Psychologist
As a part-time Psychologist in the Army Reserve, you’ll get to work alongside colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds and specialty fields. You’ll use your skills and understanding of human behaviour to help in mental health settings, recruitment and selection, organisational systems, and testing and measurement.
If you’re looking to broaden your existing qualifications and skillset as a psychologist, while experiencing adventure outside of the ordinary, the Army Reserve has an exciting opportunity for you.
What you'll do
You’ll draw on an ever-expanding body of scientific knowledge about how people think, act and feel and then apply that information to the area of military psychology. You’ll refine and hone your occupational analysis and counselling skills to post-operational screening in a challenging and stimulating military environment.
You’ll work with likeminded people, travel the country and challenge yourself, without having to compromise your lifestyle in this flexible part-time role.
Your duties may include:
- selection interviewing
- mental health screening
- occupational assessment
- psychological assessment
- mental health intervention in both posted and operational environments to members of all 3 Services (Navy, Army and Air Force).
Opportunities for progression and upskilling continue throughout your career as an officer. As you progress, the Army will provide you with leadership, management, and specialist skills training to develop your ability to effectively manage your teams. You’ll also be provided with training opportunities to further develop your role-related expertise. This world-class training will strengthen your skillset and enable you to become an influential leader in the Army.
As an officer in the Army, you may also undertake a posting to an Any Officer role during your career, such as instructor/training roles and staff officer roles. This experience helps you broaden your skill set and prepare for more senior roles.
The Army Reserve has units located all across Australia and offers you the flexibility to serve where you live. There are training locations in cities, small towns and regional areas. Even if there isn’t a unit close to you, there may be other ways to serve. You’ll have a Careers Coach who you can ask about your options.
As a Psychologist, you’ll be posted to a Health Battalion in one of the following locations: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney or Townsville. There may be opportunities for short-term overseas duty, including the possibility of operational (combat related) service.
We look after our greatest asset which is our people.
Requirements and training
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
The standard requirement for entry into this role is current general registration as a psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). You also need to be currently working as a psychologist with a civilian employer.
Applicants who are provisionally registered with AHPRA and working towards registration as a psychologist, will not be considered for Reserve entry.
To join the ADF, you must be healthy and physically fit. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination.
You’ll also be required to successfully pass a physical fitness assessment.
Male
- Push-ups: 8
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
Female
- Push-ups: 4
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
There is no minimum number of years required in the ADF Reserve as service is voluntary. You can volunteer until the Defence Reserve retirement age of 65, subject to the requirements and your suitability for further service.
Reserve service is flexible and can fit around your family, life and work responsibilities. In your first year, you can choose to serve between a minimum of 20 and up to 150 days, which includes Initial Employment and Military Training. After that, you can choose to serve 20 to 150 days each year, with the potential to extend to 200 days. On training completion, you can serve from as little as one night a week, one weekend a month, or in consecutive weeks - in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Course: Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC)
Duration: 25 days
Location: Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra, ACT
You’ll learn fundamental knowledge of:
- leadership and military justice
- weapons handling
- command and control
- unit and personnel administration
- basic military skills
- the ideals of officer behaviour
- attitudes necessary for future employment.
This course is delivered in 2 parts for both full-time and part-time (Reserve) Officers.
- Part 1 – 10 days
- Part 2 – 15 days.
Course: Regimental Officer Basic Course Psychology
Duration: 6 weeks
Location: Army Logistics Training Centre (ALTC), Albury-Wodonga region
Building on your existing university qualifications, you’ll complete this course in the first 12 months of your appointment to prepare you for employment as an Army Psychologist. For Reserve Psychologists, this course can be completed in 2 modules, each taking 3 weeks to complete.
Module 1 (3 weeks) focuses on learning to work effectively as a military psychologist.
- deliver ADF preventative mental health program
- assess and treat acute mental health conditions in Defence
- administer psychometric testing and other psychological assessments
- deliver ADF resilience training.
Module 2 (3 weeks) will train you to apply your psychological knowledge, skills and techniques in a Defence environment.
- conducting and communicating suicide risk assessments in accordance with ADF policy
- conducting ADF mental health screening
- applying Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to military psychology practice.