Community Mental Health Practitioner – Brent

Key Responsibilities

• Undertaking initial and comprehensive assessment of health and social care needs, alone or with colleagues, and providing feedback to the Multi-Disciplinary Team.
• Care co-ordination and co-worker responsibility for the overall care of an identified group of service users, contributing to a service committed to recovery and social inclusion.
• Providing supervision to identified staff and students on placement with the team.
• Carrying out Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) activities, including being on duty and clinic rota, as appropriate and within professional scope.
• Developing and maintaining effective communication strategies between Mental Health Services and General Practice Teams to improve care pathways.
• Working within CNWL policies and procedures, professional and legal framework, upholding the organisation’s values and ethos.
• Demonstrating a clear understanding and practicing within the framework of ones Code of Professional Conduct, Adult and Child protection protocols, Mental Health and Capacity Acts.
• Providing regular ongoing contact with GP Practices as part of the link worker role, developing an improved understanding of the CMHT role and function.
• Working collaboratively with other members of the multi-disciplinary team in the delivery of MH care pathway.
• Educating health professionals and other services (e.g., ASC and voluntary sector) regarding threshold criteria for Secondary Mental Health service, providing pre-referral advice and consultation for appropriate triage and referral allocation.
• Ensuring and clarifying, where necessary, patient pathways through mental health services.
• Undertaking initial assessment and reviews, including the formulation of care plans to meet identified patient needs.
• Undertaking Risk Assessments and formulating risk management plans as per Trust policies.
• Regular attendance and participation in clinical meetings to discuss patient/client needs, ensuring a shared approach to care, treatment and risk management where necessary.
• Planning and implementing care that meets patient needs, underpinned by best practice guidance and person-centred principles.
• Reviewing and evaluating care plans and risk management plans on an ongoing basis.
• Providing advice regarding medication management, promoting concordance, monitoring and advising on effects and side effects in accordance with profession.
• Facilitating physical and mental health reviews.
• Providing information, advice, and assessment to carers, as required.
• Working with primary care to ensure timely and appropriate referrals to secondary services, referring complex cases appropriately.
• Working as part of the mental health practitioner team at base, in clinic, and in service users’ homes, as appropriate.
• Developing and maintaining access to community & voluntary agencies/services offering patients alternative support and therapeutic help.
• Ensuring safe discharge process back to primary care when secondary services are no longer required.
• Facilitating and attending joint training events within the organisation/borough, as appropriate and agreed with service management.
• Promoting appropriate service users’ involvement in all aspects of service delivery.
• Participating in clinical and business meetings.
• Creating and maintaining systems for managing data, including audit.
• Supervising junior colleagues and students.

Skills and Expertise

• Assessment and care planning
• Communication skills
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Multi-disciplinary working
• Risk assessment and management
• Supervision
• Mental health knowledge

Job Facilities/Benefits

• Training and professional development opportunities.
• Supportive management team.