PDCS Trainee Therapist

Job overview

We are seeking a suitably experienced therapist to support the delivery of our group-based treatment programmes for adults with personality disorders.

The team offers a full range of services and there may be opportunities to be involved in other aspects of treatment (e.g., working with families, supporting with crisis calls). Most of our work is group based.

This role will suit someone who enjoys working in a clinical capacity. You will need to be skilled at managing emotional distress and the psychological impact of the work upon yourself. You will have sufficient clinical experience to enable you to mentor new and junior practitioners, and show clinical leadership within the context of group treatment (e.g., notice and take responsibility for associated aspects of care; record keeping, following up safeguarding etc). Clinical supervision and reflective practise sessions are provided.

Main duties of the job

Your primary role will involve actively providing therapy to clients in our structured treatment pathway. You will have a role in completing 1:1 pre-treatment assessments and engaging service users as they enter our team. This includes accurate completion of clinical records, completing risk assessments and safety plans, and following up safeguarding concerns.

You will have a role in delivering our 12-week introductory MBT group and in co-facilitating the extended 18-month therapy programme; weekly therapy (delivered in group format accompanied by individual sessions). Our current service need is for someone to work in our MBT programme, but the post requires the successful applicant to work flexibly and adaptably to meet the needs of the service.

All clinical staff undertake some training to manage crisis calls and may be required to support the Duty telephone lines at busy times.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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

• Undertake training to manage crisis calls
• Liaise with the Clinical Lead, Line Manager and Team Manager
• Triage referrals
• Formulate, implement, and evaluate therapy programmes for clients
• Communicate, in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, to patients, family carers and others as appropriate, information that may be contentious or highly distressing
• Attend multidisciplinary meetings
• Produce reports on clients
• Provide psychotherapeutic interventions for cases referred to the team. This will involve the use of evidence based psychological interventions especially MBT and DBT.

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.