Mental Health

Healthy Minds Job Description and Person Specification What is Healthy Minds? Healthy Minds is an extended hours mental health service provided directly to patients through their GP practices. It is a remote service providing patients with therapeutic guidance and signposting for low level mental health concerns. Healthy Minds is not: a therapy service, a risk management service.

Healthy Minds is: a service which can provide psychological education and helpful information. a service which can assist with coping mechanisms. a service which can advocate healthy lifestyles for mental health and wellbeing. a service that engages patients with other appropriate agencies.

Healthy Minds is targeted at patients who suffer from low level mental health difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, stress, worry and panic. It is a short term intervention service (i.e. not intended to provide a regular set of sessions). The Role of Healthy Minds Wellbeing Practitioners Healthy Minds Wellbeing Practitioners engage in one to one telephone consultations with patients.

During these consultations practitioners; assess the patients mental health need, engage in empathic therapeutic discussion, sign-post the patient to the most appropriate services, engage in psychological education with the patient, provide information regarding healthy life styles to promote better mental health, demonstrate compassion and understanding to the patient, assess any presenting risk and/or Safeguarding Issues and provide a risk management plan if required (See Risk to Self guidance document), communicate risks, difficulties and other information to the GP practices. Patients are booked into the Wellbeing Practitioners clinical rota by the patients GP practice however the Wellbeing Practitioner is responsible for the ongoing management of contact with patients; assessing the need for follow up appointments, communication with GP practices and patient discharge. Wellbeing Practitioner Person Specification It is essential that all Wellbeing Practitioners have the required level of experience and expertise. Essential Wellbeing Practitioners must: have a mental health or therapeutic support based qualification, have experience working on a one to one basis with patients, clients or service users, have professional experience working with mental health or emotional wellbeing needs, have an excellent knowledge and understanding of mental health needs, be able to demonstrate excellent skills in assessing and working appropriately with mental health and emotional wellbeing needs, demonstrate empathy, compassion and patience towards all patients, be able to demonstrate the ability to work effectively with patients in short-term intervention, have an excellent understanding of appropriate therapeutic support for patients with mental health needs, have a good understanding of appropriate referral routes for patients with mental health needs, be able to work effectively with patients over the phone, have a quiet and appropriately confidential space to work from home, be able to demonstrate the ability to keep accurate records in an efficient and professional manner and to do so within time limited constraints, be able to demonstrate a high level of understanding regarding patient risk (to self and/or others), demonstrate the ability to assess patient risk and follow risk management guidance effectively, be able to work independently and in isolation, without on-call support, be able to provide Healthy Minds clinics in the evening and/or weekends, be able to use System One and Emis computer systems (with training), be able to attend initial training sessions, shadowing and observations, be able to attend clinical supervision, either have a current DBS check or be in a position to obtain a DBS check, be able to work within a flexible service.

Working hours may vary in line with demand (during quiet periods clinics may be cancelled and therefore will not funded), be able to work on a self-employed basis. Desirable It would be desirable for Healthy Minds Practitioners to: be able to issue Med3 sick notes have experience in risk management, have experience and understanding of the roles and functioning of GP practices within the NHS, be able to attend ongoing training events as required, to be able to attend service meetings regularly (every six weeks or other mutually agreed regular arrangement), have an understanding of NHS services for mental health, have knowledge of local support services, such as the third sector. Important note to all Healthy Minds Practitioners Wellbeing Practitioners are provided with limited on-call support. Since Healthy Minds clinics take place outside of core hours, the practitioners are expected to be able to manage their patient contact in isolation and be able to make clinical judgements regarding any immediate action which may be required.

Although Healthy Minds is not a crisis management service, it is not unknown for some patients to disclose risk during consultations which has previously been undisclosed or to be referred to Healthy Minds in error. Although there is guidance in place to assist the practitioner, it is the practitioner themselves who makes decisions about risk management. Since Healthy Minds clinics take place outside of core hours, the Healthy Minds Practitioner must feel confident in their ability to recognise, assess and take responsibility for managing risk appropriately until such time as they are able to consult with available colleagues. Support and Management Wellbeing Practitioners work in isolation during clinics, however support and guidance is available during core hours, there is limited out of core hours support.

Team Lead: Available within their normal working hours, which include some core hours. Clinical Lead: A GP with clinical responsibility for the Healthy Minds service. Only available when working, during core hours. Service Manager: Available when working, during core hours.

Individual GP practices are also able to engage in support for the patient and can offer guidance to a practitioner regarding specific patients. Only available during the practices usual core hours.