Specialist Practitioner

Job overview

As a Specialist Practitioner  working in the Complex Depression Anxiety and Trauma Service (CDAT) you would be part of a multi-disciplinary team providing a holistic service for  people with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety disorders. The  CDAT team provides on-going assessment of need, multiple problem formulation, psychological treatment and case management. CDAT aims to provide the best quality services, in a framework of mutual co-operation and respect to raise the quality of life for service users and their families and to maximise their potential and increase their life chances. This is an exciting chance to work in a cohesive and dynamic team with multiple learning and professional development opportunities once in post.

Main duties of the job

As a Specialist Practitioner you would undertake MDT and individual assessments and manage an allocated caseload. You would be responsible for formulation and  care planning, with input from the wider team and then implementing social, psychological and medical interventions to meet individual need.  You would need a Social Work, Nursing or Occupational Therapy qualification. You would need to be a team player, curious, compassionate, willing to learn and take on challenges.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Working as a member of the non-psychotic service line based within the CDAT team the post holder will be responsible for providing individual assessment, identified clinical interventions and direct care to service users with complex Depression and Anxiety disorders.

As a Specialist Practitioner the post holder will be responsible for ensuring that they understand and operate to the requirements of the service operational policy and strategy, and that safe, evidence based, effective, culturally competent care is delivered in a timely manner to service users. They will contribute to governance and audit within the team. The focus of the role will be that of individual assessment, intervention and evaluation of treatment, delivered within the framework of NICE guidelines, evidence based best practice and to maximise service user’s recovery and re-enablement. They will be responsible for a defined caseload and they will formulate appropriate specific specialist care and treatment plans; providing skilled specialist intervention and care to service users with complex mental health problems.

Main Responsibilities

1) To be responsible for a caseload of service users.

2) To engage with service users in delivering short term interventions and offer longer term, goal-centred interventions through formulating appropriate, specialist care and treatment plans.

3) undertake assessment and review of new referrals.

4) To contribute to MDT discussion and share specialist knowledge within the team.

5) To cover Duty on a rota basis.

6) To develop professional relationships with other key stakeholders in the service users’ network (i.e. Primary Care, Core Teams, Inpatient and Crisis services, Housing, Carers, Employment, Education etc) and interface with these to support the service user, as well as planning for step-down.