Associate Psychologist (Youth Mental Health Services)

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

The Children and Youth Group (CYG) in The Salvation Army Singapore serves hundreds of vulnerable children and youth yearly. In line with our vision to provide a continuum of care to uplift those in need, our services span from preventive services, foster care and residential services to reunification support services for vulnerable children returning to their natural families after being removed due to safety concerns. We believe that every child is precious and unique and children grow best in families. We also believe in the potential of every child and family to transform and thrive.

RESPONSIBILITIES

About the job

The Salvation Army Children & Youth Group is looking for a highly motivated Associate Psychologist to be the professional lead for the establishment and development of youth mental health services for children and adolescents. The successful candidate will work in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team to conduct outreach, raise awareness on mental health resilience building, design, implement, and evaluate a range of psychological services aimed at supporting at-risk youth, particularly those with trauma histories, challenging behaviours, and emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The Associate Psychologist will play a key role in helping the lead clinical psychologist in developing outreach and awareness building initiatives, setting up therapeutic programmes, supervising mental health staff, and delivering evidence informed interventions tailored to the unique needs of youth within residential and community settings. The role requires a strong grounding in clinical psychology, youth mental health, trauma-informed care, and service development.


Key Responsibilities

1. Establish and Develop Youth Mental Health Services

• Spearhead the establishment of youth mental health services within The Salvation Army Children & Youth Group, especially in community settings.
• Develop frameworks for service delivery, including outreach, awareness building, therapy and counselling interventions, crisis management, and psychoeducation.
• Collaborate with residential staff, social workers, and external partners to ensure an integrated and holistic approach to care.
• Design and implement outreach and awareness building initiatives, group and individual therapeutic programmes addressing trauma, emotional regulation, resilience, and social skills.

2. Direct Work

• Provide case management support
• Provide individual, group, and family therapy to youth experiencing general mental health challenges, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues.
• Conduct psychological assessments to guide treatment planning and interventions.
• Develop and implement therapeutic plans based on trauma-informed care and evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and other relevant modalities.

3. Supervision and Training

• Provide in-service training to staff and caregivers in community on trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, and youth mental health.
• Support the professional development of the mental health team by providing ongoing peer supervision and feedback.

4. Programme Evaluation

• Establish monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the effectiveness of mental health interventions and programmes.
• Collect, analyse, and report data on key mental health outcomes for youth within the programme.
• Adjust interventions and programmes based on feedback, research, and evolving best practices.

5. Community Engagement and Outreach

• Build partnerships with schools, community agencies, and external mental health providers to enable outreach and ensure continuity of care for youth in Bedok, Kallang Bahru.
• Engage with families and caregivers to promote mental health awareness and support.

Key Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage and build relationships with youth, families, and multidisciplinary teams, run programmes and do outreach.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care and evidence-based interventions for children and youth.
• Flexibility, creativity, and initiative to establish and grow new services.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with vulnerable and at-risk populations.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to manage crises and complex cases.
• Leadership and management capabilities to supervise and guide staff and trainees.

Minimum Qualification: Good degree in Psychology, Counselling Psychology, or a related field.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience working with youth, although fresh grads who show the ability to start up initiatives can be considered.
• Experience in providing psychological assessments and interventions for youth with mental health concerns, trauma histories, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and complex needs or their caregivers.
• Experience in developing and leading youth-focused mental health services with a passion for community outreach is highly desirable.
• Prior experience in a residential care setting is an advantage.

Job Requirements

• Strong commitment to working with at-risk and vulnerable youth and their caregivers.
• Aligned to The Salvation Army's values and mission.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills with basic knowledge in statistics.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English; additional local languages are an advantage.

Working Hours

Please be informed that it is a 5-day work week and the total work hours is 44 hours per week.

Monday to Friday - 9.30am to 6.30pm Friday (inclusive 1 hour lunch break)

Flexibility in working hours is required in this role.

Working Location

The Salvation ArmyChildren and Youth Group

Youth Development Centre

Address: 65 Kallang Bahru, #01-305, Singapore 330065

Gracehaven Children's Home

Address: 3 Lorong Napiri, Singapore 547548

Bedok Arena

Address: 187 Bedok North Street 4, #01-02, Singapore 460187