Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

Under general supervision of the Deputy Superintendent Programs or Chief Psychologist, provides a wide variety of psychological services for male and female adult offenders related to the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of psychological services/programs.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Under the supervision of a Psychologist registered for autonomous practice with the College of Psychologists of Ontario, provides treatment services for male and female offenders by:
Planning, conducting or supervising individual or group therapy or programs that reflect correctional best practices for
offender rehabilitation and address offender risk and need factors for criminal offending.
Utilizing a wide variety of psychological procedures, assess offender functioning and risks including suicidality, personality functioning,
cognitive impairment, and differential diagnosis, and making treatment and other program recommendations and devising behavioural management strategies for an offender compatible with institutional resources and security.
Administering, evaluating and interpreting a range of psychological tests to help formulate treatment and other program
recommendations and behavioural management strategies for an offender compatible with institutional resources and
security.
Providing crisis and psychotherapeutic interventions strategies/recommendations.
Advising managers/senior management, providing consultation and education to other institutional staff about offender rehabilitation and behaviour
including sharing the treatment recommendations with other treatment and program providers, sharing behavioural management strategies with other
staff including correctional staff, and informing others of an offender's susceptibility for self harm or potential risk
of harm to others. Assist in staff training concerning psychological activities, clinical and correctional psychology, and
behavioural management.
Maintaining accurate and confidential records of all psychological assessments, individual and group treatment interventions according to the standards
established by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Maintaining knowledge of current best practices with respect to clinical, correctional, and
forensic psychology.
Performs other Psychological Services as needed by: Establishing work priorities and assignments; Identifying problems and following up with
corrective action; Designing and conducting evaluations of treatment and administrative programs; Preparing a variety of evaluative reports as required
by the Centre; Preparing clinical reports for the Ontario Parole Board.

Staffing and Licensing :

Eligibility for registration as a Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario or registered with a certificate authorizing supervised practice with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

Knowledge :

Job requires good knowledge of the practice of psychology including a full range of assessment and psychotherapeutic techniques to plan, conduct and
co-ordinate psychological services; apply complex treatment techniques; and provide consultation and advice on diagnosis, treatment, and
management of offenders. Knowledge of risk assessments and management of risks including crises. Knowledge of forensic psychological theories,
practices and procedures used in a correctional setting. Knowledge and application of gender specific assessment and treatment modalities for female
offenders, and culture specific assessment and treatment modalities. Knowledge of provincial statues relating to the practice of psychology (e.g.
Psychology Act, Regulated Health Professions Act, the Personal Health Information Protection Act, the Health Care Consent Act). Job requires
knowledge of program evaluation techniques.

Skills :

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to: communicate information, in both verbal and written formats, regarding assessment findings and
treatment activities to other treatment providers, offenders, and other correctional staff, including the ability to express complex findings in clear terms.
To communicate with offenders to convey psychological results with sensitivity and discretion, and adjusting feedback to match the cognitive ability of
the offender.
Job requires strong analytical skills to determine the most appropriate diagnostic and assessment approaches depending on the gender of offender,
culture, history and current functioning, to formulate treatment and rehabilitation programs, and to evaluate the efficiency and efficacy of treatment
programs.
Job requires good decision making skills with regards to human rights and appropriate inmate treatment and conditions of confinement.
Job requires good computer skills to operate MS Office applications, including word processing, databases, e-mail, and the internet to communicate,
input/retrieve data, prepare reports and case documentation, and compute statistics.
Job requires considerable judgement in dealing with highly confidential and sensitive information, and to provide crisis/psychotherapeutic interventions.

Freedom of Action :

Working under the supervision of a psychologist registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario in accordance with ministry/institutional policies,
relevant provincial statutes (e.g. the Psychology Act, Regulated Health Professions Act, the Personal Health Information Protection Act, the Health Care
Consent Act), and the practice and ethical standards governing the practice of psychology established by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Job
requires carrying out clinical responsibilities in collaboration with other institutional health care providers, program providers, correctional staff, and
senior management. Requires working within established OPS/Ministry policies, procedures, processes, directives, guidelines with access to advice and
guidance of Psychologist, Chief Psychologist, Deputy Superintendent as required. Accountable for recommendations and analysis/assessments, poor
decisions could impact the psychological services/programs within the institutions, licensing, criticisms by stakeholders and the media, seriously
compromise the integrity, credibility and public perception of the ministry.