Clinical Associate Psychologist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Clinical Associate Psychologist to join our Primary & Community Mental Health Team. (PCMH). The person should be someone who is willing to engage with both health and community working to support existing structures of clinical care in conjunction with our social prescribing and self-management offer. We have several posts across our community teams in Sheffield.

You will be joining a vibrant and supportive team of well-established Clinical Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Clinical Associate Psychologists who are able to offer supervision, support, and professional development. The person should be comfortable in supporting patients both one to one as well as groups and be passionate about supporting clinical and non-clinical colleagues to build their skills in supporting patients with long term mental health conditions

We believe in holistic care for the patient and are keen that the person who joins us embraces this way of thinking to support our vision of person-centred care.

To apply for this position, you will need to have completed the British Psychological Society accredited CAP apprenticeship training programme including EPA to IFA standards.

Main duties of the job

You will work as part of the wider Primary & Community Mental Health Service working across Sheffield’s primary care networks. You will be responsible for developing close links with GP Practices, VCSE organisations, secondary care services and families/carers to ensure patients with serious mental illness can quickly access the care, support, and treatment they need in their local community.

You will assess needs, provide extended brief interventions, psychological interventions, and work as part of a wider multidisciplinary team (involving mental health practitioners, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists, social prescribers, peer support workers, occupational therapy, and pharmacy)

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will provide psychological interventions to the Primary Care Networks Mental Health Services. In particular, those with complex mental health problems, focusing on strength and assets to help people with what matters most to them.

This work will be under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist who will retain clinical responsibility for clinical work carried out, provided that the clinical work is within the care plan specified.

The characteristics of the core population receiving direct services are: people with complex psychological and emotional needs who may have experienced adverse life events. Those with serious mental illness, for example complex trauma personality disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia and complex depression and anxiety  (the list is not exhaustive).

Psychological based provision is offered to the local/identified population at the individual, group, couple and family level through to teams, systems and community level.

The post holder will work with people who use our services to develop a shared understanding of the complex issues the person is facing, how they cope and the impact this has on their mental, physical health and well-being and those around them (psychological assessment and formulation). Under supervision of qualified clinical psychologists they will explore social, psychological, therapies and other potential options which may improve health outcomes and help them achieve agreed goals.

Service users seen by the post holder will include those who have experienced high levels of distress and complex mental health difficulties.   Assessments and interventions will be delivered in a range of settings, including community, VCSE as well as clinics and in person, by telephone or digital platform.

The post holder would be expected to work closely with experts-by-experience, local communities, Community and Voluntary and Social Enterprises, to co-produce and co-develop services. The post holder will primarily be involved in partnership working, liaising with various stakeholders in the system, e.g. GPs, primary and secondary care mental health services, colleges and universities, and the 3rd sector. The post holder will also be involved in raising the awareness of the complexity of the health and social challenges many people face and the impact this has on mental health & well-being and vice versa. A key aim of the service is to help people build resilience and feel more connected to their community, and to instil a sense of belonging.

We sincerely welcome applications from people who have previous experience of using Mental Health services, and/or individuals who are/have been a carer for someone.