Clinical Associate in Psychology

Job overview

Community Mental Health Services are undergoing widespread, innovative transformation. Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust are at the forefront of this transformation, developing a more holistic, recovery oriented, biopsychosocial approach to supporting people with mental health difficulties, in partnership with primary care, other community NHS providers and the voluntary sector. The aim is to build support systems that reach the whole mental health population with a focus on prevention and sustained recovery delivered by multi-agency collaboration. Each population unit is based on the footprint of a Primary Care Network (PCN), bringing together NHS, voluntary sector, peer support and community organisations. These relationships will be central to the new community mental health model.

Clinical Associate Psychologists are an innovative new role in mental health services, that are core to this community transformation and offering high quality clinical care to the Camden borough.

We have an opportunity for a qualified Clinical Associate Psychologist (Band 6) to join our service on a full-time basis. They will join a team of Clinical Associate Psychologists, Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, each linked to their multi-disciplinary team and PCN.

Interested applicants are encouraged to make contact for an informal conversation.

Main duties of the job

The Camden Core Mental Health teams are undergoing a process of transformation to develop and offer psychological interventions, in addition to assessment and consultation for people with complex mental health difficulties. The teams  have well established relationships with primary care and the voluntary sector. The service aims to work collaboratively with primary care and other voluntary sector colleagues to help people with complex difficulties in an integrated and holistic way.

The CAP role is central to the team’s psychological provision, with opportunities for 1:1 therapy using a variety of therapeutic models including Structured Clinical Management, offering group interventions, and joint assessment and consultation. There will be opportunities for leadership, research, service development and consultation to the system, which will involve liaising with professionals involved in the in care of the individual. The teams work closely as MDTs, with weekly clinical meetings where complex cases can be thought about and MDT formulations can be developed. There is also opportunity to work jointly with other members of the MDT in cases of particular complexity.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Clinical Associate Psychologist is a key role within both the psychology team and the wider Camden Core Mental Health team. As a relatively new professional role, there are exciting opportunities to shape and develop the service provided.

Key duties include: • Assessment and formulation for service users referred to Camen Core Mental Health team, under supervision from the wider Psychology team. • Brief interventions for complex presentations above the threshold for IAPT but below threshold for specialist services. • Individual interventions – delivering ‘Structured Clinical Management’-informed interventions including problem-solving and skills focused work. • Group interventions: psychoeducation and skills workshops. • Working as part of a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team. • Working with diversity and a range of clinical presentations. • Opportunities for service development, research projects and audit of interventions. • Interdisciplinary and inter-agency working (e.g. with recovery college)

These are well supported roles, with the successful candidate receiving high quality supervision, alongside learning and development opportunities.

Please see the attached Job Description for detailed information on the role and main duties / responsibilities.