Occupational Therapist (Complex Needs)

Are you looking for an occupational therapy role where your clinical reasoning, practical problem solving and interest in complexity will genuinely be used?

Join a well-respected, friendly and dynamic team in roles that combine flexibility, support, variety and a strong commitment to best practice.

Established in 2015, Complex Psychology is a boutique allied health consultancy with offices in Port Melbourne and Mildura. We provide a range of allied health services to participants with complex disability and psychosocial needs. We are highly regarded for our expertise in assessing, coordinating and treating people with extremely complex needs, and for our experience in negotiating complex service system challenges. Due to continued demand, we are seeking an occupational therapist to undertake a varied, formulation-informed role involving functional and occupation-based assessment, intervention planning, care team consultation, assistive technology and home modification recommendations, behaviour support, capacity building and complex problem solving across disability, forensic, psychosocial and service-system contexts.

At the heart of Complex Psychology is our dedication to working with and for clients who have complex forensic, disability and psychosocial needs. We provide a range of services to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), Department of Justice and Community Safety (DOJCS), NDIS participants, non-government organisations and private individuals. Our work is often targeted at supporting care teams and services to increase their capacity to support clients with complex needs.

We are seeking an occupational therapist looking to expand their level of expertise in a challenging and highly respected organisation where existing skills in complex disability, psychosocial disability, mental health, acquired brain injury, autism, behaviour support, forensic services, housing-related assessment, assistive technology or home modifications would be most valued. Full-time or part-time roles are available, with a minimum employment of 0.6 EFT, including Wednesday availability.

About the roles:

The successful candidate will undertake the following:

• Undertake occupational therapy assessment relevant to referral questions and scope of practice, including functional capacity assessment, activities of daily living assessment, sensory assessment, cognitive and executive functioning observations, environmental assessment, housing-related assessment, assistive technology assessment and other occupation-based assessments as required.

• Undertake NDIS behaviour support work where within scope of practice, including functional behaviour assessment, contribution to interim and comprehensive behaviour support plans, implementation support, review of outcomes and collaboration with stakeholders to reduce behaviours of concern and minimise or eliminate restrictive practices in accordance with NDIS Commission requirements. Complex Psychology’s approach to behaviour support adapts to the exceptionally complex needs of our client group and prioritises multilayered clinical and service system formulation. We do not use a generic approach to behaviour support.

• Provide evidence-informed occupational therapy intervention and therapeutic support to clients with highly complex presentations and their care teams, within the boundaries of the funded service model and agreed clinical priorities.

• Provide secondary consultation, clinical advice and practical strategies to care teams, families, support providers and other stakeholders to improve consistency, safety, independence, participation and outcomes.

• Contribute to care team coordination, case conferencing and service planning where multiple providers or systems are involved, including under NDIS or the Multiple and Complex Needs Initiative (MACNI).

• Prepare clear, high-quality occupational therapy reports, including functional capacity reports, assistive technology recommendations, home modification recommendations, housing-related reports and NDIS evidence, with clear clinical reasoning and practical recommendations.

• Facilitate training, reflective practice, professional development and other capacity-building activities for internal staff and external services, including training related to functional support, routines, sensory needs, environmental strategies, assistive technology and implementation of recommendations.

This role suits an occupational therapist who is curious, confident and clinically thoughtful, with a significant interest in occupational therapy formulation, practical problem solving and a willingness to work with extremely significant complexity. The role requires initiative, assertiveness, self-awareness, resilience and the capacity to tolerate uncertainty while still acting decisively. We are looking for an OT who seeks to contribute rather than remain in the background.

This role may be appointed at either Grade 1 ($85,696 - $107,120) or Grade 2 ($107,120 - $128,544) level, in accordance with Complex Psychology’s remuneration policy. For Grade 2, applicants should have at least three years’ post-registration experience as an occupational therapist and demonstrated capacity to work with a high degree of autonomy, clinical complexity and professional judgement. For Grade 1, applicants may have less experience but should have completed at least one prior role involving work with people with complex disability, mental health, forensic involvement, behaviour support or other high-risk and multi-system presentations.

