Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist – New Zealand North Island – AR-137

This position is located in the Auckland region that works across two different teams serving children and adolescents ages five to 18.

Job Title : Consultant Psychiatrist

Department : Child, Youth and Family Mental Health

Location : North, North-Rodney and West Auckland

Reporting To : Operations Manager for operational issues

Service Clinical Director for clinical issues

Functional Relationships with : Internal
Clinical Director, Mental Health Services Group
Service Clinical Director
Locality/Portfolio/Service Consultant Psychiatrist’s, Registrars and House Officers
Team coordinators and multidisciplinary clinical teams;
Administrative & ancillary staff within service areas;
Consumers of services in service areas;
Whanau, family and caregivers of patients;
Consumer Advisor & Advocate for services/service area;
Cultural & Professional Advisors;

External
Regional Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (e.g. Child & Family
Unit – inpatient unit at A+, Starship);
Liaison Services A+;
Schools, RTLBs, Group Special Education service;
Paediatricians;
National agencies as required from time to time (HFA, MH Commissions, etc.).
Relevant Mental Health Service providers in other DHB’s
Non-Government Mental Health Service Providers;
General Practitioners;
National agencies as required from time to time
Statutory Authorities
Government Agencies
Education/Research Authorities and other professional bodies

Statement of Professional and Ethical Standards

The medical practitioner is required to undertake his/her clinical responsibilities and duties, and to conduct themselves in all matters relating to their employment in accordance with best practice and relevant ethical and professional standards and guidelines as determined from time to time by the New Zealand Medical Association, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, the New Zealand Medical Council, and the Health & Disability Commissioner.

Purpose of post
1) To provide specialist psychiatric assessment, treatment, and review to children and young people in the service.
2) To provide supervision, clinical advice, support and training to clinical staff in the service at multidisciplinary meetings and other forums, and in supervision of junior medical staff.
3) To provide liaison and consultation to other health services and agencies on children and adolescents presenting with mental health problems.
4) To participate as an advocate for the service and those using it in the portfolio management team.
5) In collaboration with the service clinical director, team consultants and team coordinators, to provide clinical leadership in the development, implementation, and ongoing review of standard operating procedures in the service, and maintenance of continuity of care across service interfaces.
6) To participate in the implementation of initiatives that meet Treaty of Waitangi obligations – in particular regarding access for Maori, appropriate cultural assessment, and partnership with MOKO.
7) With the team consultants, team coordinators, and then if necessary Operation Manager and Service Clinical Director, ensure a supportive work environment for staff in the service, advocate for staff needs, and foster the attitudes that promote recovery-oriented services (including active partnership with patients and whanau / family).

Context of Principle Duties

These will focus on the Out Patient Service. The service is divided into child and youth teams. The appointee will provide consultant input to the multidisciplinary Tier 3 child / youth* team taking direct referrals via a weekly triage meeting from community based referrers including GPs, Public Health Nurses, school guidance counsellors, Special Educational Services, Child Youth and Family (care and protection / social work service), paediatricians, and Tier 2 NGOs e.g. Barnardos. There are established links providing liaison and consultation to schools, paediatrics, and social work (CYFS).

Referrals are prioritised and actively managed by the multidisciplinary team. There is currently no waiting list for the service with all referrals being seen within a month or two working days if urgent.

The service has a commitment to teach medical students during their psychiatric attachment and the appointee would be expected to participate in this. In addition, there is a commitment within the service to postgraduate training of registrars and senior trainees and training in all related disciplines. In-service training is a major priority to up skill our existing team members.

Research is encouraged as a stimulus to evidence-based practice within the service. There are established links with The University of Auckland for research and for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching (e.g. Diploma of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Course).

Our Purpose, Values and Standards
At the heart o is our promise of ‘best care for everyone’. This promise statement is the articulation of our three-fold purpose to:
1. promote wellness,
2. prevent, cure and ameliorate ill health and
3. relieve the suffering of those entrusted to our care.
At the heart of our values is the need for all of us to reflect on the intrinsic dignity of every single person that enters our care. It is a privilege to be able to care for patients, whānau and our community, a privilege that is sometimes overlooked in our day to day work.
Our standards and behaviours serve as a reminder to us all about how we are with our patients and with each other.

