The Hornsby Ku-ring-Gai Mental Health Service within Northern Sydney Local Health District is seeking a Unit Clinical Director to work at Mental Health Intensive Care Unit based at Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital.

Applications are accepted via eCredential only, to apply click here.

Position Classification: Staff Specialist
Employment Type: Permanent Full Time
Hours Per Week: up to 40

Who we are : We are a health service that touches thousands of lives across the Northern Sydney Local Health District, together as a team of like-minded people. We are passionate, driven and have the skills and knowledge to care for our patients whilst creating the best services possible. Our teams have meaningful, interesting and rewarding work everyday. We challenge and nurture each other, sharing our knowledge and experience so that we can deliver better care for everyone. There's a real sense of belonging here because we value and respect our patients, employees, and teams' voices. You'll feel a real privilege being a trusted caregiver in our patients, their families, their carers, and our communities' lives.

About the Role

Mental Health Intensive Care Unit (MHICU) is a NSLHD MHDA facility that accommodates 12 Psychiatric Intensive Care beds. The MHICU provides intensive assessment and management of consumers requiring mental health care who exhibit acute and high levels of clinical risk, present with diagnostic and management complexity or experience acute symptomology of a mental illness/disorder. The MHICU provides multi-disciplinary treatment and support within a recovery orientated and trauma informed care framework in an environment that cannot be provided in general acute in-patient units

The Unit Clinical Director MHICU is to work in collaboration with the senior staff of the HKMHS and Mental Health & Drug and Alcohol (MHDA) NSLHD to lead, develop and maintain mental health services of the highest possible quality and safety for MHICU consumers. The position has delegated responsibility for the clinical governance of the MHICU. The position has direct responsibility for leadership and management of the senior and junior medical workforce of the MHICU, including management of performance matters.

Purpose of the Position

The MHICU unit clinical director will provide clinical management and treatment of patients under their care in a Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) facility or service. This care will be provided within the scope of practice endorsed by the NSLHD Medical and Dental Appointments Advisory Committee (MDAAC).

The position will provide clinical consultation services within NSLHD and will contribute to the teaching and training of medical students, graduates and other health care professionals and to research, evaluation and quality improvement activities within the District.

Selection Criteria

1. MBBS or equivalent, currently registered or eligible for registration with the Medical Board of Australia. Applicants must have Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) or recognition as a specialist by the Medical Board of Australia as a Specialist Psychiatrist and/or overseas trained substantial specialist pathways. Applicants expecting to be awarded their FRANZCP within 3 months may be considered.
2. Consistently demonstrates behaviours that reinforce the CORE Values of our Organisation; Collaboration, Openness, Respect and Empowerment. Demonstrates these behaviours with all stakeholders; colleagues, direct reports, as well as our patients and consumers, and those that care for them.
3. Demonstrated experience and high performance as a senior clinician in acute psychiatry, general hospital psychiatry and community-based and inpatient settings, including experience in working with the NSW Mental Health Act (2007)
4. Proven experience in management and leadership, including proven ability to work as a leader of a multidisciplinary clinical team.
5. Experience in liaising and working closely with senior and junior medical colleagues across specialties, GPs, consumers and carers with demonstrated understanding of the recovery and care coordination models of care.
6. Demonstrated interest in improvement of clinical governance of mental health services, including quality improvement methodologies, experience or willingness to participate in clinical research and a commitment to fostering this interest in medical staff and other clinicians.
7. Experience in teaching psychiatry to medical, nursing and allied health students/staff, psychiatry trainees and others as required.
8. Understanding of and commitment to Local Health District, State and National mental health priorities and plans and valid NSW Drivers Licence.

Need more information?
1) The requirements of the position can be viewed via the Position Description
2) For assistance with your application please refer to the eCredential guide

3) To view the the Scope of Clinical Practice for this position click here

For role related queries or questions contact Dr Shalini Narchal on (02) 9485 6500 or email. [email protected]

This is a NSW Health Category A position which requires immunisation and screening for certain diseases. The full list of requirements are outlined in the NSW Health OASV Policy (Page 11) You will be required to complete the OASV Undertaking/ Declaration Form and TB Assessment Tool during the recruitment process. Please upload this with your application along with any other vaccination evidence that you may have.

Applications Close: 13 November 2025

Please Note: NSW Health does not require or accept the ‘Fit2Work badge’ offered as an option in eCredential.