Service Coverage: 24/7 mental health services (counsellor, psychotherapist, psychologist pathways)
Role Purpose
The 24/7 Clinical Lead is accountable for the operational delivery, clinical governance, and quality assurance of all mental health services delivered across counsellor, psychotherapist, and psychologist pathways, including 24/7 access, stepped care models, and evidence-based interventions.
The role ensures services are delivered safely, consistently, efficiently, and at scale, in alignment with:
* NICE and Australian PHN stepped care best practice
* Australian regulatory and professional standards
* Client, funder, and contractual requirements
By owning day-to-day operational clinical leadership, this role enables the Clinical Director to focus on executive strategy, innovation, and organisational growth.
Key Responsibilities
* Service Implementation & Operational Oversight
o Lead the operational implementation and ongoing delivery of mental health pathways across counsellors, psychotherapists, and psychologists, ensuring adherence to approved clinical models, stepped care frameworks, and escalation protocols.
o Partner closely with the Director of Operations to ensure:
o Policies, procedures, SOPs, and clinical guidelines are embedded and maintained
o Workforce capability supports 24/7, high-volume, national service delivery
o Define, monitor, and report on KPIs, SLAs, and quality metrics, ensuring alignment with clinical best practice, safety, and client expectations.
o Work collaboratively with finance and operations to ensure:
o Cost-effective resource allocation
o Ensure operational execution consistently balances:
o Access and timeliness
o Efficiency and scalability
* Clinical Governance & Regulatory Compliance
o Act as the primary clinical representative in client and internal governance forums.
o Lead or contribute to internal and external governance structures, including:
o Clinical governance committees
o Audit and assurance activities
o Board and executive reporting
o Ensure all mental health pathways comply with:
o Australian regulatory and registration requirements
o Accreditation and audit standards
o Evidence-based practice and international best practice
o Oversee clinical escalations, complaints, and incidents, ensuring:
o Timely investigation and root-cause analysis
o Risk mitigation and corrective actions
o Organisational learning and service improvement
o Analyse safeguarding incidents, clinical risk trends, and population-level presentations to inform:
o Clinically sound, customer-centric improvements
* Outcomes, Quality & Risk Management
o Set and oversee measurable clinical outcomes and performance targets across all mental health pathways.
o Establish systems for the collection, analysis, and reporting of:
o Clinical outcomes (PROMs)
o Patient and client experience
o Safety and quality indicators
o Lead routine service evaluation, including:
o Clinical audits
o Utilisation and outcomes reviews
o Drive continuous quality improvement initiatives, embedding learning into everyday practice.
o Maintain oversight of clinical risk management, safety reviews, and quality assurance frameworks across all services.
* Stakeholder, Client & External Engagement
o Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across:
o Insurance
o Education
o Corporate and enterprise clients
o Provide clear, timely, and transparent reporting to:
o Clients
o Internal leadership
o Governance bodies
o Represent the organisation in external governance, oversight, and review forums.
o Support the Clinical Director and Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) with:
o Board and executive reporting
o Clinical insights for regulators, funders, and partners
o Provide clinical leadership to multidisciplinary teams across 24/7 counsellor, psychotherapist, and psychologist services.
o Lead, mentor, and develop clinicians and emerging clinical leaders to foster:
o Clinical excellence
o Accountability
o Learning and innovation
o Work in close partnership with operations to ensure:
o Workforce planning aligns with service demand
o Supervision, training, and CPD frameworks support quality and staff wellbeing
o Promote a culture of:
o Psychological safety
o Evidence-based practice
o High professional standards
* Strategic Implementation & Continuous Improvement
o Translate Clinical Director priorities into operational implementation plans with:
o Defined KPIs and SLAs
o Identify emerging risks, service gaps, and trends in mental health delivery and advise on:
o Strategic adjustments
o Resource allocation
o Drive operational excellence by identifying inefficiencies and implementing improvements that enhance:
o Client and patient experience
Required Experience & Qualifications
* Registered and qualified mental health professional with current Australian registration (AHPRA or relevant regulatory body).
* Significant senior clinical leadership experience within mental health service delivery.
* Stepped care models
* Evidence-based psychological interventions
* Clinical governance and risk management frameworks
* Proven experience leading large-scale, mixed-discipline mental health services, including 24/7 models.
* Strong track record managing:
* Clinical escalations and complaints
* Multidisciplinary teams
* Budgets, resources, KPIs, and SLAs
* Experience engaging with clients in insurance, education, corporate, or enterprise environments.
Preferred
* Practising, registered Psychologist, preferably:
* Clinical Psychologist, or
* Psychologist with doctoral-level qualification (PhD or Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent).
* Demonstrated track record of senior leadership in:
* Crisis, escalation, and safeguarding oversight
* Experience working across:
* EAP
* PHN-commissioned or stepped care services
* Strong familiarity with:
* NICE-aligned models adapted to the Australian context
* Recovery-oriented and trauma-informed practice
* Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capability
* High-level clinical judgement and decision-making under pressure
* Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
* Strong people leadership and workforce development capability
* High standards of integrity, confidentiality, and professionalism
* Pragmatic, collaborative, and outcomes-focused
* Data-informed with a commitment to continuous improvement
Impact of the Role
This role is critical to strengthening governance, improving efficiency, and delivering safe, effective, evidence-based mental health care at scale across counsellor, psychotherapist, and psychologist pathways in Australia.
#J-18808-Ljbffr