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Salary Maternal Mental Health Services (MMHS) integrate maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy, offering mental health assessment and intervention for women and birthing people experiencing mental health difficulties arising from, or related to, the maternity experience. This includes those with experience of PTSD and other moderate to severe mental health problems in the context of perinatal loss.
The service also plays a role in supporting care pathways for those who experience PTSD after birth or severe fear of childbirth (tokophobia). The service is committed to promoting trauma informed care in maternity services and addressing health inequalities.
The Helix MMHS Service went live in 2023 and serves Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark with a view to open to Lewisham in the near future. There has been extensive community engagement and co-production, mapping current provision and gaps for mental health in maternity across the footprint, establishing baseline data, and planning a service model to fit needs of local communities.
This new service complements ongoing expansion of perinatal community mental health services, including increasing access to a wider range of psychological therapies for women and families in the perinatal period.
We are pleased to be seeking to recruit a Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/Psychological Therapist to join the leadership of the Helix Maternal Mental Health Service for SLaM .
The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a team of staff across maternity and mental health, implementing and evaluating the service.
You will work alongside the Principal Clinical Psychologist for MMHS in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.
Applicants require specialist knowledge of perinatal psychology and particularly the application of this in a maternity setting. The successful applicant will be part of a friendly and supportive psychological therapies service that offers excellent opportunities for research and continuing professional development.
The post holder will contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment. Regular professional and clinical supervision will be provided by the Consultant Clinical Psychologist for Community Perinatal Mental Health Services.
Helix MMHS comprises a small multi-disciplinary team including psychology, midwifery, peer support worker and assistant psychologist. The service works very closely with maternity/obstetric services as well as other agencies (e.g. third sector).
This service builds upon provision from existing Perinatal Mental Health Teams (PMHTs): these are secondary care mental health teams that specialise in supporting women in the perinatal period (pregnancy through until 12 months postnatal) who have severe and complex mental health difficulties.
These assess and treat a range of difficulties including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosis, personality disorders and eating disorders. Services are designed to provide timely input to women and their families to mitigate the impact of mental health disorder on the child.
Maudsley Hospital
Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin park and the vibrant high-street that offers great shopping opportunities and with a wide range restaurants.
Bethlem Royal Hospital
Bethlem Royal Hospital is based in a beautiful setting in over 200 acres of green space in the London Borough of Bromley, South East London. The hospital has easy access to nearby main roads, offers free parking and is within walking distance from of Eden Park and West Wickham overland stations.
Please see the full job description for further information.
This post is open to Clinical Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists who have the relevant professional registration and qualification/accreditation in one or more of the following: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT). Experience of working in a specialist perinatal mental health or maternity setting is desirable.
