Associate Mental Health Practitioner

To provide low intensity mental health interventions and support for men under Mental Health Services within HMP Woodhill. These interventions will primarily be delivered in group format, but there is scope for 1:1 assessment and intervention. To provide support to your Mental Health team colleagues in the delivery of clinical care. Main duties of the job

• To support Mental Health colleagues in designing and preparing low intensity mental health interventions, both group and individual. To co-facilitate time-limited low intensity mental health groups and, when appropriate, time-limited individual interventions.
• To help deliver initiatives promoting mental wellbeing across primary care and the prison.
• To work in a highly emotive atmosphere with clients with offending histories and / or mental health problems on a regular basis, and be able to communicate sensitive and complex information, whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• To work closely with senior colleagues to ensure information in relation to risk is collected and communicated sensitively and comprehensively. To attend and contribute to other prison meetings, and to present the view of Mental Health Team for relevant clinical issues. To ensure any actions taken from these meetings are met or that the appropriate individual to carry out the action is informed.
• To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific patient group and mental health., To provide low intensity mental health interventions to clients under the supervision of a qualified nurse (and supported by the Clinical Psychologist).
• To support other members of the Mental Health team in the delivery of clinical care within the prison.
• To support the mental health team in liaising with primary care and the prison to deliver mental wellbeing initiatives
• To work independently according to a plan agreed within supervision and within the overall framework of the clinics policies and procedures.
• To liaise with other professional services (resettlement workers, probation, CMHT) sharing information where appropriate.
• To assist in clinically related administration and conduct of audits or project work.
  Achieved or working towards an upper second class honours degree in relevant subject.

• Second class honours degree in psychology or nursing. Further training in relevant areas of mental health practice.

• Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or offending behaviour problems and/or other disabilities

• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience of working in prisons or secure settings.
• Experience of co-facilitating psychosocial groups.
• Experience of working within a team

• An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
• An ability to establish and sustain engagement with people who have mental health problems and severely challenging behaviours including violence and sexually harmful behaviours.
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
• Knowledge of our business and how it supports patient care.

• An interest in working with people with forensic histories, mental health problems., Ability to accept and use clinical supervision appropriately and effectively.
• Ability to work in a secure environment, in line with HMPS policy and procedure - to obtain and maintain enhanced security clearance.
• Application must be clearly tailored to the post and Person Specification, High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
• Abilit…