Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post-holder/s will predominantly work remotely (home based or equivalent) and provide telephone triage, assessment and decision-making support to ensure that patients with common mental health needs gain access to the most appropriate pathway and intervention. There will be a requirement to deliver some face-to-face support (circa one day per week) in at least one of GP practices.

The post-holder/s will be required to carry out assessment and formulation of mental health needs in order to assist patients towards increased self-management of anxiety and depression symptoms and better tolerance of distress. The role will also involve identifying opportunities to support individuals with their mental health by helping them to access appropriate community support, encourage behavioural and lifestyle changes, enabling and empowering patients to become actively involved in their own wellbeing.

The role combines the skills of triage/assessment/care navigation/psychological support. Key to the role will be the ability to utilise psychological formulation (i.e. construct meaning out of mental distress) and build trusting relationships quickly whilst motivating individuals to make sustained changes.

The mental health practitioners will utilise a range of therapeutic skills, including, but not limited to:

Assessment of need/triage + onward referral/signposting

Active listening and reflective discussion

Psychoeducation

CBT-based and counselling techniques

Motivational interviewing

Understanding / challenging unhelpful patterns of behaviour

Main duties:

The duties and responsibilities of the post will include:

Referrals, triage & assessment:

Accept referrals of patients with chronic and/or mild to moderate common mental health problems (predominantly anxiety, depression and OCD) via agreed protocols within the GP Practice/s.

Use SystmOne/EMIS patient management system (after training) to record referrals, assessments and outcomes.

Identify and manage cases where complexity and/or severity are present, including triaging referrals and signposting to appropriate mental health and crisis support.

Use therapeutic skills where appropriate to help patients to contain and manage acute emotional distress which does not pose a risk.

Complete a comprehensive and holistic assessment of need for those referred to the service within an agreed timeframe, in order to determine the most appropriate help and support.

Develop an understanding of the particular issues presented, including any complicating social factors (physical health, employment, housing, substance misuse, etc), the patients sense of what support would be helpful and realistic, and the patients readiness to engage with connecting services.

Offer consultation, advice, and decision support to primary care colleagues.

Caseload management & interventions:

Typically, a post holder would offer circa 40 (30min Triage) and 7 (60min Follow-up) appointments per week.

Manage a full caseload and reach agreed activity levels set within the service and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.

Within Follow-up appointment use a range of techniques and interventions to support patients with mental health needs to self-manage their symptoms, and encourage behavioural and lifestyle change, while working within boundaries of professional training and competence.

Respond to unpredictable situations of risk and manage these in a safe, professional and holistic manner, utilising appropriate risk assessment, relapse prevention interventions and risk management plans.

Facilitate patients to use/develop their own resources and support networks (family/friends), provide extra support for patients to access the wide range of existing psycho-educational, peer support and wellbeing groups within Leeds.

Support navigation into a range of other useful social and support services, including Forward Leeds, Health Trainers and social prescribing.

Build knowledge of relevant local community networks and support individuals to access these, where appropriate (including but not limited to LMWS, Secondary Care Mental Health services, social prescribing service, local voluntary sector mental health provision).

Encourage patients to actively manage their own mental health/wellbeing.

Help patients to develop skills and build confidence in their ability to regulate their emotional state and make appropriate choices which promote mental wellbeing; encourage patients to self-initiate positive behaviours and to gain problem-solving skills.

Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary, conveying clinical formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.

Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment, where appropriate.

Keep records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols using SystmOne/EMIS and any paper-based systems as appropriate.

Monitor patient experience using a qualitative evaluation questionnaire.

Work closely with the GP practices and other members of the team ensuring appropriate timely communication, and be available to support practice staff with queries about referrals and suitability.

Training:

Attend and fulfil all mandatory trainings.

Use SystmOne/EMIS to input and retrieve information appropriate to the care of individuals on caseload.

Professional practice:

Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, professional and accrediting bodies (e.g. BACP, UKCP, BPS), and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the Department of Health (e.g. NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence).

