Specialty Nurse - Forensic Prison Team

Specialty Nurse - Forensic Prison Team

• Permanent full-time role
• Monday to Friday 40 hours per week
• Regional role

A great opportunity for a Specialty Nurse with mental health experience who enjoys working in a challenging new environment.

Do you want a new direction in mental health nursing that is not in a hospital or the community? Forensic Prison Team could be the right role for you!

Keep your weekends free! Hours of work, Monday-Friday 0800-1630 hours

About Us

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

We are a relatively small team based at Mason Clinic Te Aka Building (1st floor) visiting all prison sites Auckland wide and Northland. You will be based in an Auckland prison

About the Role

We work in the Northern Regional Corrections Facilities (Auckland/Northland). It's interesting, every day is different, and you interact with Custody staff, prison Health staff, Police and lawyers on a daily basis who do value your expertise.

As a key member of the Forensic Service, you will be working in the prisons advising on issues related to an offender’s current mental health. This is a different and challenging role to traditional mental health nursing. We provide mental health triage assessments for prisoners referred from Corrections staff/ Health staff and follow up care to a caseload of prisoners with major mental illness. Offenders often have complex mental health needs and the role involves working with these men and women in the custody environment as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

This role requires excellent assessment skills and experience with implementing interventions which enhance prisoners mental health outcomes. The ability to manage relationships with multiple stakeholders would also be an important aspect of the role including general mental health services.

This is an expanded practice nursing role requiring greater autonomous judgment and/or intervention, to meet consumer health needs, including increased access to services and reduced inequities in health provision experienced by clients and whānau experiencing substance use disorders

About You

If you have significant clinical nursing experience working with people who experience alcohol and/or other drug problems, you are an ideal candidate for this role, with the following skill base:

Essential

• New Zealand Registered Nurse with a current competency based practicing certificate
• Has a current nursing portfolio
• Post-graduate Diploma in Health Sciences related to mental health and addictions
• Clinical experience in the mental health or alcohol/drug field
• Demonstrated leadership and supervision skills & experience
• Demonstrated expertise in setting standards and managing practice to achieve these
• Clear problem solving approach, with ability to provide coaching and address performance issues
• Clean current drivers licence
• At least basic computer skills
• Excellent communication and time-keeping skills

Desired

• Masters in Health Sciences
• Level 4/Senior Nurse portfolio or equivalent or working toward this
• Other relevant tertiary qualification
• Advanced clinical team management experience in mental health and/or alcohol/drug field

If you have a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others and have the essential skills listed, please apply online at HealthNZ Careers quoting reference number WDHB20113

To view a copy of the position description click here

For further information about the position, please contact Sharon Price, Team Manager on 09 487 7814 or for more information about our recruitment process, please contact Abigail Sana Matic - Recruitment Consultant via email

Position number: WDHB20113
Closing date: 20 August 2025