Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner

Band 6 - £37,338 - £44,962 per annum pro rata

22.5  hours per week

Severalls Hospital, Colchester

It has and is an extraordinary time for specialist perinatal mental health services across the UK with growing national and local focus on service development and expanding access for new and expectant mums. The national ambition is to improve outcomes for an increasing number women over a 5-year period through investment in resources and broadening of interventions available. The perinatal period includes from conception up until one year following the birth of the baby and is a critical time for prevention and treatment for women at risk of serious mental ill health. Providing a unique opportunity for intervention and change, improving outcomes for mums, their families and ultimately society, in the longer term.

Main duties of the job

The Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner will work as a member of the Perinatal Mental Health Service.  The post holder will manage a defined caseload of service users experiencing moderate to severe perinatal mental health problems, and those with pre-existing severe mental health diagnoses to reduce perinatal risk and maintain stability in this vulnerable period for women's mental health. They will undertake holistic community assessments with a strong emphasis on the parent-infant relationship and safeguarding.

The post holder will offer a variety of therapeutic interventions including supportive therapy, psychosocial interventions, specialist medication advice and problem solving techniques.  In addition the post holder will be expected to offer both support and advice to carers and relatives, and to work in an integrated manner with key partner organisations and professionals.  The post holder will be required to provide consultative advice to other agencies, and to participate in delivering training and development for other professionals

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To work jointly with care coordinators from CMHTs with a small complex and challenging caseload of pregnant women or those with an infant up to one year old.
• Conduct both single handed and joint high quality mental health assessments as required to identify mental health needs for people referred to the Perinatal Mental Health Service.
• Take responsibility for the management of a defined client caseload as identified in consultation with the Team Manager, Clinical Team Leader and team.
• Utilise the Care Programme Approach (CPA) as defined within the Trust Policy and to act as Care Co-ordinator as required.
• To ensure that all Trust Perinatal service users have a perinatal care plan, this is implemented. This may require attending and contributing to pre and post-birth meetings.
• Ensure risks are effectively managed and interventions are effectively prioritised.
• Maintain effective individualised care through the assessment of health and social care needs, planning, implementation and evaluation of care plans co-produced with service users.