Mental Health Practitioner, Health Advisor | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Reading

Based in Reading at Prospect Park Hospital, you will work as part of the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team supporting patients in the community to avoid hospital admission. The post holder will provide brief clinical risk and mental state assessment, formulation and brief psychosocial interventions for people presenting in mental health crisis. Working via telephone, validating, de-escalating crisis and coaching people in distress tolerance and emotional regulation strategies.

Using a range of brief psychosocial interventions, empower patients, carers and families to manage distress and crisis effectively. With experience working within mental health, you will enjoy working as part of a large team and thrive in a busy fast-paced environment. The post involves working with clients of the Mental Health Crisis Service over the phone. The working environment includes exposure to high levels of distress in others. There is a requirement for substantial periods of concentration and sitting.

Responsibilities include:

• Work with supervision to deliver brief psychosocial interventions via telephone.
• Undertake clinical risk assessments, based on latest empirical evidence and compliant with local policies and procedures.
• Supervise and support Apprentice and Trainee staff.
• Ensure that individual episodes of care are delivered in a timely, effective and integrated manner.
• Promote a recovery model that empowers patients, carers and relatives to be at the forefront of decision making and ownership of their packages of care and treatment.
• Act as the patients and relatives advocate.
• Be responsible for the accurate maintenance of clinical record keeping and the required communication of individual patient care packages for the post holder’s area of responsibility/specialism.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

For secondment roles only - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.

The must-haves for you to be considered for this role:

• Previous knowledge and experience of working in a care environment and with service users who have complex mental health needs
• Good interpersonal, communication, observation, and reporting skills
• Able to empathise, be supportive and sensitive to the needs of others as well as being able to cope with distressing circumstances
• Able to work flexibly on a shift pattern as required and the ability to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements of the position

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.