Registered Psychologist (Adult correctional facility)

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Help change the lives of people in prisons

Bring your knowledge of psychology, diagnosis and treatment to a dedicated multidisciplinary team, as we do our part in modernizing Ontario's correctional system and keeping our communities safe.

The Vanier Centre for Women is a medium to maximum security facility for female offenders serving sentences of less than two years or who have been arrested and are remanded in custody awaiting trial. The institution has capacity for 333 inmates and is the only exclusively female institution in Ontario.

The Maplehurst Correctional Complex is a medium and maximum security facility for male offenders serving sentences of less than two years or who have been arrested and are remanded in custody awaiting trial. The institution has capacity for 1500 inmates.

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What can I expect to do in this role?

As part of the Vanier Centre for Women and Maplehurst Correctional Complex Health Care teams, you will help prepare people in prison to re-enter our communities. Every day will be a little different, but you can expect it to include activities like:

• diagnosing, treating, assessing and evaluating clients
• facilitating weekly group therapy sessions
• administering, evaluating and interpreting psychological tests
• completing clinical assessment to determine treatment needs related to offending pattern writing risk assessment reports for the Ontario Parole Board
• planning and leading research and program-evaluation projects
• providing supervision and helping to train junior staff
• providing consultation to the multidisciplinary team

Join our information session to learn more

To learn more about the role, the Vanier Centre for Women and Maplehurst Correctional Complex, and the recruitment process, we welcome you to attend our information session on Thursday, January 23 at 1:00 PM EST. Please register for the event here:Registration for Information Session. Attendance is optional and will have no influence on the screening and selection process. If you can't make it but have questions about the role, please email Dr. Atif Shujah, Chief Psychologist, at atif.shujah@ontario.ca.

This is a continuous posting and will be posted until filled. Screening and selection processes will begin after February 3, 2025. This posting may be extended but could close at any time after this date without notice. Please only submit your application ONCE under this Job ID.

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How do I qualify?

Mandatory

• You are registered in good standing as a Psychologist or Psychological Associate in the Province of Ontario

Please note: Registered Psychologist or Registered Psychological Associate in supervised practice may be considered if direct supervision can be provided.

Specialized knowledge and skills

You have proven knowledge of:
• the science and practices of psychology, including psychotherapeutic and assessment techniques
• clinical or forensic psychological theories, practices and procedures
You can use complex treatment techniques and consult and advise in diagnosing and treating clients.

Communication and relationship skills

You can:
• effectively communicate assessment and treatment information
• use motivational interviewing skills that encourage clients to use mental health services that can help them change behaviours
• maintain strong working relationships with multidisciplinary teams and community agencies

Analytical and organizational skills

You can:
• find the most appropriate diagnostic approach
• evaluate how effective and efficient treatment and rehabilitative programs are
• use good judgement when working with confidential information
• organize, plan and coordinate psychological services

Don't meet every qualification?

If you're excited about this position and meet the mandatory requirements and most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!

OPS Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism

We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.

We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's Human Rights Code. Refer to the "How to apply" section if you require a disability-related accommodation.

What we offer

We are a dedicated, supportive, and compassionate team of health professionals, where psychologists play a crucial role in rehabilitating and transforming lives of people in our correctional institutions.

This role comes with a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that includes:
• a defined-benefit lifetime pension plan (guaranteed, ongoing inflation-protected income after retirement)
• group health, dental, life and disability benefits
• a range of vacation and leave options
• an Employee and Family Assistance Program, which provides confidential counseling services

The Ontario Public Service is one of Ontario's largest employers. Employees work for 31 ministries, with offices in more than 70 cities across the province. We offer:
• a career that can grow across ministries and job functions
• flexible learning and developmental opportunities, including education and mentorship programs
• many employee networks offering support for and education about underrepresented groups

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Additional information:

Note:

• In accordance with the Ontario Public Service (OPS), Employment Screening Checks Policy (ESCP), the top candidate(s) may be required to undergo a security screening check. Refer to the above to determine the screening checks that are required for this position.
  
  Required security screening checks along with your written consent, will be sent to the Transition and Security Office (TSO), Corporate Talent Programs Branch, Talent and Leadership Division to evaluate the results. If applicable, the TSO, with your written consent, will request and obtain any additional employment screening checks that were not obtained directly by you.
  
  A record under the Criminal Code and/or other federal offence record(s) does not automatically mean you will be ineligible for the position. The employment screening check(s) will only be reviewed and evaluated by the TSO for the purpose of making a security clearance decision. The details of an individual's employment screening check(s) will be considered in specific relation to the duties and responsibilities of the position being filled. Employment screening check records will be maintained by the TSO and kept strictly confidential.
• T-CL-223713/24(2)

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How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

Please be advised that the results of this competition may be used to form an eligibility list of qualified candidates to potentially fill future vacancies represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). In accordance with the Collective Agreement, eligibility lists are shared with OPSEU representatives. By applying to this competition, you are providing consent that your name may be shared with OPSEU representatives.

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

All Ontario Public Service external job advertisements are posted in English and French. To confirm the language requirements of a job, check the "language of position" information at the top of each job ad. For all positions, candidates will be assessed in English, the business language of the Ontario Public Service. For English/French designated bilingual positions, candidates will also be assessed through French-language proficiency testing.

Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario sont affichées en anglais et en français. Pour connaître les exigences linguistiques, vérifiez les renseignements sur la « langue du poste » figurant dans le haut de chaque offre d'emploi. Pour tous les postes, l'évaluation des candidates et candidats se fera en anglais, la langue usuelle de la fonction publique de l'Ontario. En ce qui concerne les postes désignés bilingues, la maîtrise du français des candidates et candidats sera également évaluée.

The Ontario Public Service is an inclusive employer.
Accommodation is available under the Ontario's Human Rights Code .