Pathfinder - Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner

We have an exciting new opportunity for a B6 clinicians to join the Pathfinder clinical service team as part of wellbeing service developments in West Sussex. The posts are based in Chichester within our experienced and evolving team. The role involves providing short term clinical interventions for individuals accessing mental health support within the new wellbeing services being developed alongside GP surgeries as part of the Community Transformation plan in West Sussex within a countywide model. The clinician in this role will work closely alongside voluntary sector mental health services based in GP surgeries providing clinical consultation, advice and intervention as needed. The focus of interventions will be on offering timely proactive, preventative clinical support and facilitating transitions between NHS and voluntary sector mental health services.

Our team has received national recognition for innovation and improving access to mental health support in the community. The team is cited in the new NHS 'Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults' (2019) document as an example of a team demonstrating 'Innovative ways of working' (pg 19). We were also featured in the Royal College of Occupational Therapy strategy document, 'Getting my Life back: OT promoting mental health and well-being in England' (2018 pg 14-15).

The post holder will work as part of an expanding team of clinically trained staff working within Pathfinder West Sussex closely with voluntary sector providers to offer clinical intervention and support to people with mental health difficulties. The role will build on clear pathways between voluntary sector and NHS mental health services working with GP surgeries alongside Pathfinder West Sussex, officially launched in May 2018.

Experience of community and partnership working is required along with the ability to work as part of a wider whole system, enabling and finding solutions together and being able to work flexibly, adaptably and creatively in a developing service within a specific locality.

The team covers West Sussex and these posts will be covering the Chichester area with an expectation to provide geographical cross cover if required.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

As we work towards our goal of providing an integrated service across primary and secondary care, our community mental health services are being transformed to recognise the changes in how people want to access them. We are working in close partnership with a range of partners and our 'experts by experience' to develop and improve our service offer.

As part of this exciting transformation, we are expanding our community rehabilitation, personality disorder and eating disorder services, as well as providing investment to our community mental health teams and increasing mental health provision in primary care.

What does this mean for you?

Because we need to recruit a diverse range of people and skillsets to join us, the job (and training & development) opportunities we have on offer are as broad as they are interesting.

We encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/ life balance brings about huge health-related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, home-working, part time hours, flexible start/ finish times or anything else. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

We are looking for a self-motivated, energetic and creative clinicians with relevant mental health experience and professional qualification. This is an opportunity to join the team in Chichester and contribute to the further development of our service in the locality working with Pathfinder West Sussex to offer a more integrated mental health support service within and outside of the NHS.