Locum Mental Health Advisor

Job Description

The post-holder will be part of the Mental Health Support Team and part of our university?s multi-disciplinary Counselling & Mental Health Support Team and will have experience and current accreditation as a Mental Health Nurse, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner or other qualified mental health practitioner.

The post-holder will possess specialist knowledge of issues related to student mental health, including the assessment and management of risk, mental health assessment, crisis management, and external referral of cases (into external crisis services, etc.).  The post-holder will liaise with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure the university responds effectively to the mental health needs of students. They will work closely with the other two sub-teams that make up the Counselling & Mental Health Support Team (the Counselling and the Outreach & Training Sub-Teams) to ensure the appropriate referral of cases and an effective multi-disciplinary approach to all aspects of clinical work.

Key responsibilities

To provide confidential mental health support to students registered with the Counselling and Mental Health Support Service and to students referred to the Student of Concern Service and presenting with mental health difficulties and/or risk to self.

To carry out assessments including risk assessment & management for students self-referred to Counselling and referred via the Student of Concern process. Although ?Student of Concern? is not a crisis service, a high proportion of referred students indicate that they are at risk to self, and so the post holder will be expected to following service risk protocols and signpost students to appropriate services and escalate any student to crisis services if the need arises.

To offer short-term psychological interventions to students whose difficulties can be managed by low intensity and self-help oriented work and offer mental health support/advice/signposting to students who may be in distress or presenting with mental health risk to self or others.

Working at least one or two days/week triaging and manage ?Student of Concern? referrals.

To work with colleagues within Counselling and Mental Health Support Team and Student Services to support students with mental health conditions, including linking with internal and external organisations.

To act as an advocate for students in negotiating time out/moving to alternative modes of studies. To be responsible for providing an informed opinion and/or verifying students? mitigating circumstances and to support students in requesting extensions for completing work/providing supporting statements for students in academic appeals.

To keep accurate and up-to-date client case notes ensuring that they are compliant with the data protection act. To maintain therapeutic boundaries at all times.

To comply with relevant legislation and regulations, including, for example, our duty of care, safeguarding legislation, data protection legislation (including the General Data Protection Regulation), equality legislation, and health and safety legislation.

Professional qualification and current regsitration in the field of mental health nursing, psychological wellbeing practitioner or other qualified mental health practitioner

Knowledge / skills

1. Expert knowledge and skills of undertaking mental health and risk assessment and management, including standardized assessment protocols and relevant clinical outcome measures (such as COREnet)
2. Expert knowledge of the mental health issues and support needs of students and/or young adults 
3. Ability to manage relationships sensitively with distressed clients and tolerate and manage high levels of distress and risk
4. Excellent IT and administration skills, including administrative self-sufficiency (e.g. diary management, letter writing, etc.)

Experience

1. Experience of managing a large complex caseload of clients presenting with a wide range of mental health difficulties
2. Experience of referring cases into NHS and voluntary sector bodies, and working closely with such services on complex cases
3. Experience of balancing the need to share information appropriately to ensure the effective management of risk with the need for confidentiality and data protection legislation compliance
4. Experience of supporting others to maintain effective appropriate boundaries in their work

Personal characteristics/other requirements

1. Strong organizational skills and ability to work with multiple processes and systems
2. Strong advocate and promoter of equality, diversity and inclusion for students with mental health difficulties

Desirable criteria

1. Understanding of the issues that students face in Higher Education and the types of support/advice that students require beyond mental health support
2. Knowledge of legislation relating to mental health
3. Experience of delivering training, presentations and/or group-work