Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist

We have an exciting opportunity for a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/CBT therapist to join the ARMS team and support a psychological driven service for people,age 16-35, identified as having an At Risk Mental State (ARMS), based in Hertfordshire. The service works alongside young people at risk of developing psychosis in a trauma informed and neuroaffirmative manner to create opportunities to develop preventative strategies and support through partnership with local mental health, social care, primary care and third sector agencies. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team aimed at offering predominantly, but not exclusively, NICE concordant psychosocial interventions with an evidence base of mental health prevention.

Job description

To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings

To be responsible for implementing a range of NICE-based specialised psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups. These interventions can be employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses

To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options on the ARMS pathway taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans

To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan

To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management

To work with carers in support of clients on the ARMS pathway

To develop and maintain an outcome framework in order to monitor and report on clinical and other outcomes to relevant stakeholders

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING

Essential

• Doctoral/Masters level training in clinical/counselling psychology, including specific models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS and current registration with HCPC Or A registered qualification (e.g. in nursing, social work, occupational therapy) and further postgraduate qualification training in evidence based psychological therapies, including CBT, and significant experience working as a psychological therapy practitioner, with BABCP registration and eligibility for BABCP accreditation
• Professional qualification degree level, which should include knowledge and application of research methodology

Desirable

• Additional specialist knowledge or training in psychological therapies including CBT

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings, including at least six months clinical experience working in adult mental health
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life span's presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Knowledge of whole life span development and the impact on emotional, psychological and mental wellbeing
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least one evidence based psychological therapy (i.e. CBT, Interpersonal Therapy, CAT, systemic family psychotherapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy) relevant to the treatment of adults with complex problems and their families
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
• Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration

Desirable

• Experience of service quality monitoring e.g. clinical audit, evaluative research, etc.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or offering supervision
• Experience of service development/project management

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Essential

• Positive problem solving approach
• Ability to critically evaluate and review developments made by others to determine if and how they could be applied within own area of work

About the employer

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.