Job Description

Post:Community Psychologist/Psychotherapist

Salary:£35,000 - £39,000 p.a.

Reports to:Chief Executive

Purpose of role

CHT is developing a particular therapeutic style based on housing, community, and psythotherapy, under the influence of Psychologically Informed Environments and neuropsychodynamic theory. Critical to the development of these new therapeutic environments is the role of Community Psychologist/Psychotherapist (CPP).

The Community Psychologist/Psychotherapist will provide clinical direction to individual services, working closely with the Service Manager to lead, enable and develop a therapeutic environment, facilitating formal reflective practice sessions with the staff team, and providing one-to-one psychodynamic psychotherapy to the community members.

Primary tasks

  1. Provide effective clinical input to individual CHT services
  2. Work alongside and support the Service Manager in enabling a therapeutic environment
  3. Provide psychotherapy within a neuropsychodynamic framework to individual community members
  4. Facilitate formal reflective practice sessions for the staff team at individual CHT services
  5. Lead or co-facilitate training in aspects of psychological theory and practice, including the development and practice of Psychologically Informed Environments
  6. Help keep up-dated and maintain CHT’s clinical policies and procedures
  7. Implement systematic clinical outcome monitoring

1Clinical management

  • Work as part of a mutually supportive Senior Team with the Chief Executive, Head of Services and Head of Relationships.
  • Provide clinical guidance to Service Managers and oversee clinical performance targets.
  • Attend a variety of meetings with Service Managers (leadership), staff (reflective practice) and with clients (e.g. community meetings, client reviews) and support the development and sustainment of a therapeutic environment.
  • Provide an out of hour’s emergency backup service to project managers.
  • Contribute to the recruitment of project staff.
  • Maintain CPD and professional accreditation with BACP, UKCP and/or BPS, and provide details of up-to-date accreditation and insurances to CHT.

2Clinical practice

  • Provide one-to-one psychotherapy within a neuropsychodynamic framework to individual members of CHT communities.
  • Facilitate formal staff reflective practice sessions.
  • Attend regular clinical supervision with the Chief Executive.
  • Practice within the ethical guidelines of your professional accrediting body.
  • Attend internal training and ensure an up-to-date knowledge and understanding of neuropsychodynamic theory and practice, and of Psychologically Informed Environments
  • A commitment to a non-pathologising, recovery-oriented stance and a psychosocial model of human experience
  • Make presentations at conferences and publish articles in academic journals and promote the work of the charity to commissioners and others by making presentations and networking.

3Monitoring and training

  • Implement systematic clinical outcome monitoring through the consistent use of tools such as HONOS.
  • Support Service Managers in the use of other outcome tools such as WellbeingMeasures, the Recovery Star or PODS, as required.
  • Maintain appropriate clinical records
  • Provide internal and external training in aspects of CHT’s model of housing, community and therapy, and notably in neuropsychodynamic theory and practice, community practice, reflective practice, and psychologically informed environments
  • Provide training to staff through the facilitation of formal reflective practice sessions, and periodic masterclasses
  • Present papers at conferences to a professional standard and to publish articles in order raise CHT’s profile within the field.

General

  • Comply with CHT’s Equal Opportunities Policy, Safeguarding Policy and other policies and procedures
  • Act in the best interests of CHT and its clients, and to promote CHT’s values and value in all conversations and situations
  • To take part in various duties appropriate to being a member of the CHT Senior Team, and the leadership of a small service delivery charity
  • Undertake training and professional development appropriate to the role, and in agreement with the Chief Executive
  • To take part in regular meetings, supervisions and appraisals

Person Specification

Qualification in psychotherapy: either UKCP registration, BACP accreditation, or BPS chartered status as a Counselling Psychologist.

Experience of working psychodynamically in groups and individually.

Experience of working with people experiencing mental health problems and mental distress, including psychosis, emotional instability and volatility, addictions and anxiety, depression, self-harm, attachment disorders, suicidality and complex presentations.

Significant period (>3 years) of personal therapy.

Understanding of the principles of reflective practice.

Understanding of the principles of Psychologically Informed Environments.

Understanding of psychosocial models of madness and a commitment to enabling recovery through psychosocial approaches.

Commitment to supervision and CPD.

Ability to present complex personal and psychological information in a clear and intelligible manner.

Ability to write reports, lead presentations and workshops, and provide training at a variety of levels.