KEY TASKS
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Assessment, including the ability to assemble quality information about a person’s illness and strengths, the effects of the illness on general wellbeing and the strengths that minimize illness effects.
•
• Show knowledge and skill base in the biological, psychiatric, psychosocial, culture, medico-legal and environmental aspects of development.
Demonstrate clinical competency in such a way that the diagnostic needs of the patient are met, and that appropriate and timely management plans are instituted.
• Improvement in outcome measures.
• Show knowledge and skill base in the environmental aspects of childhood and adolescence, particularly influences in the school and home environments.
• Staff will have a knowledge and understanding with regard to the developmental stages of childhood and adolescence.
• An understanding of the needs of parents / carers and an ability to therapeutically manage this.
• An ability to detect the signs of abuse or neglect and act on these accordingly.
• An ability to work therapeutically with children and young people, and offer expertise in specific therapies such as cognitive therapy, group therapy, family therapy.
• Show knowledge and skill base in the psychosocial, aspects of childhood and adolescence.
• Demonstrate understanding of the assessment of risk in children who present with signs of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect, and the management of such risk, including the engagement of appropriate services.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in related therapeutic interventions.
• Show knowledge and skill base in the environmental aspects of childhood and adolescence, particularly influences in the school and home environments.
• An accurate summary of a patients’ needs, strengths and a comprehensive individualized risk assessment that contributes to care planning
• Application of best available and current evidence to meet patients’ needs
•

The Psychiatrist maintains a comprehensive understanding of mental illness, signs and symptoms, side effects, psychotropic medication and contemporary treatment models

KEY TASKS
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Diagnosis, formulation and treatment with appropriate outcome measurements.
• Choices of actions for recovery are successfully imparted to patient and family / Whanau / caregiver / other healthcare professionals
• Patient, family / Whanau / caregiver / other healthcare professionals and clinical team agrees regarding
progress and continuance or alteration of actions
• The patient and/or his/her family / Whanau / caregiver / other Healthcare Professionals understand a clear picture of current issues and likely future trends
• Provides accurate mental health information to patients and Whanau / family respecting their interpretation of the illness
• Clinical Practice is safe, responsive to changing needs, patient-centred and collaborative in respect of family and clinical team
• Patient and their Whanau / family are assisted to participate at all levels
• Safety of the physical environment is maximized
•
Show knowledge and skill base in the environmental aspects of childhood and adolescence, particularly influences in the school and home environments.
Establish partnership as the basis for a therapeutic relationship with patients and their Whanau / family • Patients are assisted to achieve maximum control over their own health needs and access accurate and relevant health knowledge
• Understands ethnic and cultural determinants of health
• Promotes relapse prevention strategies
• Collaboratively develop goals in partnership with the patient and Whanau / family / caregivers
• Relates effectively with patients and Whanau / family / caregivers using theories, principles and processes of interpersonal communication
• Practice illustrates clear understanding of the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship
• Assist patients and Whanau / family / caregivers in exercising their rights in relation to health care
• A sensitivity and understanding of how different cultures view children and adolescents, as well as an ability to readily work with cultural advisors within that Culture.
•

Show knowledge and understanding of the influence of culture on presentation and the importance of culture in assessment and management in developmental psychopathology.

KEY TASKS
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Provide effective clinical leadership in interaction, planning and collaboration with multi-disciplinary team
•
• Demonstrates effective leaderships skills within the multidisciplinary team
Contributes as an effective team member to promote the best patient outcomes
• Establishes functional relationship with service clinical director, team consultants and team coordinators that facilitates the functioning and further development of the service
• Supervise assessment and treatment plans with emphasis on comprehensive risk assessment
• Participates in and provides leadership to team building and inter-team building activities
• Participates in and provides leadership to multidisciplinary clinical decision making
• Explains the psychiatrist perspective and role to other team members
• Establishes positive relationships with colleagues
• Contributes as an effective team member in service planning and quality improvement
•
An integrated and holistic assessment of the factors that impact on health is made, and care planning follows on from this
Teaching, supervision and maintenance of professional standards • Knowledge and skill enhancement for trainee doctors, trainees of other disciplines and co-workers
• Network with own discipline
• Professional standards of practice / supervision are accessed as defined by the RANZCP
• Maintains a comprehensive understanding of general pathophysiology and current medical management as they relate to clients in the general hospital
•
Maintains an awareness of the developmental issues relating to client and Whanau / families
Services are delivered in accordance with the Child, Youth and Family Mental Health Service and the Teams’ philosophies, priorities and objectives •
• Completes orientations and mandatory training as stipulated in the Training and Development and team policies
Philosophies and values are known and supported
• Patient rights and responsibilities are actively supported
• All conduct is ethical and within the bounds of professional confidentiality
• Safety standards are known and met

