Psychologist/Psychological Therapist DBT/Trainee DBT Therapist

Psychologist/Psychological Therapist DBT/Trainee DBT Therapist

Band 7 Psychologist or Dialectical Behaviour Therapist/Band 6 Trainee DBT Therapist

Bedfordshire and Luton Complex Needs Service is excited to advertise a Band 7 Psychologist/DBT Therapist/Trainee DBT Therapist post. The successful applicant will join our supportive team in working towards improving access to evidence-based treatment for people with complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of 'personality disorder'.

Candidates for the Band 7 post must have completed accredited training in either Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). However, the service would consider appointing senior mental health professionals (e.g. Community Social Workers, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Art Therapists) with highly developed clinical skills and interest in working with people with complex emotional needs, to a Band 6 Trainee DBT Therapist role. To be considered for this trainee role, applicants must be willing to undertake concurrent training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and maintain satisfactory progress in this training to continue working in this role. On successful completion of the accredited training and supervised practice within a two-year period, the banding of this post will change to Band 7 Psychological Therapist.

Main Duties of the Job

The successful candidate will be committed to working collaboratively with service users, carers, and colleagues to create a psychologically safe environment that enables the delivery of effective treatment. The post holder will actively participate in weekly team consultation meetings and offer specialist advice, supervision, training, and consultation to other professionals and teams to support effective and efficient psychologically-informed care and treatment across Bedfordshire and Luton. We particularly welcome interest from candidates committed to co-producing the development of the care pathway through participation in clinical research, audit, and/or quality improvement projects.

About Us

This post will be based within ELFT's Bedfordshire and Luton Complex Needs Service. The multi-disciplinary team includes: a Medical Psychotherapist; Clinical Psychologists; Psychological Therapists; a Lived Experience KUF Development Lead; a Clinical Associate in Psychology; a Peer Support Worker; and an Assistant Psychologist. The team operates as a hub, reaching out to community mental health services in Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, and Luton to provide specialist advice, training, consultation, and supervision to other professionals and colleagues. The team also offers assessments and evidence-based interventions to a caseload of service users who have complex emotional needs and engage in self-harming and suicidal behavior.

Job Responsibilities

Please see attached job descriptions for details of main responsibilities of both the Band 7 Psychological Therapist and Band 6 Trainee Psychological Therapist roles.

Person Specification

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) or BPS statement of Equivalence and eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist) status OR Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist) status OR Core Mental Health Profession (e.g. Social Work; Occupational Therapy; Community Psychiatric Nursing; Art Therapy) and accredited training as either a DBT or CBT Therapist (accredited by the SfDBT and BABCP, respectively).
• Current HCPC/NMC/SWE registration.
• Further training in evidence-based interventions for people with a diagnosis of 'personality disorder' (e.g. Structured Clinical Management; DBT Skills training).

Experience

• Substantial clinical experience working with people with a diagnosis of 'personality disorder' as a member of a multi-disciplinary community mental health team.
• Experience of conducting psychologically informed/generic assessments, group interventions, risk assessments, mental state assessments, safety planning, and crisis interventions.
• Knowledge and experience of working with people with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance misuse, and psychosis.
• Experience of offering psychological interventions to people with complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of 'personality disorder' (DBT/CBT).
• Experience of supervising staff and/or students.
• Experience of teaching/training others.
• Active participation in co-produced service planning and delivery.
• Post-qualification experience of autonomously managing a caseload in a community mental health setting.
• Experience, skills, and ability to liaise effectively with other agencies and professionals.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of NICE guidelines for management and treatment of 'personality disorder'; awareness of relevant research and its implications for clinical practice.
• Knowledge and skills in an evidence-based therapy for people with 'personality disorder' (DBT, CBT).
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management in relation to the welfare of adults with mental health difficulties and a diagnosis of 'personality disorder' and their friends/families (including children).
• Ability to apply an understanding of diversity, difference, and rights to interactions with people with complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of 'personality disorder.'
• Ability to analyse and manage complex multifactorial clinical information from a range of sources, integrating it into a formulation utilising a biopsychosocial model.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of risk management practice with service users who have a diagnosis of 'personality disorder'.

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.

Contract

Permanent

Working Pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference Number

363-BED6899007

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