Organisational Context
Psychs in Schools provides psychological services to partner schools across Victoria. We aim to deliver high-quality mental health services to schools with high levels of need. We are a rapidly growing organisation, expanding from 3 partner schools in 2022 to more than 60 in 2025.
Every six months, we evaluate outcomes and have consistently found that through using Feedback-Informed Treatment (FIT), our clinicians outperform most psychologists in private practice, even within their first 6–12 months of practice.
We care deeply about the development of provisional psychologists and have built training programs that grow their confidence and clinical skills, often enabling them to become above-average in treatment effectiveness. Equally, we care about reaching students and families who would otherwise miss out on support. High-quality supervision is central to Psychs in Schools as it underpins both clinical excellence and professional growth.
Role Overview & Objectives
The Chief Psychologist role provides an opportunity to lead an innovative model that delivers accessible, effective, and affordable mental healthcare to children and adolescents within school settings. This position is central to ensuring strong clinical governance, developing the supervisor team, and shaping systems and processes that support both service quality and organisational growth.
What We Offer
- Training in Feedback Informed Treatment
- Social events and dinners
- 4 weeks annual leave
- $1,500 annual professional development budget
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Supervision
- Lead, manage, and coach the senior psychologist team, including future supervisors in other states.
- Drive performance management processes tied to OKRs, including regular check-ins.
- Provide coaching, mentoring, and remedial plans in collaboration with universities.
- Build succession pathways for supervisors to progress into senior roles.
- Foster a strong culture of professional excellence and alignment with organisational values.
Clinical Governance
- Serve as the point of escalation for complex clinical matters arising from the on-call system.
- Provide ethical guidance and risk management strategies in line with PsyBA and AHPRA frameworks.
- Lead the development and redesign of practices to ensure compliance with professional and regulatory requirements.
- Manage subpoenas and requests for access to client files in accordance with legal and ethical standards.
- Advise on protocols for crisis response and critical incidents in schools.
Training & Professional Development
- Develop workshops, conferences, and internal PD opportunities for supervisors.
- Oversee the LearnWorlds training portal, identifying and delegating updates to reflect current standards.
- Lead the development of a dedicated learning portal for supervisors.
- Ensure high-quality, standardised onboarding and training for new staff.
- Assist in the delivery of training sessions for provisional psychologists, adapting content as needed.
Systems, Data & Evaluation
- Design and document frameworks and policies for supervision and risk management.
- Track and report on supervisor efficacy, supervision outcomes, and provisional psychologist experience.
- Use outcome data (e.g., FIT, NPS, retention, school satisfaction) to drive continuous improvement.
- Ensure timely and appropriate responses to NPS concerns and other feedback.
- Contribute to organisational growth strategies (e.g., scaling from 100 to 300 schools).
Equity, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure supervisory practices reflect inclusive approaches for diverse student populations.
- Oversee workplace health and safety, including logging and addressing hazards.
- Ensure compliance with PsyBA supervision requirements and professional codes of conduct.
Representation & Growth
- Cultivate relationships with universities, schools, policymakers, and community organisations.
- Represent Psychs in Schools in external forums, negotiations, and networks.
- Participate in advocacy and thought leadership, including social media contributions.
Operational Flexibility
- Provide occasional coverage of the on-call roster or supervision sessions.
- Respond flexibly and helpfully to tasks outside the core position description when required.
Role Success Metrics
- High NPS scores among supervisors and direct reports
- Strong evidence of effective clinical governance and risk management
- Organisational processes enabling scale-up and service continuity
- Positive staff wellbeing and strong supervisor engagement
- Demonstrated improvements based on data and evaluation
Experience & Qualifications Required
- Registration as a psychologist with AHPRA
- Endorsement in clinical or educational/developmental psychology
- PsyBA board-approved supervisor status
- Strong history working in schools or education settings
- Clinical experience with children and adolescents
- Solid knowledge of psychological assessments (especially cognitive assessments)
- Knowledge of school funding systems (e.g., NCCD, DIP)
- Experience managing clinicians and supervisory frameworks
- Proven ability to manage ethical issues involving children and families
- Valid Working with Children Check (Victoria)
- Current driver’s licence
Key Capabilities
- Adaptive leadership with capacity to respond quickly to a range of tasks
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills
- Ability to manage competing priorities and make clear decisions under pressure
- Commitment to continuous improvement, inclusivity, and innovation
- Helpful and collaborative approach beyond explicitly stated responsibilities
📌 Chief Psychologist
🏢 Psychs in Schools
📍 Geelong