First Contact Mental Health Practitioner

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; Pickering; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A health organization focused on mental health is seeking a full-time First Contact Mental Health Practitioner in Ontario, Canada. This innovative role involves supporting GP practices, offering assessments, and facilitating access to mental health services. The ideal candidate will hold a relevant professional registration and have experience working within community settings, providing clinical supervision and support. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential, along with a commitment to quality improvement and flexibility in working with vulnerable populations.

Qualifications

• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community setting.
• Experience working in primary care and multi-agency settings.
• Ability to travel independently and have access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical advice and specialist support within GP practices.
• Undertake initial assessments and manage clinics.
• Develop partnerships with stakeholders in the community.

Skills

Communicating complex information

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Clinical supervision

Flexibility and initiative

Psycho-social interventions

Education

Current professional registration

Post-graduate qualification in relevant area

Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Job description

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

First Contact Mental Health Practitioner

Closing date is 30 November 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full‑time First Contact Mental Health Practitioner working within primary care in the South Hambleton and Ryedale Primary Care Network (SHaR PCN).

After the successful introduction of our initial first contact mental health practitioners, we aspire to expand the service with a further innovative offer.

This role is fundamental to the development of inclusive and integrated mental health services.

NMC Mental Health Nurses, Social Workers (England), HCPC Occupational Therapists encouraged to apply.

GP practices are working together alongside community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in local areas to form Primary Care Networks. This collaboration signals a significant change in the way practices interact, not only with each other, but the wider health and social care system, to meet the needs of that population. The focus is on prevention and personalisation of care, whilst working together to make the best use of shared resources.

Main duties of the job

This is a new, exciting and innovative post to support the needs of the local population living with mental health difficulties. The post holder will fulfil a "first contact" specialist mental health role within GP practices across the Primary Care Network (PCN), seeing patients who would otherwise have traditionally seen a GP. Within the primary care setting, the role holder will work in a collaborative and multi‑agency way. This will contribute to the safe and effective day‑to‑day operation of the PCN and the efficient and timely management of clinical enquiries and decision‑making.

The post will sit within the GP practices and will facilitate the interface between Primary Care and Secondary Mental Health Services to provide specialist advice and support, assessment, treatment, education and solution‑focused approaches to the local Primary Care Teams, for patients and carers.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care – our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

Job responsibilities

The role will offer expertise in networking and navigation to promote ease of access to a range of specialist mental health support services. This ensures that each person, once assessed, receives the best possible care in the right place at the right time and by the right supporting service.

The post holder will be an effective member of the multi‑disciplinary team. They will be professionally accountable and responsible for patient care, undertaking initial assessment with signposting to appropriate services, or providing time‑limited psycho‑social therapeutic interventions directly, in e.g. GP surgeries, patients' homes and other primary care settings. This will include providing clinical advice to GPs such as specialist opinion.

The post holder will manage their daily clinics and act as a specialist advisor to GPs, fulfilling a pathway management function and providing short‑term interventions and support, in collaboration with GPs and other practice‑based mental health workers.

You will support the establishment of partnerships and networks with key stakeholders across the PCN and the wider mental health care system. You will offer advice to, or obtain advice for, the Primary Care Team on appropriate interventions and on‑going patient care management.

You will develop links and foster a culture of partnership between Primary Care Teams and Mental Health Services, promoting clear communication and access to specialist knowledge and advice. This will include the facilitation of joint working with PCN, secondary care providers, and voluntary care sector to increase the range of services/interventions available to the communities served.

You will provide clinical advice, consultation, and support to other care providers within primary, secondary, voluntary and statutory services as required.

You will collate and organise contemporaneous information about opportunities and resources in the local area which may be of benefit to patients referred to the service (e.g. voluntary and community organisations, educational and recreational opportunities).

The role includes facilitating sign‑posting to other appropriate services and undertaking very short‑term interventions for patients with mild to moderate mental health difficulties (average length of time expected to be 6 weeks). Working alongside the PCN staff which could include a care coordination team and a social prescribing link worker.

You will work closely with the Primary Care Network, GPs and Social Prescribers/other practice‑based mental health workers within the locality regarding the mental health needs of their adult practice population.

In line with the principles for community transformation, you will ensure systems/pathways are in place to enable smooth transition between primary care and secondary mental health services.

Due to the nature of the role it is essential that applicants are able to travel independently across the locality and have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes. If necessary, adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Current professional registration with appropriate body in healthcare or social work.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• Certificate in mentorship, teaching & assessing in clinical practice as appropriate to own profession.
• If appropriate to professional registration, recognised sign‑off mentor (or equivalent) for students or must be achieved within agreed timescale.
• Clinical Supervisor.
• Key skills in literacy, numeracy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent).
• If appropriate to professional registration, NMP (or willing to obtain).
• Post‑graduate qualification in a relevant area.

Experience

• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community setting.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers.
• Providing clinical supervision.
• Mentoring students on practice placement experience.
• Working in a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Experience and involvement with quality improvement activities.
• Experience working in primary care.
• Experience working in a multi‑agency setting.
• Leadership or management experience.

Knowledge

• Demonstrable knowledge to post‑graduate level of evidence‑based practice in caring for patients in the designated field.
• Knowledge of Stepped Care model.
• Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).
• Care Programme Approach and its application in practice.
• Detailed understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice.
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.
• Clinical Governance and its application in practice.
• Research and development methodology.
• Understanding of psychological models of care and treatment.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of delivering psycho‑social interventions and approaches.
• Contemporaneous knowledge of recent health and social care policy and guidance on implications for practice.

Skills

• Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers/families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead professional responsibilities.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services.
• Provide effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
• Write reports.
• Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional settings.
• Use approved breakaway techniques (within agreed timescale).

Personal Attributes

• Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours.
• Compassionate in meeting the needs of vulnerable people and their families and carers.
• Able to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances.
• Able to work flexibly and cooperatively as part of a team.
• Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently.
• Committed to continual quality and service improvement.
• Self‑aware and committed to professional and personal development.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of the service.

Other Requirements

• Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need.
• This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Baring Service check.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust