Mental Health Link Worker

at  Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

This role will involve a number of elements which will support the management of people with mental health conditions in primary care, who may be new or known previously to secondary care mental health services.
The post holder will provide assessments, formulation and delivery of psychological intervention in primary care, secondary to this, supporting access to Community Mental Health Teams or other services such as Third Sector and IAPT where needs can be better met by these services. The post holder would be expected to work closely with experts by experience, local communities and will also be involved in raising the awareness of mental health difficulties in the general population.
The post holder will contribute to the provision of psychological interventions in the PCN, which will be under the direction of a qualified clinical psychologist who will retain clinical responsibility for clinical work carried out.
You will be part of the Primary Care MDT team assisting case reviews, triage of those presenting with mental health needs, support GPs with referring clients to MH Services as appropriate and ensure the delivery of physical health checks. For those with SMI and where applicable to the skilled professional, the post holder will support antipsychotic medication management. You’ll be embedded within a PCN working with several GP surgeries and within the local Community Hub to enable safe transfers of care:
Facilitate people with long term mental health conditions to access mental health services and transfers of care back to their GP from Community Hub teams.
Screen, Triage and deliver short term interventions based on clients’ needs and enable access to therapeutic activities working closely with voluntary, Community and third sector organisations.
Provide an enhanced level of support to PC clinicians through advice and training to improve skills and capacity in responding to the needs of people with MH conditions discharged back to them
Work within an agreed process for safe transfer of care from Community Mental Health Hubs to GPs as well as and rapid re-referral, when appropriate
Ensure that patients transfer to their GP under this process have good clinical outcomes
Ensure that patients transfers to their GPs under this process have access to appropriate advice, advocacy, vocational support to access social networks
Ensure that the Public Sector Equalities Duty is met
Maintain and provide service activity data/statistical information as required inc CIS Audit of Mental Health Patients
Demonstrate respect, empathy and understanding of all patients and colleagues within the service, in accordance with the Trust policy for promotion of equal opportunities and cultural awareness.
Adhere to all Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust policies e.g. Human Resources policy, Health and Safety Policy, all Clinical Policies and Procedures
There is an expectation to work flexibly across a range of bases throughout the working week, including Trust buildings and GP surgerie
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
MH Link Worker will
work with patients to support shared decision-making about self-management; facilitate onward access to treatment services; and provide brief psychological interventions, where qualified to do so and where appropriate.
Supervise and oversee the triage function within the mental health teams, being a point of reference for difficult decisions the triage team need to make on a daily basis, and supervising members of the triage team (where dedicated triage teams are the model) and ensuring the integration of the triage process as a part of the team’s function.
work closely with other PCN-based roles to help address the potential range of biopsychosocial needs of patients with mental health problems. E.g. PCN clinical pharmacists for medication reviews, and social prescribing link workers for access to community-based support.
operate without the need for formal referral from GPs, including accepting some direct bookings where appropriate, subject to agreement on volumes and the mechanism of booking between the PCN and the provider.
be supported through the local Community Hub teams by robust clinical governance structures to maintain quality and safety, including supervision where appropriate

Please refer the Job description for details