Ensure that patient confidentiality is protected at all times, in line with Northpoint and GP practice/s policies.

Attend clinical and line management supervision on a regular basis as agreed with the Service Manager.

Ensure clear professional objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with the Service Manager, on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.

Keep up to date all records in relation to CPD and ensure your personal development plan maintains up-to-date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.

Attend relevant conferences/workshops in line with identified professional objectives.

Attend team and practice meetings as directed.

General:

All employees must be familiar with and adhere to Northpoints operational policies, service protocols, and practice guidelines as required, taking account of any relevant partner protocols and procedures.

All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the Data Protection Act (2018) and Security and Confidentiality Policies

All employees have a duty and responsibility for their own health and safety and the health of safety of colleagues, patients and the general public

All employees will undertake statutory and mandatory training as deemed appropriate and have a willingness and commitment to professional development

Northpoint Wellbeing is committed to ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital status, gender reassignment or pregnancy/maternity. We fully support the right of all staff to equal opportunities and are committed to the development of a diverse workforce. All employees are expected to be familiar with and adhere to Northpoints Equal Opportunities Policy

All employees will adhere to Northpoint Wellbeing safeguarding procedures

Northpoint will provide regular line-management supervision

It is the responsibility of all staff that they do not abuse their professional position for personal gain, to seek advantage of further private business, or for other interests, in the course of their official duties.

This job description does not provide an exhaustive list of duties and may be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder in light of service development.

Northpoint will provide an appropriate level of clinical supervision (within work time) or will pay for an agreed external supervisor to provide supervision.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A relevant qualification at NVQ Level 3 (e.g. NVQ Level 3 in Mental Health & Social Care) or equivalent (psychology graduate), and/or significant experience in mental health support work.

Experience

Essential

• At least two years experience of working in a mental health setting with clients presenting with multiple & complex mental health issues.
• Experience of undertaking specialist mental health risk assessments, formulation and managing safeguarding issues safely and appropriately.
• Experience of delivering appropriate therapeutic casework skill, risk management and relapse prevention interventions in a time-limited manner
• Experience of managing and organising own caseload and time to meet service targets and deadlines.

Desirable

• Relevant experience in Primary or Secondary Care mental health services
• Experience of working within a Third Sector organisation.
• Experience of working in a service with agreed targets for outputs and clinical outcomes
• Experience of SystmOne/EMIS or similar IT system for outcome and case- management recording.

Knowledge

Essential

• An understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care services including working knowledge of medications used in common mental health problems
• An understanding of the work of secondary care mental health services and complex mental health presentations.

Desirable

• An understanding of the principles underlying the Stepped Care model of mental health treatment
• Knowledge of existing services within the area.

Skills & Competencies

Essential

• Ability to work in a psychologically informed manner to deliver a range of mental health support appropriate to the needs and capacities of the client group whilst developing and sustaining meaningful relationships with clients
• Can demonstrate sound clinical skills and ability to make clinical decisions, in line with professional standards, NICE guidelines and service protocols.
• Can demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of disadvantaged groups in the planning and delivery of interventions and services
• Ability to be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, & in own personal and professional development, and to use supervision positively and effectively
• Creative, flexible and imaginative approach to working with people with mental health problems including demonstrating a commitment to enabling and empowering clients
• High standards in written communication, including ability to write clear records, letters to referrers and computer literacy
• Commitment to the principles of coproduction and supporting others to deliver according to these principles.

Desirable

• Ability to deliver support in community languages.
• Ability to employ psychological formulation.

Training

Essential

• Able to attend supervision training, and other training as the post develops
• Good record of Continuing Professional Development and willingness to continue this.

Other Requirements

Essential

• Ability to work independently, at times under pressure, and within a team and foster positive working relationships with all stakeholders.
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.

Desirable

• Experience of working with diverse communities and within a multicultural setting.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Northpoint Wellbeing Ltd

Address

Northpoint Wellbeing Ltd

Hunslet Road

Leeds

LS10 1JN

Employer's website

https://northpoint.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)