Northern Health (NH) recognises the importance of providing tailored opportunities for our current and future workforce to access continuing education and training. These learning experiences begin when students join us on clinical placement and continue as staff progress their careers at NH.
In recognition of the importance of investing in our learners Northern Health has created a collaborative Education and Training Division that oversees our education and training programs across allied health, medicine and nursing.
This division produced the Northern Health Education and Training Strategic Plan 2023 –2027 which outlines our goals and priorities in providing innovative training and development opportunities and robust support structures to our learners.
The Education and Training Division Northern Health employs a dedicatedAllied Health Education Teamthat aims to provide high quality education and training opportunities across our clinical school (student) and workforce programs. Our AH education leaders are all active members of the Victorian Allied Health Clinical Educators Network (ACHEN) and contribute to statewide AH education advocacy, leadership and interprofessional training initiatives.
We offer a range of support and development opportunities to help you grow your career at NH including:
- Excellent clinical placement learning experiences aimed at preparing our students to become work-ready graduates and our future workforce;
- A structured graduate program aimed at supporting those new to our allied health workforce through networking and tailored learning opportunities;
- A structured Early Career Program for those new to the workforce or those transitioning to practice in mental health, supported by a tailored professional development program and supervision.
- A robust supervision framework that ensures all our staff receive ongoing support with their well-being and professional development –all AH staff receive structured supervision with an experienced clinician at least once a month and access informal supervision daily;
- A busy internal education calendar informed by an annual staff training needs analysis to ensure we are providing tailored education to meet our evolving workforce’s needs;
- A variety of interprofessional learning opportunities as we recognize it is important to train together if we want to provide high-quality collaborative care to our patients, and;
- A focus on illuminating different career pathways for AH professionals as they progress through the different stages of their development including advanced scope clinical roles, management, strategy, research, and education.
If you are interested in learning more about the programs and support offered to Allied Health professionals at Northern Health further details can be found under each of the tiles below.
Please also feel free to reach out to us at:
- Northern Health Allied Health education team delivers a structured graduate program aimed at supporting those new to our allied health workforce through networking and tailored learning opportunities.
- This program supports graduate clinicians from all Allied Health disciplines as they transition from students to health care professionals in their first year of work. The AH graduate program complements the discipline-specific orientation, induction, and supervision available to all new graduates at Northern Health.
- Our graduate program promotes an interprofessional approach to learning and working. The program is delivered via a series of monthly face-to-face workshops over a 6-month timeframe and is designed to:
- Foster collaborative networks between graduates from different Allied Health disciplines
- Learn more about allied health teams at Northern Health
- Promote knowledge of interdisciplinary practice
- Enhance understanding of the role of Allied Health professionals within Northern Health
- Support graduates to become reflective practitioners and embrace opportunities for workplace learning
- Northern Health Allied Health (AH) education partners with allied health teams (from twelve disciplines) to support the development and delivery of high-quality evidence and needs-based professional training.
- The AH education content is responsive to the changing needs and priorities of our allied health workforce. The education calendar is informed by the results of our annual staff training needs survey.
- Our workforce education program promotes an interprofessional approach to learning and working. The program is delivered via face-to-face workshops designed to support workplace integrated learning in areas including:
- Clinical supervisor skills for staff and students e.g., Practicing effective point of care supervision, Supporting student wellbeing
- Transdisciplinary clinical skills e.g., Motivational Interviewing
- Evidence-based practice & quality improvement skills e.g., Getting started in AH quality improvement projects
- Educating our AH clinical educators e.g., Clinical teaching skills
- Our AH workforce education resources also include access to AH learning hubs e.g., AH Careers Learning hubs. Staff can access these self-directed learning resources via the NH LMS.
If you would like to find out more about Allied Health Education and Research at Northern Health, please contact
At Northern Health, we offer placements to students who are completing a wide range of allied health studies.
We provide placement opportunities for students who are completing their qualifications in the following disciplines:
- Allied Health Assistance
- Dietetics
- Exercise Physiology
- Health Information Management
- Occupational Therapy
- Orthoptics
- Orthotics
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Speech Pathology
Our organisation engages with many education providers in order to provide a wide range of clinical experiences and placement opportunities throughout our acute, subacute and community care services. Our allied health teams are dedicated to supporting the learning and development of our future allied health workforce through the delivery of clinical education based on best practices.
At Northern Health, we co-ordinate all allied health placements through educational providers.
Allied Health Clinical School Annual Feedback
Allied Health Education has strong partnerships with La Trobe University (LTU) with a Physiotherapy Student Clinical Educator Position funded at Northern Health which provides support & learning opportunities for (LTU) students on their placements – which in turn enhances patient experiences & outcomes.
