High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service (including protocols for managing self referrals).

Assess clients for suitability for CBT or other Talking Therapy.

Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the departments referral protocols, and refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.

Formulate, implement and evaluate therapy programmes for clients.

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

Adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the number of client contacts offered, and clinical sessions carried out per week in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.

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

Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.

Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols

Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.

Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the overall therapy process

Carry out clinical audits of service performance, including service user surveys and evaluations, and help to collate and disseminate the results for feedback.

TRAINING AND SUPERVISION

Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the NHS Talking Therapies approved supervision training.

Supervise staff in the service.

PROFESSIONAL

Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, professional and accrediting bodies (eg BPS, UKCP, BABCP), 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 client confidentiality is protected at all times.

Be aware of, and keep up to date with advances in the spheres of CBT and other agreed psychological therapies.

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

Attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with Manager.

Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.

Keep up to date all records in relation to C.P.D. and ensure 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.

ADVISORY / LIAISON

Provide an advisory service on matters related to the practice and delivery of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or other therapy to individuals/groups/committees across the Mental Health Trust, Primary Care Trust and other voluntary agencies.

Promote and maintain links with Primary Care and Secondary Care Staff to help co-ordinate the provision of an effective Psychological Therapies Service.

GENERAL

To contribute to the development of best practice within the service.

To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health and Primary Care Services.

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 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 (1998) and Security and Confidentiality Policies.

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

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care
• Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health / benefits & employment systems
• Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems
• Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post Full range of skills and competencies as laid out in the competence framework for CBT (Roth and Pilling 2007)
• Computer literate
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Has received training (either formal of through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice
• Basic understanding of issues surrounding clinical risk
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients.
• Able to attend supervision training if not already trained
• Good record of Continuing Professional Development.

Desirable

• Trained in provision of supervision for CBT
• Completed clinical audits within a service.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• High level of enthusiasm and
• Motivation.
• Advanced communication skills
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
• Ability to work under pressure
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality
• Ability to be self reflective, whilst working with service users, & in own personal and professional development and in supervision
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for a new service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system
• To work at least 3 days out of 5 days a week, between base and community settings.

Desirable

• Fluent in any other languages other than English
• Car driver with ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation.

Qualifications

Essential

• Postgraduate diploma in High Intensity psychological interventions
• BABCP accreditation

Desirable

• Other IAPT qualifications
• EMDR

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in mental health services
• Ability to meet agreed/specified service targets
• Ability to manage own caseload and time
• Demonstrates high standards in written communication
• Able to write clear reports and letters to referrers

Desirable

• Experience of working in Primary Care Services
• Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).