-job training will be provided to strengthen clinical assessment skills and develop an understanding of gender diversity, including the complexities that may influence psychological wellbeing.

Relevant external professional development and training is also encouraged and supported and can be applied for through the appropriate approval processes.

About You 

We're looking for someone who:

• Have a passion for clinical leadership 

• Can build and maintain professional relationships and manage workload and priorities such as providing clinical interventions, consultation, education, and research. 

• Have an interest in trans and gender-diverse healthcare.  

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills will be vital to working in a dynamic environment with a highly skilled multidisciplinary team. 

You will be supported professionally by the Service Manager, Maple Leaf House; Service Manager, Paediatric Ambulatory Care; and Director of Allied Health, Manager Disability and Community Child & Youth. You will also be encouraged to access professional supervision in line with AHPRA requirements, with support provided to identify an appropriate supervisor should this be required.

Essential Criteria

• Registered as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia with area of practice endorsement in clinical psychology.

• A minimum of 12 months' full-time equivalent experience at Year 5 on the Clinical Psychology salary scale

What we offer

• Flexible working arrangements, where this can be accommodated within clinical and service requirements.

• A supportive multidisciplinary environment, working alongside psychology, psychiatry, medical, nursing, allied health and administrative colleagues.

• Regular clinical and peer supervision, including weekly multidisciplinary clinical supervision and discipline-specific peer discussion between psychology and psychiatry around assessments and clinical formulation.

• Support to access professional supervision consistent with AHPRA requirements, including assistance to identify an appropriate supervisor.

• On-the-job learning and development, particularly in comprehensive assessment, complex presentations, gender diversity and psychological wellbeing.

• Support and encouragement to undertake relevant external training and professional development, subject to established NSW Health approval processes.

• Exposure to a specialist service and complex clinical work, with opportunities to further develop assessment, formulation and multidisciplinary care skills.

How to apply: 

Click apply online, submit your information and resume, and address the criteria listed below providing examples that demonstrate your ability.

• Previous experience in leading a service to meet the ever-changi9ng demands of the community, with the coordination of services, allocating resources, negotiating with stakeholders and monitoring service delivery.

• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership, guidance and direction to staff to enable them to reach their full potential and ensure the provision of efficient and effective client centred interventions.

• Demonstrated ability to identify and lead change across the service to improve service delivery models and meet identified KPIs in line with the organisations' strategic and operational direction.
   

Why join Hunter New England Health?

• Be part of one of the largest and most diverse Local Health Districts in NSW
• Influence digital solutions that directly support patient care and clinical outcomes
• Salary packaging options
• Work collaboratively with passionate clinicians and digital health professionals
• Enjoy career development opportunities within NSW Health
• Make a real difference across a large, complex health service
• Fitness Passport for you and your family
  
   

What you'll be doing

Information for Applicants:

Applicants will be assessed against the essential requirements and selection criteria contained within the position description (link below). For assistance addressing selection criteria visit: https://bit.ly/3vL5fq2

Stepping Up Website is a resource designed to help indigenous job applicants apply for positions in NSW Health. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/HNEHealthSteppingUp

This is a Category A position. Recommended applicants will be reviewed for compliance with NSW Health policy directive PD2024_015: Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases for Category A positions prior to offer. All new employees must agree to comply with the requirements outlined in the policy. 

Salary Packaging: is beneficial to most Hunter New England Health employees and may increase your take-home pay! Salary package a range of personal expenses including novated motor vehicle leases, relocation expenses, and HECS/HELP debt. Find out more by contacting SalaryPackagingPLUS! via nswhealth@salarypackagingplus.com.au or 1300 40 25 23.

To be eligible for permanent employment in this position you must be an Australian Citizen, or a permanent resident of Australia, or a New Zealand citizen with a current New Zealand Passport. Employment of a temporary visa holder may only occur if no suitable local candidate is identified for the position; in this instance, you may only be offered employment in line with the conditions and expiry date of your visa. 

We are unable to accommodate visa sponsorship for applicants requiring a visa for this position.   

At Hunter New England Local Health District, we are an inclusive employer dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace.  Our commitment to a workforce that reflects the community we care for is essential for delivering the highest quality healthcare to our community. We encourage people with diverse lived experiences to apply. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to the recruitment process please let us know when you apply or at any stage of the process. We will work with you to meet your needs and create the best possible experience. Please contact hnelhd-diversity@health.nsw.gov.au for confidential support to ensure an equitable, barrier-free application process.

Hunter New England Health employees may be eligible for a range of benefits such as allocated days off (ADO) for full time employees, long service leave, paid maternity leave, and salary packaging options including meal expenses.

Hunter New England Health is dedicated to fostering a child-safe environment that respects and upholds the rights of children and young people, aligned with NSW Health’s commitment to implementing the Child Safe Standards. We aim to ensure that children and young people feel safe, supported, and included in their care. All current and prospective staff are expected to prioritise the safety, welfare, and well-being of children and young people, actively working to protect them from harm and abuse.

Hunter New England Health is dedicated to fostering a child-safe environment that respects and upholds the rights of children and young people, aligned with NSW Health’s commitment to implementing the Child Safe Standards. We aim to ensure that children and young people feel safe, supported, and included in their care. All current and prospective staff are expected to prioritise the safety, welfare, and well-being of children and young people, actively working to protect them from harm and abuse.

An eligibility list will be created for future permanent full or part time and temporary full or part time vacancies.

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