SCHN - Staff Specialist Adolescent Drug and Alcohol (eCredential)

The Adolescent Medicine Department at The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network are seeking a temporary 0.2FTE (8 hours per week ) Staff Specialist to join their team until June 2026. The role will be based predominantly at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick working with the Care and Intervention for Children and Adolescents affected by and Drugs and Alcohol (CICADA) team.

 
The Staff Specialist position within the SCHN Department of Adolescent Medicine is responsible for assessment and 
management of adolescents presenting and referred to the Sydney Children's Hospital SCH Randwick Drug and 
Alcohol use. The position will provide clinical leadership to the multidisciplinary teams in these clinical areas at SCH 
and contribute to strategic planning, service development, teaching and research addressing adolescent specific drug 
and alcohol at SCH. The Adolescent Medicine staff specialist will work within a multidisciplinary model of care 
acknowledging the complex range of concerns and issues faced by these adolescents. It is expected that the clinical 
service provision will largely be to the Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Service and may need to be flexible to meet the 
needs of other patient groups who are provided care within Adolescent Medicine. 

Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Services 
The NSW CICADA Centre offers a lifespan approach to the Care and Intervention for Children and Adolescents 
affected by Drugs and Alcohol within the SCHN. The three clinical streams include; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder 
Service, Family Drug and Alcohol Service and Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Services. It is currently based at The 
Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW) within the Department of Adolescent Medicine, however the Staff Specialist 
position will develop Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Services based in the Centre for Adolescent Young Adult Health at 
SCH Randwick as a part of the NSW CICADA Centre, with drug and alcohol consult liaison, outpatient and inpatient
services as required for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with substance use. 

Other clinical services providing care at the Randwick campus include:

Eating Disorders 
The SCHN Eating Disorder Service (EDS) provides treatment for young people with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders from across New South Wales with programs at The Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW) and SCH with the Day Program (EDIPA) located there as well as the inpatient and follow up outpatient program. The EDS also has a well-established clinical research program and regularly provides training, education and supervision to other services. The EDS is jointly managed and staffed by SCHN Adolescent Medicine and Psychological Medicine. The service has a medical and allied health co-lead who are responsible for the strategic direction and daily management of the staff and programs. Staff specialists in Adolescent Medicine may be required to provide an oncall service which includes after hours responsibility for the care of these patients.  

This position supports the SCH Eating Disorder Service at SCH in collaboration with the Department of Psychological 
Medicine, General Medicine, allied health departments and the adolescent ward.

SCHN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage all suitably qualified applicants to apply, including Indigenous Australians, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. 

As this is a “Category A” position, please refer to the NSW Policy Directive PD2024_015 Occupational Assessment Screening and Vaccination for vaccination requirements.

All Category A workers and new recruits are required to receive one dose of the seasonal influenza vaccine annually to be considered compliant.

Acceptable proof of vaccination is the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Immunisation History Statement.

SCHN is committed to maintaining a child safe culture that upholds the rights of children and young people. We strive to ensure children and young people feel safe, supported, and are included in their care. Existing staff of SCHN and those seeking employment are required to prioritise the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people in their care and take action to keep them safe from harm and abuse.

This position requires a Working with Children Check (WWCC) issued by the Office of the Children’s Guardian.  For more information on how to apply for the clearance, please visit the Office of the Children’s Guardian Website https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply. We recognise the value of Aboriginal staff providing health care to Aboriginal children and families that access the services we provide at the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. Aboriginal job applicants are encouraged to visit the NSW Health Aboriginal Recruitment tool, Stepping Up to assist in preparing your application.

The preferred applicant may be considered for the award of a conjoint academic title (levels A to D) in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney at a level commensurate with his/her qualifications and experience.  The award of the academic title will also confer membership upon the appointee of the University Department of Paediatrics and Child Health.  The academic title will be held for the duration of The Children's Hospital at Westmead appointment.  No remuneration is attached to the University appointment.  The appointee will be responsible to the University for academic matters and to The Children's Hospital at Westmead for clinical matters.

1. Eligible for registration as a medical practitioner in NSW.
2. Fellowship of the RACP or other Specialist College in a paediatric subspecialty and /or other specialist recognition relevant to Eating Disorders and Addiction as provided for in the Staff Specialists (State) Award.
3. Demonstrate experience in the treatment of adolescents with complex health and psychosocial needs including addiction and eating disorders.
4. Demonstrate commitment to advancing Adolescent Medicine's clinical, research and training agendas including a commitment to clinical practice improvement and quality improvement activities.
5. Demonstrated capacity to provide effective role modelling, teaching and leadership for Junior Medical Officers (JMOs).
6. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
7. Demonstrated capacity to lead and work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
8. Availability to participate in an on-call roster and to respond on site within a reasonable time