2026 Infant Mental Health Child Psychiatry Fellow

The Hospital:

The Royal Children’s Hospital’s (RCH) Vision is “A world where all kids thrive”.

RCH is a cornerstone member of the Melbourne Children’s Campus, partnering with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

RCH has cared for the children and young people of Victoria for more than 150 years since it was founded in 1870. A full range of paediatrics and adolescent health services are provided plus tertiary and quaternary care for the most critically ill and medically complex patients in Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW and other states around Australia and overseas. The Hospital has more than 6,000 staff, a budget of $850M, 12 wards and 350 beds. Annually, the RCH has 300,000+ Specialist Clinic appointments, 90,000+ Emergency Department presentations and 20,000 elective surgeries.

The RCH is committed to the Child Safe Standards. 

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact.

For further Information on RCH is available here.

The Department:

The Infant Mental Health Program is an integral component of RCH Mental Health. We are an interdisciplinary team, based within Hospital Consultation-Liaison at the Parkville campus, with spokes to RCH Infant, Child & Youth Area Mental Health & Wellbeing Service teams (ICYAMHWS) in the Western Metro area, and a community outreach partnership program with the Cities of Melbourne and Brimbank (Bubs in Mind). 

We are specialists in the field of Infant Mental Health, who promote the earliest possible intervention and the best possible care for infants and young children referred to our program. We see very young children, and their families, who are hospitalised with complex medical conditions, with a major focus being the impact of stress and trauma within medical settings. We also see young children struggling with anxiety, lowered mood, attachment difficulties, feeding and settling difficulties, emotional dysregulation, and work with infants and young children who have parents experiencing mental health challenges. The program works across inpatient and outpatient settings. 

We work to broaden the reach of Infant Mental Health knowledge and thinking through teaching, training, and interdisciplinary and interorganisational engagement.  The program has active research activities, using clinical experiences to formulate research agenda, and research findings translated into clinical practice.

The Role:

The Infant Mental Health Fellow position is available for a dynamic, thoughtful and curious Child Psychiatry trainee in 2026.  This role is a .5 position for 12 months. Under specific circumstances, it may be offered as a 1.0 positions for 6 months.

The role provides a unique experience for a Child Psychiatry fellow to develop their clinical skillset in working with infants and young children. 

The trainee will work closely with the IMH consultant psychiatrist and team coordinator, and will gain experience in the assessment, diagnosis and interventions with infants aged 0 to 4 years who present with a range of mental health problems, and with their families. They will undertake clinical liaison and consultation activities, and actively participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, ward rounds, clinical supervision, and other activities as opportunities arise. If required, the successful applicant for this position will work with the broader Mental Health Hospital Consultation-Liaison Team to undertake assessments with older children and adolescents.  

For further information, please contact dave.reid@rch.org.au

To view the position description, please Click Here

What we offer:

• Salary Packaging – Increase your take home pay!

• Employee Assistance Program
• Discounted on-site car parking

Other requirements:

• Current National Criminal Record Check, or willing to obtain
• Valid Working with Children Check
• Current NDIS Worker Screening Check, or willing to obtain
• Compliance with RCHs “Staff Immunisation - Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases” procedure
• All International Medical Graduate applicants will need to meet the AHPRA English Language requirements

Application process

To apply, you will need a resume and a tailored cover letter outlining your skills, experience, and suitability for the position in line with the requirements of the position description.

Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately, we encourage you to apply promptly!

Applications close Tuesday 2nd September 2025

Why work at the RCH?

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact. We offer the opportunity to work in world-class facilities, surrounded by Royal Park and only a short tram trip from the heart of Melbourne city.

We also offer discounted staff parking, salary packaging, and an award-winning health and wellbeing program.

The RCH is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse background, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with disability.

It is a requirement of your employment that you be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and Influenza annually for Category A and B roles, in compliance with any public health orders in place at the relevant time, unless you have a medical exception in line with those public health orders, which has been accepted by The Royal Children’s Hospital.  Applicants will be required to provide their Australian Government Immunisation History Statement, it is a requirement of the RCH to collect, record and hold vaccination information.

It is also a requirement of your employment that you comply with any direction given by The Royal Children’s Hospital that you be vaccinated against, or prove immunity to, any other disease, unless you have a relevant exemption

Are you ready to join our team? 

 Apply online by clicking on the “Apply” button