KEY TASKS
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
On Call Duties
• Participation in the combined Child & Adolescent on call roster for the three District Health Boards across the Auckland Region, providing an out-of-hours consultant opinion to the three Community Assessment & Treatment Teams and, where required, assessment and intervention.
• Registrars staff the first on call roster on the psychiatric rotation. For some of the time there is also a second on call tier provided by senior trainees in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Therefore, the consultants usually provide the third tier but at times no middle tier may be available.
•
In an emergency, adolescents can be admitted to a bed within the Regional Child and Adolescent Inpatient Unit.
To be responsible and accountable for all actions undertaken in the course of duties
• All documentation is legible, dated and signed with name and designation clearly written
• All documentation is in line with the New Zealand National Mental Health Standards
•
To provide a therapeutic and physically safe environment for patients, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained
Demonstrate a commitment to personal and professional development. • Regular professional supervision occurs to address areas of difficulty and review quality of practice.
• Professional development is actively pursued by active participation in appropriate in-service or outsourced education, reading relevant literature or seeking other resources.
•
Relevant meetings, conferences, training is attended as required by RANZCP regulations and guidelines on continuing professional development
To work as an effective team member
• Observe and identify roles, functions and philosophies of the multidisciplinary team
• Maintain active communication within the team and relevant agencies
• Progressively make contributions to the multidisciplinary team by taking on responsibilities, roles and functions within the team
•
Exchange and share resources

KEY TASKS
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Statutory & Treaty of Waitangi obligations
• Ensures the professional and political integrity by carrying out all functions in compliance of the Treaty of Waitangi and by demonstrating a serious commitment to keeping the treaty alive.
• Shows sensitivity to cultural complexity in the workforce and patient population

To recognise individual responsibility for workplace Health & Safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Contribute to a safe and healthy workplace by:
• Following & complying with H&S policies & processes & applying them to their own work activities, including using/wearing Personal Protective Equipment as required.
• Participating in activities directed at preventing harm & promoting well-being in the workplace
• Identifying, reporting & self-managing hazards where appropriate
• Early and accurate reporting of incidents at work and raising issues of concern when identified.

CLINICAL / NON CLINICAL DUTIES
Clinical Activities Non-Clinical Activities
Managerial/Leadership
Direct patient contact
Notes/reports on patients
Communication with patients
Contact with patients’ families
Multi-Disciplinary Team meeting – patient focus, handover Peer review re specific patient/case conference
Reading re a specific patient – impacts on
interventions in particular case
Obtaining files/results
Referrals and transfer of care matters
Assisting with clinical research studies
Managerial/Leadership
Service planning/admin/meetings
Service interface
Supervision – in Multi-Disciplinary Team of all others outside of apprenticeship model
Personal supervision

Quality Activities Supervision:
• as apprenticeship model – RMO training
• provision of individual supervision (college
/ training requirements)
Quality Activities Quality processes:
• Service audit
• Health services research studies
• Audits, Quality Reviews and SIRPS
• Recertification requirements (that is, MOPS)
•
Professional Development and Activities
General work-related reading
Teaching
Journal club/grand rounds
(Community) health promotion activities

Unless specifically negotiated with your Service Clinical Director, all Non-Clinical duties, including reading and research, will be undertaken within the workplace.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Minimum
Qualification

• Vocational or Provisional Vocational Registration with the
Medical Council of New Zealand
• Fellowship (or equivalent) of a relevant Medical (Psychiatric) College
• Current Annual Practising Certificate
Experience

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service provision experience.
• Demonstrated experience in Quality Systems.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership
• Demonstrated ability to perform effective working relationships with clinical and managerial colleagues

Skills/Knowledge/Behaviour
• A demonstrated belief in, and commitment to, promoting quality of life for people with mental health problems and their family / Whanau
• Leadership skills
• Ability to work as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team.
• Able to build and maintain good professional relationships and be respectful of other team members’ skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to secure and maintain relevant networks with professional groups and other stakeholders
• High standard of articulate written and verbal communication
• Computer Skills – Office Suite and the ability to new learn new programmes
• Commitment to clinical governance, quality and improvement
• Ability to be empathetic, energetic, enthusiastic and innovative
• Ability to think strategically and consider a wider systems approach
• Willingness to motivate and accept change
• Self motivated
• Positive attitude
• Goal orientated and able to work autonomously
• Resilience
• Willingness to learn new skills
• Able to complete all mandatory training (CPR, C&R, Fire, H&S).
• Driver’s License