Job summaryLewisham Personality Disorder Service (LPDS) is looking to recruit a Band 7 or Band 6 MBT practitioner for a one-year fixed term post. This may be a secondment from elsewhere in the NHS. The aim of the post is to deliver individual MBT in order to reduce a long waiting list of assessed patient. It is an opportunity to join a well-established and effective MBT team of MBT therapists, contributing towards a treatment programme consisting of individual and group MBT.
Specialist supervision is provided, and the role would suit someone with an interest in this patient group who likes working as part of a team and is wants to practice MBT. Support for MBT in the wider organisation is excellent with Trust wide special interest groups and strong links to the Anna Freud Centre.
In terms of career progression, it will enhance your intervention skills working therapeutically with personality disorder or other mental health difficulties in collaboration with other team members. You will either by MBT trained, or training will be provided during supervision to enable you to pursue MBT after this initial experience.
The post is suitable for a qualified clinical or counselling psychologist, or a mental health worker (eg CPN, OT, practitioner psychologist, social worker) with good NHS mental health experience.
If you are Band 6, you would be employed at Band 6.
If you are already accredited as an MBT therapist or psychological therapist, you could start at Band 7.
Main duties of the jobYour job would be delivering individual mentalisation based therapy as part of our MBT team. We would support you in learning MBT. You would be involved in supervision groups with other members of the existing five-strong MBT team.
About usThe service is for people with a disorder. There are 11 wte clinicians: psychologists, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, occupational therapist (SUN lead), and employment worker. We aim to help our patients to develop to improve mental well-being, social and occupational functioning, increase their stability and qualify of life, reduce the use of emergency services and hospital admissions.
The service provides Mentalisation Based Treatment (MBT) and Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), and supports the CMHTs in their work.
Contact Christopher Reeve Mates (MBT lead; Christopher.Reeve-Mates@slam.nhs.uk) or Linda Amoakohene (Linda.Amoakohere@slam.nhs.uk) for an informal discussion.
About our location:
The team will be based in the Wallace Medical Centre in Deptford, SE8.
Lewisham is one of four main boroughs in SLaM. It a multicultural, multi-ethic borough, containing deprived and well-off areas.
Job responsibilities- To deliver Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) in individual and group therapy with accredited MBT training and weekly supervision provided.
- Ensure that potential risk is being assessed within a culture of positive risk taking and report concerns in line with Risk Management Policy.
- Keep up-to-date documentation and administration.
- Comply with policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Undertake other relevant duties as requested.
QualificationsEssential- Hold a valid Professional Registration either as a Registered Mental Nurse, Mental Health Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or Practitioner Psychologist. Registered with NMC, HCPC or Social Work England.
- Willingness to develop mental health practice skills including undertaking MBT training.
Desirable- Basic Level Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) accredited by the Anna Freud Centre.
- Working towards completion of MBT Practitioner status accredited by the Anna Freud Centre and the BPS.
- Working towards completion of specialist post graduate training.
ExperienceEssential- Substantial mental health service work with people with a range of mental health problems.
- Experience of facilitating groups in a mental health setting.
- Experience of undertaking risk assessments and communicating to others, ensuring outcomes. (A&I)
Desirable- Experience of supervision and or mentoring students or junior colleagues.
KnowledgeEssential- Comprehensive knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses/conditions and their recommended treatments.
- Demonstrable commitment to working with people with personality disorders.
- An ability to tolerate difficult and at times unpredictable working conditions which can include risky behaviour, acts of self-harm and high levels of distress by service users
- A commitment to working compassionately and reflectively with a team which includes holding high levels of emotion and includes peer support.
Desirable- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the resilience needed to work safely with this patient group
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.Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). 
