Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Crisis Pathway
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
The crisis pathway in Milton Keynes consists of Mental Health Hospital Liaison Team (MHHLT) and the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT), as well as Street Triage and Ambulance Triage. This role is a split post between the former teams. Together with the Consultant Psychiatrists, the post holder is a clinical lead for the teams, driving service development with the team managers and senior practitioners.
The role entails close working with a wide range of agencies and colleagues, including acute hospital staff, police, social care, and other teams across Milton Keynes Mental Health Service, to support the psychological care of patients in a mental health emergency. In addition, within the MHHLT a large part of the role involves helping acute hospital staff to understand and meet the psychological needs of their patients.
We are seeking applications from self-motivated, adaptable, and enthusiastic psychologists who have experience in crisis work and/or clinical health psychology and have a good foundation of transferable skills with an interest to develop in this area. Applicants should be committed to delivering patient-focused care and treatment.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will need to be an integral part of both teams, attending handover meetings, contributing to discussions about the caseload, and bringing a psychological perspective to care planning for all patients. They will support with screening and assessing referrals, offer short-term work to include formulation and intervention with patients, and provide psychological consultation to colleagues and other services. The post holder will receive regular supervision and support from the Lead Psychologist and Operational Manager, as well as peer support and guidance from other team members. The postholder will have the opportunity to become involved with quality improvement projects and other initiatives that enhance the service user experience. You will also be linked in with Trust-wide psychological professions initiatives and events.
We are looking for well-rounded and experienced practitioners. Our staff work pro-actively, with confidence and motivation, showing initiative which has contributed to the development of numerous award-winning services. We find that they are often flexible, robust, and resourceful, able to manage the challenges of working in an environment which can be demanding.
Job responsibilities
To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a psychology service to patients in the crisis pathway (Mental Health Hospital Liaison Team, MHHLT and Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Team, CRHTT) and personally provide highly specialist clinical input.
To contribute to enabling other staff, service users, and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in the crisis pathway.
To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychologists within MHHLT.
To undertake service evaluation, audit, research, and policy development.
To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
* Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration as a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist.
* Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
* Completed training course in clinical supervision.
* Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
* Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
* BABCP accreditation.
Experience
* Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in crisis or acute mental health settings, and/or physical health settings.
* Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
* Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
* Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit, or service evaluation projects.
* Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups.
* Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
* Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area.
* Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
* Experience of assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings.
* Experience of working in a hospital setting.
* Record of publications in either peer-reviewed, academic or professional journals/books.
* Experience of working within a liaison model.
* Experience of managing both mental and physical health care needs concurrently.
Knowledge
* Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies.
* Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
* Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
* Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
* Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
* Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g., personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders).
Skills
* To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ.
* To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences, and hostility to or rejection of information.
* To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such as CPAs and case reviews, and joint activities with staff of partner agencies.
* To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
* To plan projects and work schedules for groups of psychologists.
* To be expert in the skilled administration of psychometric tests, including skilled manipulation of test materials; and to be able to supervise others in the administration of psychometric tests.
* Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
* Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.
Abilities
* Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning.
* Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
* Ability to develop and use complex multimedia materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings.
* Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments, and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
* Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
* Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
* Ability to manage physical aggression directed at self, including use of physical interventions as prescribed by Trust policies.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Professional Lead for Psychological Therapies
£62,215 to £72,293 a year Per Annum (pro rata if P/T)
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