Band 6 Specialist Mental Health Practitioner

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust; Bristol; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust is seeking a Specialist Mental Health Practitioner for Primary Care in Bristol to help lead innovative teams and integrated mental health services within Primary Care.

The role focuses on early assessment, treatment and improved access to evidence-based interventions for adults contacting primary care, aiming to define achievable goals and connect them with local resources and support services.

Responsibilities

• Help adults over 18 using primary care to define achievable goals and access local community resources.
• Assessment of mental health and care needs for service users presenting in primary care.
• Support those not meeting IAPT criteria or secondary care access criteria.
• Support people with serious mental illness not under secondary care.
• Assist individuals with traits of personality disorder to access appropriate services.
• Assist older adults with complex presenting issues and first contact in primary care.
• Facilitate mental health and strengths-based discussions within the Primary Care Team.
• Promote understanding and confidence in delivering mental health care across all involved agencies.

Job description

Job overview

This new role of Specialist Mental Health Practitioner for Primary Care is fundamental to the development and leadership of innovative new teams and integrated mental health services based within Primary Care.

The role promotes and provides early assessment, treatment and improved access to evidence-based interventions supporting people contacting primary care for help with their mental health needs.

Main duties of the job

The Specialist Mental Health Practitioner role will help people over 18 years old, who are accessing support through primary care, to define achievable goals and access local community resources and receive an assessment of their mental health and care needs.

Areas of focus will include:

• Those with mental health needs that do not meet the access criteria for IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies provided through Vita Health) and do not meet the access criteria for secondary care.
• People with serious or significant mental illness (SMI) who are not under secondary care mental health services and require this.
• Those diagnosed with, or presenting with traits of, personality disorder who will benefit from being signposted to services who can best meet their needs
• Older adults with complex presenting issues.
• First contact with primary care.
• Facilitate mental health and ‘strengths-based’ support conversations in Primary Care and support the Primary Care Team in accessing appropriate level of services
• Promote understanding and confidence in the delivery of mental health care and collaboration with all agencies involved in the care of service users.