Art Psychotherapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide art therapy including assessment, treatment and evaluation of group and individual work for patients within specialist local community mental health teams and inpatient rehabilitation service for a range of diagnoses including Personality Disorder.

• Undertake the supervision of students.
• Undertake arts therapy/psychotherapy research/audit as per the Trust research strategy for the arts therapies/psychotherapies and participate in research and audit at the Waterview Centre.
• To undertake delegated management responsibilities when needed

Overview of Main Responsibilities:

1. To assess patients referred to the services with respect to developing an appropriate treatment plan taking into account risk factors, complexity of presentation, patient need, and service priorities.
2. To deliver art therapy for patients using evidence based approaches
3. To develop a high level of specialist clinical skill relevant to the range of diagnoses presenting in the local community services/ inpatient rehab particularly personality disorder and psychosis.
4. To contribute specialist knowledge of Art Psychotherapy to the overall treatment of each patient through contribution to clinical meetings.
5. To work in conjunction with the Community Arts Therapies service, accepting and forwarding referrals as necessary.
6. To contribute to the development of the arts therapies reasearch by facilitating placements for arts therapy students, offering opportunities for participant observation.
7. Clinical supervision of students.
8. To be responsible for clinical input to the Trusts research strategy for the arts therapies supervising allocated staff.

Clinical responsibilities

1. To provide group and/or individual art therapy to patients, planning and reviewing treatment in conjunction with the patient, inpatient rehab unit and the community team in the context of their full treatment plan.
2. To offer specialist treatment for those who would benefit from psychological therapy but find primarily verbal psychotherapy difficult to access, I.e. those with florid psychosis including e.g. extreme thought disorder, catatonic states, cognitive difficulties, emotional withdrawal, language problems etc.
3. As an experienced clinician to be adept at working intensively and flexibly to sustain involvement with those who are at high risk of disengaging from treatment.
4. To assess each patients suitability for individual or group art therapy and to ascertain from the ongoing review process a patients emotional stability, use of the therapy and ability to work with others towards the agreed aims of treatment.
5. To refer on to other appropriate services after assessment or on discharge
6. To assess risk and adopt appropriate measures to maintain a safe and therapeutically sensitive environment for all when faced with challenging behaviour, for example verbal abuse, deliberate self-harm, violence, aggression or threatening behaviour. To contribute to the overall team risk assessment.
7. To work with the client to understand the content and context of their communication using the art making as a focus.
8. To use sound judgement and interpretative skills to respond to art making and patient interaction as a means of developing self-awareness and greater understanding of self in relation to other.
9. To work and think responsibly and constructively with the relevant teams and any carers involved, drawing on clinical experience and theoretical knowledge to highlight and not collude with potentially destructive mechanisms of defence.
10. To manage time limited therapy with due consideration to the ending in the context of the overall treatment programme.
11. To offer supervision to other team members to assist in processing the emotional impact of clinical work with people with severe personality disturbance and/or psychotic disorders through applying skills and knowledge from training and own personal psychotherapy.
12. To work constructively and flexibly with people from different cultural, social and religious backgrounds, being particularly alert to special vulnerabilities e.g. refugee status, war-related trauma etc.
13. To integrate students into appropriate clinical situations whilst giving a level of support to ensure the safety of and benefit to both students and patients.
14. To write reports and contribute to the writing of reports as required by the community Arts Psychotherapy service.

Managerial and Administrative

1. To report complaints and incidents, following correct procedure, having sought advice from line manager.
2. To have a working knowledge of, and adhere to, current legislation applicable to clinical area, including Trust Risk policies, Mental Health Act, CPA, health and safety, clinical governance and data protection.
3. To ensure own ethical practice by working within the Professional Associations Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Clinical Practice and abiding by the Health Professions Councils and Trusts Confidentiality policies.
4. To be competent in the use of IT equipment and systems.
5. To maintain accurate patient records including clinical note keeping, report writing, data collection and CPA in accordance with relevant national and Trust policies.
6. To take an active part in own line management supervision including own appraisal.
7. To work in harmony with colleagues and develop constructive professional relationships.
8. To undertake any other duties in negotiation with the Team Manager.

Training

1. To educate other professionals about arts psychotherapy (through regular workshops /presentations etc)
2. To provide clinical supervision to students and any allocated art psychotherapist.
3. To provide further student training with co-working facility.
4. To make full and appropriate use of regular art psychotherapy clinical supervision
5. To identify training and development needs through the supervision and appraisal process and ensure they are linked to service objectives.
6. Ensure training needs are met through negotiation with the Clinical Lead Arts Therapist and the Principal Arts Psychotherapist
7. To undertake Continuous Professional Development as required for professional registration.
8. To maintain skills and proficiencies as required to practise.
9. To undertake trust mandatory training as required e.g. breakaway and de-escalation techniques
10. To undertake further training in the field of personality disorder / psychosis and other emerging clinical special interests.
11. Contribute to the training of students from other disciplines.

Policy

1. To understand and implement policies and procedures of the Arts Therapy service.
2. To maintain knowledge and awareness of operational issues relating to clinical practice.
3. To ensure the safekeeping and confidentiality of all records and to advise honorary and trainee staff on these requirements, in accordance with the Access to Health Records Act 1990 and the Freedom of Information Act 2005.
4. To adhere to and act on clinical governance and initiatives being particularly mindful where they pertain to art psychotherapy and to advise trainees on these requirements.
5. To demonstrate good knowledge in own practice on matters related to differences and equalities in both therapy and professional relationships. This includes age, disability, culture and race, sexual orientation and religion/belief systems.
6. To assist trainee staff in the implementation of the above.

Service Development

1. To attend Arts therapies departmental and trust-wide business meetings and actively contribute to the development of the arts therapy service in Westminster.
2. From time to time review the art therapy provision in conjunction with the Lead Arts Therapist, Team Manager and colleagues, proposing and making appropriate changes.
3. When making changes to consider the views and needs of patients, carers, trustwide and local policies and the aims of the whole clinical programme.
4. To ensure good lines of communication in adapting to organisational changes.

Management of resources - staff

1. To allocate patients to trainee art therapists and to be responsible for their caseloads providing management as well as clinical supervision.
2. To provide clinical supervision as required to art therapists working in the locality.
3. To compile assessments and reports on art therapy trainees.
4. Attend meetings organised by training institutions and contribute to good relations between training institutions and the clinical placement providers.

Management of resources - Financial/Physical

1. To be responsible for the physical storage and setting out of art therapy equipment.
2. To ensure the confidentiality of peoples work within the therapy space and the safe and confidential storage of peoples work during therapy and post-discharge.
3. To be responsible for and check the stock of art materials on a regular basis, advising what needs replenishing and ordering new stock.

Research and development

1. To be aware of developments in good practice and adopt new practices where appropriate.
2. To show flexibility and openness to new information based on research that informs the above.
3. To participate in evidence based practice initiatives and department, directorate and clinical service audits.
4. To participate actively in the research strategy for the arts therapies/psychotherapies and to assist and develop research proposals and audits relating to your clinical area.
5. To disseminate research information as appropriate with arts therapists and other clinicians so that clinical practice is appropriately informed by current developments in this field

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

• Good honours degree in Art/Music/Drama/Dance or equivalent performing/work experience
• MA/MSc in one of the Arts Therapies/Psychotherapies
• Eligibility for State Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Relevant specialist training or qualifications

Desirable

• Other related academic qualifications e.g. psychoanalytic psychotherapy, or Group analytic training.
• Clinical supervision training
• Training in breakaway/ de-escalation techniques
• Advanced keyboard skills

Previous experience

Essential

• Substantial experience of autonomous working with Personality Disorder and Psychosis both in groups and individually.
• Experience of Community Arts Psychotherapies
• Experience of working with people with disturbed and challenging behaviour
• Experience of supervising arts therapists/psychotherapists and of liaison with the university training courses, in own speciality and other specialist areas.
• Evidence of participation in research (can be as part of MA/MSc/MMT training).
• Experience of personal therapy.

Desirable

• Experience of being sole arts therapist in a community setting
• Experience of negotiating space/therapeutic boundaries in a difficult context
• Experience, Interest and commitment in conducting research

Skills, knowledge, abilities

Essential

• Skills in planning, organising and prioritising own workload.
• Knowledge of and skills in assessing clients for arts therapy/psychotherapy and/or other treatment interventions.
• Knowledge of and Skills in assessing risks and contributing to diagnosis.
• Ability to work with people with complex needs i.e. unstable/suicidal patients, including those with personality disorder or a mixed diagnoses
• To work with risk confidently and creatively
• Excellent community liaison skills
• High standard of verbal communication skills including the ability to provide concise, clear and relevant feedback to a ward round/team meeting
• High standard of written communication skills including the ability to word process lucid reports detailing progress of therapy, selecting relevant information from sessions and expressing analytical detail without bias
• Knowledge and understanding of a broad range of mental illnesses
• Skills in clinical supervision of both arts therapists/psychotherapists and multi-disciplinary colleagues
• Knowledge of and skill in using cameras, kilns, art tools, slide projectors, video equipment, recording equipment etc.
• Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach, which considers the needs of the whole person.
• Ability to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills
• Knowledge and experience of practising evidence based Arts Psychotherapies, particularly MBT

Desirable

• Experience of working with multi-disciplinary teams
• Commitment to and enthusiasm for further training opportunities and CPD

Attitudes, aptitudes

Essential

• Ability to work with trauma and contain emotional impact through clinical supervision and team support systems
• Ability to be aware of risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell patients without other staff nearby.
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability understand and process complex institutional dynamics
• Flexible approach; Ability to adapt to physical environment e.g when dedicated therapy rooms are not available i.e. transporting art materials/equipment/musical instruments etc and willingness to manipulate furniture to set up room (within Health and Safety parameters)

Desirable

• Ability to learn from experience

Other

Essential

• Ability to work to professional guidelines
• The post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the Equal Opportunities Policy at a level appropriate to the job

Desirable

• Must demonstrate ability to support the development of the profession through participation in professional bodies and activities.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bluebell Rehab hostel/ Arts Therapies NKCW community team

7A Woodfield Road

London

W9 2NW

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)