Educators for the new forensic psychiatric inpatient ward R5 – be part of creating something new!

Are you passionate about making a difference for people with complex mental health challenges? And are you eager to put your pedagogical expertise to use in a multidisciplinary treatment environment where relationships, development and human resources are at the center?

Then we have an exciting opportunity for you!

In February 2027 we will open R5 - a new forensic-psychiatric inpatient ward. Therefore we are seeking engaged and professionally grounded pedagogues who want to join in building a new ward and creating a strong multidisciplinary work community. You will have a special opportunity to be involved from the very beginning and to shape our pedagogical approach, treatment environment, collaboration culture and the everyday life we will create together for patients and staff.

A new ward – with room for your pedagogical expertise

We believe that good forensic psychiatric care is created through strong relationships, high professionalism and close multidisciplinary collaboration. At R5 we want to create a treatment environment where patients are met with respect, curiosity and a fundamental belief that development is possible – even when life is characterized by severe mental illness, complex life circumstances and special safety requirements.

Here, the pedagogical professionalism plays an important role.

We view relationship work, structure, meaningful activities and support for the individual’s coping as central elements in patients’ treatment and rehabilitation. As a pedagogue you will contribute with a special insight into human resources, social skills and possibilities for development. You will become an important player in creating a daily life where patients experience security, predictability and the opportunity to take an active part in their own treatment process.

At the same time, we want a workplace where different professional disciplines are actively brought into play, and where we dare to be curious about our own practice.

At R5 you will not merely be part of a new ward. You will be co-creator of the culture and pedagogical practice that will characterize R5 in the future.

Your role as a pedagogue

As a pedagogue you will have a central role in the patients’ everyday life and in the multidisciplinary treatment and rehabilitation efforts. You will work closely with nurses, social and health care assistants, doctors and other professional groups to create coherent and individually tailored patient pathways.

Your tasks will include, among other things

• To build and maintain professional and trusting relationships with patients with complex psychiatric problems.
• To work purposefully with social-pedagogical methods, milieu therapy, recovery and rehabilitation.
• To create structure, predictability and meaningful content in the patients’ everyday life.
• To support patients’ social skills, independence and coping with everyday challenges.
• To plan and implement individually adapted activities that support patients’ well-being, development and treatment goals.
• To work with motivation, communication and relationship-building, also when collaboration with the patient is challenged.
• To contribute to the prevention of conflicts through pedagogical approaches, conflict de-escalation and a professional understanding of patients’ behavior.
• To contribute with pedagogical observations, professional documentation and reflection in the multidisciplinary treatment work.

We see the pedagogical professionalism as an independent and valuable part of forensic psychiatric care. Your ability to see the person behind the illness, build relationships and translate pedagogical knowledge into concrete actions is a significant contribution to the patients’ development.

Who are you?

We are looking for you who are trained as a pedagogue, and who are interested in working with people with severe mental illness. You may have experience from psychiatry, social psychiatry, the specialized area or other pedagogical fields. Experience from forensic psychiatry is a plus but not a requirement. Most important is that you have a strong pedagogical professional background, are curious about the psychiatric specialty and want to develop in a multidisciplinary treatment environment.

We place emphasis on you

• having an appreciative, respectful and resource-oriented approach to people.
• being strong in relationship work and able to build trust, even in complex and challenging situations.
• being able to work in a structured and targeted way with individual pedagogical interventions.
• having an eye for the connection between patients’ behavior, mental state, surroundings and needs.
• being able to remain calm, maintain overview and keep a professional approach in unpredictable situations.
• thriving in a multidisciplinary work community where different perspectives contribute to the overall treatment.
• willing to contribute ideas, creativity and professional reflection in the development of our new ward.
• taking responsibility for both patients’ well-being and the common working environment.

We do not expect you to know everything from day one. We expect that you want to learn, contribute and bring your pedagogical expertise into play.

Working hours – continuity and coherence in patient treatment

The position is 37 hours per week with the possibility of 32 hours

You will be part of mixed shifts, where we strive for 2-shift coverage with occasional night shifts. You will have the opportunity to influence your own duty rota while taking into account operations and the shared task-solving. Weekend shifts are included in a fixed rotation every other weekend. We regard it as a professional strength that our employees have the opportunity to follow the patients’ development at different times of the day. It provides a more nuanced insight into the patients’ needs, strengthens continuity in treatment and supports multidisciplinary cooperation.

At the same time, we are aware that work and private life must hang together. Therefore we want a duty planning characterized by dialogue, transparency and maximum consideration for the individual employee within the framework of the common task.

What can we offer?

At R5 you get a special opportunity to help shape a new workplace on a solid forensic-psychiatric foundation. We want to create a ward where high professional quality, multidisciplinary collaboration and a good working environment go hand in hand.

We offer

• A structured onboarding program: We prioritize giving you a safe and thorough introduction to the ward, our treatment and pedagogical approach, workflows and safety frameworks.
• A mentor program: As a new employee you will be assigned a mentor who supports your professional development, helps you settle in and acts as a sparring partner in the early period. We believe a good start lays the foundation for a good and long-lasting working life.
• Room for your pedagogical expertise: We want a ward where pedagogical perspectives and methods are an active and integrated part of patient treatment.
• Influence from the start: You will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of our professional culture, work routines, milieu-therapeutic offers and daily practice.
• A strong multidisciplinary community: We want an environment characterized by sparring, knowledge sharing and mutual respect for each other’s competencies.
• Present and inclusive leadership: We prioritize open dialogue, integrity and employees’ perspectives in the development of the ward.
• Professional development: We want to create a culture where reflection, learning and curiosity are a natural part of daily life.
• Focus on well-being and safety: We work for a safe and professional treatment and working environment, where we take care of both patients and each other.
• New physical facilities: We will have access to facilities and outdoor areas that we want to actively involve in milieu-therapeutic and pedagogical activities.

We believe that employees who experience professional meaning, influence and a strong collegial community have the best prerequisites for creating good patient pathways.

Working hours and practical information

The position is 37 hours per week with the possibility of 32 hours. You will be part of mixed shifts, where we strive for 2-shift coverage with occasional night shifts and a weekend shift every other weekend. You will have influence on the duty roster with regard to operations, continuity and balance between work and private life.

Workplace: Forensic Psychiatric Inpatient Ward R5, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby.

Start date: January 1, 2027 ahead of the opening in February.

Application deadline: November 11. Interviews expected in week 47.

Salary and terms of employment in accordance with the applicable collective agreement.

Want to know more?

You are very welcome to contact us if you are curious about R5, our ambitions or your opportunities as a pedagogue in forensic psychiatry.

Jonas Lisius Martinussen, Chief Nurse, tel. 51 37 12 83 or Mette Munk-Poulsen, Chief Physician, tel. 29 99 08 31.

Forensic Psychiatric Department

The position is essentially a full-time position.

As Region Midtjylland continuously implements savings and reorganisations, employees in redeployment who apply for the position will have priority.

Region Midtjylland is, pursuant to the EU transparency directive, which came into force on 7 June 2026, obliged to inform you of starting pay or a range of starting pay for a position before offering employment.

Here you can find Region Midtjylland’s salary catalog for most professional groups and positions found in Region Midtjylland: Transparency before employment - Medarbejder.rm.dk