Pcn Advanced Mental Health Specialist

This is an exciting opportunity for a new role as part of the ARRS (additional roles reimbursement scheme) initiative, working directly within distinct Primary Care Networks. The post holder will work closely with primary care colleagues within the PCN to help address the range of biopsychosocial needs of patients presenting with mental health problems.

The introduction of this role will contribute to the design and principles of the Community Mental Health Transformation. This is a national improvement program designed to improve the experience and timely access to mental health services for patients in their local communities. The post-holder will play a key leadership role in helping to shape mental health services based on best practice principles.

The PCN Advanced Mental Health Specialist will provide expert mental health support within a PCN, aimed at supporting GP’s and other practice staff, work collaboratively to address the mental health needs of their practice population. The post holder will provide advanced specialist mental health interventions in primary care, preventing deterioration and the need for secondary mental health services.

This role will also involve raising mental health awareness for PCN colleagues. The post holder will hold their own caseload of complex cases and act as lead professional as required, working autonomously and within their own competencies.

Applicants will need to demonstrate compassion in meeting the needs of patients and their carers, recognising the importance of co-production and choice in the planning and delivery of care. They will promote social inclusion, community access and participation through the provision of patient care.

We are a high quality, high performing NHS foundation trust. We are the main provider of specialist mental health and learning disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York as well as some highly specialised services across the country.
We employ around 3,000 staff and every year we have contact with over 25,000 service users. Our vision is to provide outstanding mental health and learning disability services as an employer of choice. Our ambition is to support our service users and carers, our staff and the communities we serve to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We need people like you to help us achieve our goals; to live our lives free from stigma and discrimination; and to improve the lives of people with a learning disability and mental ill health.
We perform well against local and national targets and in our most recent CQC inspection, 85% of our services were rated good or outstanding.
As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.

This role will support the LSMP & TL PCN, which comprises two practices in the city centre. The two practices serve a population with unusual demographics; with LSMP seeing predominantly students aged 18-24 years and The Light surgery tending to see people aged 18-40 years. Both practices cover areas with high levels of social deprivation which can lead to people experiencing health inequalities. The post-holder will need to possess skills and expertise around emotional dysregulation, self-harm, eating disorders and other complex mental health presentations.

The role will involve being professionally accountable and responsible for patient care, undertaking triage, initial assessment, and signposting to appropriate services, or providing brief psycho-social interventions directly. The post holder will see patients in GP surgeries, patient’s homes, and other primary care settings. They will provide expert and timely clinical advice to GPs, such as specialist opinion or medication advice, ensuring patients with complex mental health needs access the correct intervention and service.