Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist

Clinical: To provide specialist psychological assessments and interventions of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care. This is likely to be provided within, however not necessarily restricted to, the framework of Positive Behaviour Support. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological assessment and intervention/treatment and/or management of a clients challenging behaviours, mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams. To evaluate and make decisions about intervention/treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of users whose problems are managed by psychologically based assessments/ interventions. To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and intervention/ treatment plan. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding, assessments and interventions to the benefit of all users of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual users and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management. To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans and existing behaviour plans, including clients, their family carers, service providers, referring agents and others involved the network of care. To communicate highly complex and potentially highly contentious information in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, in situations with users who may be expressing extreme hostility or highly emotional reactions, requiring the highest level of communication skills. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care. Teaching, training, and supervision 1. To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior Clinical Psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues. To gain additional Highly Specialist experience and skills relevant to clinical psychology and/or the service (as agreed with the professional psychology manager). To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staffs psychological work, PBS in particular, as appropriate. To provide clinical placements for trainee Clinical Psychologists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies. To provide clinical and research supervision of assistant and trainee Clinical Psychologists. To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical and/or counselling psychology, as appropriate. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate. To carry out duties in relation to local, regional and national initiatives with particular focus on developing services to embed Positive Behaviour Support. Management, recruitment, policy and service development To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the services operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit. To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing. To manage the workloads of assistant and trainee psychologists, within the framework of the team/services policies and procedures. To be involved, as appropriate, in the short listing and interviewing of assistant/graduate psychologists. IT responsibilities (other than those used for research) 1. To use computers to write reports and record data, including the use of statistical packages as part of psychological testing, research and assessment when needed. To be able to use research databases and advanced tools for analysis at both quantitative and qualitative levels Research and service evaluation 1. To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members. 2. To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research. 3. To undertake project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision. General 1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programs, in consultation with the post holders professional and service manager(s). 2. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical and counseling psychology and related disciplines. 3. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health. To be noted: This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager. This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.