I am working with the Central Regional Forensic Mental Health Service, seeking a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist for a senior position based in Palmerston North, in the central North Island district of Manawatu, just 2 hours north of Wellington.
- Full time, permanent position commencing 2018
- Easygoing, friendly, multicultural community in a small university city
- FRANZCP or equivalent specialist qualifications
- Affordable housing and excellent schools
- Lots to see and do if you like the outdoors lifestyle and active family living
- Just a 2 hour drive from cosmopolitan Wellington City
The Central Regional Forensic Mental Health Service (CRFMHS) provides the acute inpatient service which consists of Purehurehu (male only 15 bed unit) and Rangipapa (mixed gender 13 bed unit). In addition, Pukeko House is attached to the Rangipapa unit and provides a rehabilitation/ recovery step-down facility for service users within the inpatient forensic system. The service also has access to longer stay beds in the Rehabilitation Service and there is a close interface between the two.
There will be travel associated with this role as the work is spread throughout prisons and courts within both Manawatu and Whanganui districts (neighbouring district, 1hr drive from Palmerston North).
Peer review, informal supervision and collegial support are provided on a two-weekly basis at the Regional Forensic Service in Porirua, Wellington (1hr 50 mins drive)
Duties include: working in a multidisciplinary team setting, providing high quality diagnosis, treatment and follow up of mental health consumers; supporting the medical and psychiatric development of the service; providing input to regular prison clinics and follow up for a small number of special patients in the community; providing court requested expert assessments and reports; and occasionally be required to attend court to give an expert opinion.
What’s on offer?
- Total package circa NZ$170,000 - $270,000 pa, depending on level of experience
- Includes base salary range NZ$158,141 - $230,000 pa (£82,700 - £120,000), depending on level of experience
- Annual $16,000 Continuing Medical Education allowance & 10 days CME leave to attend conferences
- Multidisciplinary team working
- Plus relocation assistance
The Location
Palmerston North (population: urban 80,000, regional 168,000) has a genuine, easygoing vibe. It has all the facilities that you would expect of a city, yet is still compact and easy to navigate. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants, a local airport and a wealth of sporting activities and community festivals if you want to get involved. Living here is very affordable, with quality housing and a reputation for its excellent primary, secondary and tertiary education facilities, there is a lot to offer families of all ages. And the commute to work is circa 10-15 minutes from anywhere in the city.
If you prefer to live a semi-rural relaxed lifestyle, just a 15 minute drive away from Palmerston North is the town of Feilding, voted New Zealand’s most beautiful town 14 times, with its gorgeous gardens, Edwardian buildings and Farmers Markets at the weekend, it’s a great place for families with a real sense of community and hospitality.
Whether you decide to live in Palmerston North itself or Feilding, or any of the other little towns in the Manawatu region, the location in the middle of the North Island means you will be within easy driving distance of premier ski resorts at Turoa and Whakapapa to the north, the lush Hawke’s Bay wine region to the east, clean and quiet unspoilt beaches (Himatangi, Foxton, Otaki) along the West Coast, and of course, to the South is NZ’s vibrant and cosmopolitan capital city of Wellington (2 hour drive).
Find out more about Palmerston North and the Manawatu region here.
Requirement for this role
Ideally you will hold FRANZCP and full Vocational registration with Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).
Alternatively, if not NZ trained or based, you will hold equivalent specialist qualifications, e.g. MRCPsych & CCT, which are eligible for Provisional Vocational registration (long term) or Locum Tenens registration (short term up to 12 months and takes only 30 days to process). These are the specialist pathways for medical registration in NZ and we can assist with the registration and work visa applications if you are successfully appointed.
Please visit the MCNZ website for details on the medical registration requirements, including primary source verification of your qualifications which was introduced by MCNZ 1st November 2017.
For more details, please contact Caroline at caroline@headmedical.com with a copy of your CV.
Please note, Caroline is now based in Wellington, New Zealand, having made the move back to NZ with her family in September 2017.