The Allied Health Psychology Team is made up of experienced Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology Educators and a Principal Psychology Educator. The team oversees or contributes to:
- The Postgraduate (Psychology) Student Placement Program
- The Psychology Board of Australia Registrar Program for new graduate staff members
- Staff clinical supervision
- Staff professional development
- Discipline-specific Clinical Education
- Allied Health workforce education e.g. Motivational Interviewing, Reflective Supervision
- Organisation-wide education projects as relevant e.g. Trauma Informed Care, Suicide and Self-Harm, Positive Behaviour Support
- University partnerships
The Allied Health Early Careers Program is committed to the ongoing development of our mental health workforce by ensuring that early careers clinicians are provided with the required learning opportunities in a supported and structured program. The program actively promotes a pathway from student placement through to continued employment and is inclusive of the following disciplines:
- Dietetics
- Social Work
- Exercise Physiology
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Pathology
What we offer
- Two Year program Consisting of 2 x 12 month clinical rotations across a range of settings
- Intensive Orientation Program
- Structured monthly professional development calendar
- A strong focus on wellbeing and support for early career clinicians
- Weekly clinical supervision and regular support from clinical educators
- Multidisciplinary facilitated peer support sessions
- Supernumery days with other teams within the MH division
Clinical rotation
We endeavour to ensure graduates are offered ideally a bed based and community-based rotation
to maximise their learning opportunities across the two year program. Rotations are offered across a
range of programs including;
- Adult community teams
- Adult inpatient units
- CCU’s and PARCs
- Older adult community teams
- Older adult inpatient units
Early Career Program – How to apply
Allied Health graduate positions for our January 2025 intake will be advertised on the NH Career
website, or contact Michelle Wines – AH Early Careers Program Coordinator 0460 421 431, or
Michelle.wines2@nh.org.au
Student Placements
Student placements are offered for allied health students across a range of settings within the MH
Division. Student placements are supported by dedicated discipline specific clinical educators.
We have partnerships with multiple Universities including (but not limited to):
- LaTrobe University
- University of Melbourne
- RMIT
- Swinburne University
- Deakin University
For more information please contact your University Fieldwork Coordinator.
This is an overview of the Northern Health Mental Health Division Psychology Registrar Program, designed for early career psychologists seeking AHPRA area of practice endorsement in clinical psychology or neuropsychology.
About us
Northern Health (NH) is one of Melbourne’s largest and fastest growing public health services. NH has a dedicated Mental Health Division which includes Adult and Older Adult services. The Northern Health Division of Mental Health (NHMHD) delivers mental health care and support to people and communities that are diverse in culture, age, socio-economic status, population and health care needs.
The NHMHD provides a range of community based services, residential rehabilitation and inpatient services across a number of sites in the municipalities of Darebin, Whittlesea, Merri-bek and Hume, including:
In our Adult service:
- Four community mental health programs, including an outreach acute community intervention service (ACIS), therapy programs and case management program, based at Preston, Mill Park, Broadmeadows and Coburg;
- Two residential rehabilitation programs or community care units (CCUs), based at Preston
and Broadmeadows; - Two acute inpatient units, based at Northern Hospital in Epping and Broadmeadows
Hospital; and - A range of specialist programs and teams, including Hospital Outreach Post-Suicidal
Engagement (HOPE) teams in Pascoe Vale and Epping, Child and Adolescent service in
Broadmeadows and Coburg, and a Personality Disorder Service (PDS) based at Preston.
In our Older Adult Service:
- Two community mental health programs, based at Broadmeadows and Bundoora;
- Two acute inpatient units for older adults, based at Broadmeadows Hospital and KAW
Bundoora Centre; and - Two long-term residential aged care services, Merv Irvine Residential Care in Bundoora and
McClellan House in Broadmeadows.
About our Psychology Registrar Program
The Psychology Registrar Program is a two year fulltime rotational program delivered across either our Adult or Older Adult service. Registrars will be given the opportunity to experience two one-year rotations across different clinical programs, and work on a range of acute and chronic mental health presentations.
Registrars are supported throughout the program by both individual and group supervision provided by Psychology Board approved supervisors. Registrars will also have access to a structured education and professional development program designed for early career psychologists and developed by our Psychology Education Team. (For further details of our Psychology Education and Training Program).
During their rotations, Psychology Registrars will be embedded into multidisciplinary teams, creating a rich learning environment to benefit from the collective experience of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, lived experience workers as well as other psychologists. Registrars will be supported to extend their knowledge and skills in conducting psychological assessments, developing treatment plans and implementing evidence-based therapies and interventions. [for registrars working.
The Psychology Registrar Program is designed to give early career psychologists the opportunity to develop the competencies and experience required by AHPRA for area of practice endorsement as a clinical psychologist or neuropsychologist. Upon successful completion of the program, registrars will be able to apply for permanent employment within NH. Joining the NHMHD Psychology Registrar Program provides a wonderful opportunity to start your career in a supportive and inclusive environment, working alongside likeminded mental health professionals committed to working in public mental health.
Next Steps
For more information about our Psychology Registrar Program, including a position description and how to apply, please contact: Angela White, Principal Clinical Educator: Angela.White@nh.org.au
