Specialist Psychologist/Psychological Therapist/Psychotherapist
Job Description
Job summary
o For applicants internal to SLAM - A secondment opportunity (to the end of 30th September 2028); potential of up to 6 months extension.o For external applicants - A Fixed-term opportunity of 12 months with potential of contract extensions up to the end of the project on 30th September 2028.o We are seeking a motivated and skilled Band 7 clinician to join the Parenting Well with Psychosis Project (PWP), a 3-year partnership funded by the Maudsley Charity as part of their Living Well with Psychosis Programme. This is an opportunity to make a difference and shape future service delivery.o The post is six sessions (22.5 hours) per weeko The PWP project aims to bridge the gap between CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and Adult Mental Health services by bringing together the Helping Families Team and SLAM's Early Intervention Psychosis teams across Croydon, Lewisham, Lambeth, and Southwark, with the goal of providing integrated care and support for parents with first episode psychosis.o Partnership working with Peer Supporters and lived experience networks in project development, delivery and evaluationo Delivery of evidence-based parenting interventions for parents with mental illness.o Delivery of co-delivered professional training in "Think Family" principles, focusing on the needs of children and young people impacted by parental mental illness
Main duties of the job
o To provide a specialist psychological assessment and interventions for parents experiencing mental illness, including psychosis, within the HFT.o Confident and skilled in engaging with parents who are experiencing significant mental health difficulties and are likely to have had significant input from a range of services over a long period of time.o Contribute to creating culturally sensitive frameworks to ensure Black and other communities are invited to contribute meaningfully to the project.o Ability to create supportive, connected, facilitative, influential and purposeful partnerships with families, colleagues and multi-agencies.o Ability to assess, manage clinical risk, and child and adult safeguarding.o Delivery of specialist co-led parenting group interventionso To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.o Contribution to service evaluation, audit and researcho Contribute to reporting to Maudsley Charity and Stakeholders.
About us
o The Helping Families Team is a multi-disciplinary team within the Centre for Parent and Child Support and N&S CAMHS that provides specialist individual and group parenting interventions to parents who are experiencing mental health difficulties.o Early Intervention Services: The boroughs each have a multi-disciplinary team setup under the guidelines from the National Service Framework for Mental Health. The teams work with adults aged 18-65 years who are experiencing their First Episode of Psychosis. The teams work assertively and intensively with service users and carers for up to 3 years in Croydon, Lewisham and Southwark and 2 years in Lambeth, to promote engagement with the team and treatment, and to facilitate social inclusion and recovery.o The cross-directorate project team will work in partnership with families, communities, colleagues and other agencies.
Job responsibilities
The Parenting Well with Psychosis Project has been funded by the Maudsley Charitys Living Well with Psychosis Programme which funds initiatives and research to improve the treatment and support the recovery of people affected by psychosis. The Charity also has a focus on work that supports families and carers, and addresses inequalities in the experiences of racialised communities with mental health services. Social deprivation, discrimination and racial trauma are all linked to an increased likelihood of developing a psychotic illness. In southeast London, rates of psychosis are up to two times higher than the UK national average, some of the highest rates in Europe with Black men and women disproportionately affected both in prevalence and in their experience of mental health services and treatment. The clinician will contribute to the development and co-ordination of the provision of the culturally sensitive Parenting Well with Psychosis project. The clinician will work clinically within the Helping Families Team and within the partnership holding a caseload The team will be an example of the Trust Think Family Strategy in practice where integrated care and partnership working are fundamental to whole family assessment, intervention and change. The post-holder will develop excellent working partnerships with the four Early Intervention services across the Trust The program emphasizes diversity and inclusion, promoting access to parenting resources for marginalized communities. The project will commit to ensuring families from local Black communities, who are disproportionately affected by a diagnosis of psychosis, are invited to contribute to the design, delivery, evaluation as well as be in receipt of the programme as part of their care plan. We employ the Family Partnership Model as a framework to create partnerships, to promote respectful and honest engagement with families and professionals. Support the development of the Think Family professional training focusing on empowering practitioners to consider the needs of children and young people impacted by parental mental illness. Co-delivery of Being a Parent-Enjoying Family Life parenting groups, an evidence-based, 10-week parenting group intervention for parents dealing with mental health difficulties co-delivered by peer supporters and clinicians. The intervention will empower parents by building family resilience, supporting them to mentalise their experiences of being a parent and increasing their confidence in parenting their children. Attend group and individual clinical supervision and team reflective practice. To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment Contribute to the evaluation of the project alongside peer supporters and service users. To follow systems that are in place to support the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychologists and multi-disciplinary colleagues within the Parenting Well team Be able to follow National and Trust child and adult safeguarding guidance and manage clinical risk of families being supported by the project. To contribute to various stages of the project implementation and evaluate through focus groups, interviews, and quantitative measures, with the aim of fostering long-term change and integrated care across mental health services.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS. AND Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
Desirable
- To have post or pre-qualification training in relevant clinical interests: e.g. parenting, parental mental health, early intervention psychosis, family intervention. (A/I)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs. (A/I)
- Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature including psychosis and/or parental mental health (A/I)
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. (A/I)
Desirable
- Delivery of therapeutic, evidence-based groups (A/I)
- Post-qualification experience of specialist assessment and intervention for adults with Psychosis; Mood disorders; Personality Disorders and/or parents with neurodivergence (A/I)
Knowledge
Essential
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of psychosis and/or parental mental health (A/I/R)
- To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences. (A/I/R)
- Knowledge of a range of a range of therapeutic ideas/approaches systemic models in assessment and treatment relevant to discipline (A/I/R)
Desirable
- Knowledge of Think Family principles (A/I
- Knowledge of evidence-based Parenting Interventions (A/I)
- Knowledge of Early Intervention for Psychosis including Family Intervention
Skills
Essential
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information. (A/I/R)
- To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates. ...
