Family Interventions Therapist

Job overview

The Lewisham Early Intervention in Psychosis Service (LEIS) is looking for a highly enthusiastic and skilled Family Interventions Therapist with experience working with people with psychosis. The successful applicant will share responsibility for the provision of family interventions for psychosis to families and carers. The post holder will join a psychological therapies team within LEIS.

LEIS is a specialist multidisciplinary community mental health team supporting people aged 18-65 who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The team uses well-researched Early Intervention strategies and works intensively with service users and carers for up to three years, to promote engagement with the team and with a range of interventions to facilitate social inclusion and recovery.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for developing and supporting the provision of family interventions at LEIS, particularly facilitating the teams’ work with families where a member is experiencing psychosis. Family interventions involve experience delivering FI, Cognitive-Behavioural Interventions, Open Dialogue, Cognitive-Behavioural Family Interventions or Systemic oriented family interventions and psycho-education. The role will also involve supporting carers 1-1, as well as facilitating a carers support group. The post-holder will also be involved in providing supervision and consultations to other team members and students. There are opportunities for research and supervision of trainees.

We are looking for an energetic and highly motivated Family Interventions Therapist who has a genuine interest n Psychosis and Early Intervention, and the ability to work effectively as part of the multidisciplinary team. Psychological input is valued in the team, and considered an integral part of the services on offer to our service users and their families.

LEIS has good links with other Lewisham adult mental health services and the other three SLAM Early Intervention teams, therefore there are regular opportunities to link with other therapists within and beyond other psychosis-related teams. You will be encouraged and supported to access CPD opportunities within the Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To develop and support the provision of family interventions at LEIS, facilitating the teams’ work with families where a member is experiencing psychosis.
• To deliver a variety of family interventions, drawing on appropriate models, e.g. (CBT-informed FI, or Open Dialogue, Systemic family therapy and Integrated approaches). This includes family sessions as well as 1;1 family member/carer sessions, and ad-hoc support (e.g. phonecalls and signposting) where appropriate.
• To contribute to support for family members such as the LEIS Family & Friends support group.
• To provide supervision/consultation to LEIS in family interventions and family inclusive practice.
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To be involved in the development of treatment protocols, audit tools and outcome measures to ensure the service meets national standards.
• To contribute to Borough and Trust service developments for FI for Psychosis as required.
• To work as an autonomous professional within established professional guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.