Senior First Contact Mental Health Practitioner

NHS; Dudley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in the Black Country is looking for a Senior First Contact Mental Health Practitioner. This role involves delivering high-quality mental health services within primary care settings, including risk assessments and triage. The ideal candidate is a registered Mental Health Nurse with a passion for providing innovative services and supporting the community. Opportunities for training and development are available.

Benefits

Training opportunities

Excellent staff support facilities

Good performance outcomes

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with experience in clinical services.
• Willingness to undertake training if not a Non-Medical Prescriber.
• Experience in issuing fit notes.

Responsibilities

• Undertake clinical duties within a GP practice as an autonomous Mental Health practitioner.
• Provide comprehensive triage including risk assessment.
• Make referrals to primary and secondary mental health services.

Skills

Leadership qualifications

Experience in managing an SMI register

Experience of working in Primary and Secondary Care

Non-Medical Prescriber willing to train

Education

Degree or equivalent in psychological therapies

Job description

Go back Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Senior First Contact Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 15 September 2025

Are you Independent and supplementary Prescriber or willing to train?

Are you a registered Mental Health Nurse?

Do you have a passion for improving access to high quality, innovative and compassionate services for people with mental health needs?

As a Senior First Contact Mental Health Practitioner, the post holder will work as part of a dynamic team in delivering an effective service supporting Primary Care Networks (PCN's) to deliver high quality mental health support within primary care. This is a specialist role working at an advanced level and is embedded into GP practices.

As well as triage and assessment the post holder will offer expertise in networking and navigation to promote the ease of access to a range of mental health support services. This role ensures that each person receives the best possible care in the right place at the right time and by the right person.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake clinical duties within a GP practice as an autonomous Mental Health practitioner working independently, offering a comprehensive triage (including risk assessment) without the need to see a GP first. These appointments are typically 30-minutes with patients aged 16 & over and through a range of contact mechanisms such as face to face, telephone calls & home visits (where appropriate).
• You will diagnose (within scope of practice) and develop appropriate management plans based evidence based practice/ NICE guidance
• In addition to risk assessments, you will also provide short term risk management intervention(s) when safe to do so within a primary care setting, working with patients and their significant others to develop risk management plans, which, may include safety planning and self-harm management.
• Identify when risk cannot be managed safely in primary care and make appropriate and timely referrals to specialist mental health services, ensuring the safety of patients is maintained and close liaison with these services.
• You will be required to make referrals to many different services across primary and secondary care mental health services, 3rd sector and health and social care services.

About us

Black Country Healthcare is encouraging positive workplace who welcomes staff, with a desire to perform at a high level.

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, following the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (covering Wolverhampton and Sandwell) and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

Combining resources, strategies and a talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving. We currently employ over 3,000 members of staff and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Why is this the place to work?

• Beautiful, and peaceful hospital grounds, with seating areas
• Good transport links around the midlands
• Working together with the local community to support patients and staff
• Good performance outcomes
• Training opportunities
• Excellent staff support facilities, dedicated Health & wellbeing team, reflective practice, supervision, and debrief sessions
• Opportunities to work with other services within the trust
• New, up and coming digital processes and support

Job responsibilities

• Undertake clinical duties within a GP practice as an autonomous Mental Health practitioner working independently, offering a comprehensive triage (including risk assessment) without the need to see a GP first. These appointments are typically 30-minutes with patients aged 16 & over and through a range of contact mechanisms such as face to face, telephone calls & home visits (where appropriate).
• You will diagnose (within scope of practice) and develop appropriate management plans based evidence based practice/ NICE guidance
• In addition to risk assessments, you will also provide short term risk management intervention(s) when safe to do so within a primary care setting, working with patients and their significant others to develop risk management plans, which, may include safety planning and self-harm management.
• Identify when risk cannot be managed safely in primary care and make appropriate and timely referrals to specialist mental health services, ensuring the safety of patients is maintained and close liaison with these services.
• You will be required to make referrals to many different services across primary and secondary care mental health services, 3rd sector and health and social care services.

Person Specification

Experience

• Leadership qualification or training or experience
• Experience of managing an SMI register
• Degree or equivalent qualification or experience in evidence based psychological therapies relevant to Pathway
• Non-Medical Prescriber or willingness to work towards
• Experience of working in both Primary and Secondary Care
• Supporting staff in the day to day provision of clinical services
• Experience of issuing fit notes

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.

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust