Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

We are looking for a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to join our specialist Personality Disorder Community Service. We welcome thoughtful and motivated candidates who enjoy working in a team, have experience of working with people with a diagnosis of Personality Disorder and would like to progress their learning and experience with this patient group.

The Personality Disorder Community Service (PDCS) is a specialist outpatient service offering NICE recommended treatment options to adults between the age of 17 and 65, who present with increased needs and risk in the context of their Personality Disorder. Our main treatment offers include Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) an Occupational Therapy Pathway and an engagement and formulation pathway, informed by a Structured Clinical Management model.

PDCS have a highly specialist and supportive Multi-Disciplinary Team, we manage and think about the risk our service users present with within a wrap-around MDT and there is a strong emphasis on reflection within our practice.

Please do get in touch to find out more about the role.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will support the care planning and implementation in our treatment pathways, maintaining a strong focus on providing excellent clinical care as a practitioner, within the MDT. The role also includes providing some support to the crisis "duty" pathway within the service.

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

1. To support service users with their recovery journeys through collaborative goal setting with a range of priority health and social needs under the supervision of a senior member of the team.

2. To provide ongoing specialist assessments of adult service users referred to, and under the care of the Personality Disorder Pathway.

3. To develop formulations of presenting problems or situations that integrate information from assessments alongside other team members.

4. To develop and implement plans for treatment, therapeutic intervention and/or management of a client’s presentation. This done in partnership with the team. The treatment will normally fall within the broad remit of cognitive analytic therapies, but where appropriate other therapeutic approaches with proven efficacy may be offered.

5. To be responsible for implementing a range of interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups.

6. To provide specialist professional advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to service users’ formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

7. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for service users within Personality Disorder Pathway operating within Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures, including work with service users deemed as vulnerable adults.

8. To act as care coordinator, ensuring the provision of a care package appropriate for the service user’s needs, coordinating the work of others involved with their care, taking responsibility for arranging and documenting timely CPA reviews and assessments as required and communicating effectively with the service user, his/her carer/family and all others involved in the network of care, and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions. Following Trust CPA policy and guidance.

9. To communicate, in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, to service users, family/carers and others as appropriate, information that may be contentious or highly distressing concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of services under their care.

10. To ensure appropriate records of assessment and treatment are regularly maintained which adhere to professional guidelines, CPA/Trust policy and recognised systems within the Personality Disorder Pathway.