Clinical or Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist

Clinical To provide specialist psychological assessments based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological 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 service users and carers. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological intervention and / or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon appropriate conceptual framework of the service users problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. Clinical work requiring intense concentration over prolonged periods and also frequently involving working with highly distressed service users. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across the teams, developing and refining
psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models. Judgement regarding choice of therapy intervention is based on appraisal of evidence based therapeutic options. To evaluate and make decisions about intervention options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and 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 service users whose problems are managed by psychologically-based standard care plans. To provide specialist psychological support, consultation and guidance to other professionals contributing directly to the service users assessment, formulation and intervention plan. To ensure that all members of the team have access to a psychologically-based framework for understanding and caring for the service user, through the provision of advice, consultation and the dissemination of psychological
research and theory. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual service users and to provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management. To communicate and receive highly complex and contentious information in a skilled and sensitive manner, in the course of psychological assessment and therapy. To provide training and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the teams. To deliver a care package appropriate for the service users needs, co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging service user reviews as required and communicating effectively and monitoring progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions. Teaching, Training and Supervision To support clinical placements for trainee clinical and/or counselling psychologists and other therapists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary experience to contribute
effectively to good mental health care and to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies. To provide advice, consultation, training and clinical supervision to other members of MDTs for their provision of psychologically-based interventions to help improve service users functioning. To provide pre and post qualification teaching of clinical psychology as appropriate. To maintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre and post graduate training and clinical supervision. Management and Recruitment To contribute to the appropriate use of the psychological resources available to a team, whether in the form unqualified graduate psychology staff, or in the form of psychological materials employed in the assessment and treatment of patients. To contribute to the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service / team. To participate as appropriate in staff recruitment, both in the short-listing process and as a member of
interview panels for assistant and trainee clinical psychologists. Policy and Service Development To participate in the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible service including advising both service and professional managers on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing. Research and Service Evaluation To participate in the evaluation, monitoring and development of the teams operational policies, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high quality care.