Specialist DBT (Dialectical Behaviour) Therapist Lambeth SCPT

Job overview

Lambeth Secondary Care Psychological Therapies (SCPT) is a stepped care Complex Emotional Needs pathway, with three tiers of care. Our Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) team offer full programme DBT at the highest tier of care and a lower intensity skills-group only offer. Our tier 1 team offers intake assessments and treatment planning, as well as skills-focused, brief workshops which act as a starting point for some and refresher for others.

We are looking for a DBT accredited - or almost accredited - therapist who is enthusiastic about joining us on this pathway, offering interventions across all tier and working closely with  the local community mental health teams by offering training and consultations. The postholder would join us for 12 months for three days a week, working within the DBT team, attend weekly consult and hold a caseload of individual DBT clients, as well as co-facilitate DBT skills groups.

Main duties of the job

To provide a specialist Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) service to clients with Complex Emotional Needs. The job will entail delivering comprehensive DBT (individual DBT sessions, DBT skills training [group sessions], DBT telephone coaching and attending weekly DBT Team Consult meetings), planning and delivering DBT-S groups within the community teams, conducting specialist assessments and comprehensive monitoring of clinical outcomes.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
• Assess clients for suitability for DBT. Where the problems appear to be too complex or severe to be appropriate for a trainee, therapist to refer to manager/supervisor for advice on how to manage the case.
• Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the service’s referral protocols, and refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.
• Formulate, implement and evaluate therapy programmes for clients, in inpatient and community settings, including care teams as needed.
• Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary, conveying DBT formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.
• Adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the number of client contacts offered, and clinical sessions carried out per week in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.
• Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment, where appropriate.
• Remain up to date with pathway developments and be able to advocate and explain steps of care
• Co-facilitate full DBT skills groups.
• Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
• Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
• Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach and service flow.
• Assess and integrate issues surrounding wider care, such as discharge, accommodation, work and employment into the overall therapy process.
• Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post.
• Apply learning form the training programme in practice.
• Receive supervision from educational providers in relation to course work to meet the required standards.
• Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, professional and accrediting bodies (e.g. BPS, UKCP, BABCP), and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the department of health (e.g. NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
• Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times.
• Be aware of and keep up to date with advances in relevant spheres (DBT, presenting conditions).
• Ensure clear professional objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with senior therapists on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.
• Attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with manager.
• Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.
• Keep up to date all records in relation to C.P.D. and ensure personal development plan maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.
• Attend relevant conferences / workshops in line with identified professional objectives.
• Contribute to the development of best practice within the service.
• To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health and Primary Care Services.
• All employees have a duty and responsibility for their own health and safety and the health of safety of colleagues, patients and the general public.
• All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the Data Protection Act (2018) and Security and Confidentiality Policies.
• It is the responsibility of all staff that they do not abuse their official position for personal gain, to seek advantage of further private business or other interests in the course of their official duties.

***ACCREDITATION WITH SFDBT IS ESSENTIAL. We are willing to consider offering a preceptorship at band 6 if accreditation is in progress, but please provide proof that accreditation requirements have been met.**

For more detail please see the full attached Job Description & Person Specification.