Positions with Complex Psychology afford team members a unique work experience not often seen in private organisations. This includes:

•    Opportunity to work with clients who have exceptionally complex needs and high-profile forensic clients in a service that is very highly regarded within the service system.

•    Generous remuneration as a salaried employee within a friendly and supportive team and a clear remuneration progression, supported by a formal framework that recognises increasing responsibility, autonomy, clinical complexity and contribution over time.

•    A paid wellbeing day per quarter, in addition to annual and personal leave.

•    Rigorous internal support available to help navigate the complex and inter-connected service systems.

•    Multiple forms of professional development, including individual internal supervision, multidisciplinary internal group supervision and funded external clinical supervision and training.

•    Flexible work conditions, including a combination of office-based and work-from-home arrangements.

•    Family-friendly workplace benefits, including access to paid parental leave.

•    Opportunities to present our expertise at relevant national and international conferences with support (a group of staff presented at a conference in Italy in 2023 and 2025).

Internal supervision, multidisciplinary consultation and external professional development support are available.

All applicants must address the key selection criteria as outlined below:

1.     Current registration as an occupational therapist with AHPRA.

2.     Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: complex disability, psychosocial disability, rehabilitation services, acute or community mental health, acquired brain injury, autism, behaviour support, forensic services, alcohol and other drug services, housing-related assessment or similar roles.

3.     Demonstrated ability to complete high-quality occupational therapy assessment, occupation-based formulation, intervention planning and report writing, including writing for external stakeholders such as funders, care teams, referrers, housing providers, legal contexts or courts where required.

4.     Demonstrated ability to assess everyday function and participation across relevant domains, including self-care, domestic tasks, community access, mobility, communication, cognition, sensory processing, emotional regulation, routines, social participation and environmental fit.

5.     Experience working with people who present with multiple and intersecting needs, including where there may be high risk, service-system complexity, behaviours of concern, diagnostic complexity or competing stakeholder views.

6.     Knowledge of, or demonstrated ability to develop knowledge of, NDIS functional capacity assessment, assistive technology, home modifications, housing-related supports, behaviour support practice requirements, and the broader disability, mental health, justice, housing and community service sectors relevant to the role. Registration as a behaviour support practitioner is not mandatory. However, an understanding of the factors that impact behaviours of concern is required.

7.     Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with clients, families, care teams, external services and internal colleagues, and to communicate clearly in both verbal and written forms.

8.     Demonstrated ability to be flexible, adaptive and professionally responsive in high-stress situations, including the capacity to manage competing demands, respond calmly to emerging risk, and adjust approach as required in complex and fast-moving circumstances.

9.     Highly developed interpersonal skills, self-awareness and a demonstrated ability to build strong professional relationships, work collaboratively across teams and sectors, and provide a calm, reliable and reassuring point of contact for clients, stakeholders and external services. This role requires regular assertive communication with a range of stakeholders, including picking up the phone and having challenging conversations. Applicants should be comfortable working directly and collaboratively with people.

10.  Current driver licence and access to a vehicle for travel to appointments, including community-based work and occasional regional travel where required.

Applications should be addressed to Jacqui Brown, Director, Complex Psychology, and received by COB 7 September 2026.

Please apply via the SEEK website, including a cover letter that addresses all Key Selection Criteria and includes a detailed CV.

For more information or to discuss the role further, please call Jacqui Brown, Director on 0427 721 *** or Michelle James, Operations & Clinical Services Manager, on 0488 071 ***.

Travel within Victoria, including some limited travel to rural and regional areas, may be part of the role. A valid current driver licence and access to a comprehensively insured motor vehicle are required.

Referees must include a current supervisor.

Complex Psychology values an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people from the LGBTQI+ community and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply. All our workspaces are physically accessible, both internally and externally. We welcome advice from applicants regarding any modifications, adaptations or considerations they require to participate comfortably in the interview process.

 If you would like a copy of a position description, please contact Megan Darwish, Office Manager, at *************@complexpsychology.com.au.

Equity – Integrity – Respect – Quality/Expertise – Leading Change – Empowerment