Highly Specialist Clinical or Counselling Psychologist HIV inHove inHove PUBLISHED 23 DEC 2023

Job responsibilities

You will be a member of the HIV mental health team and also part of SPFTs wider Clinical Health Psychology team, and closely linked with the HIV healthcare teams and voluntary sector support services.

To join our team, you will:

Be enthusiastic about supporting patients living with HIV to overcome mental health barriers to effective management and care relating to their diagnosis and to be willing to work with co-morbidities of complex trauma and substance use

Confident working with a range of clinical professionals and communicating complex psychological and neuropsychological concepts in an understandable way

Be compassionate and passionate about supporting individuals living with HIV from the point of diagnosis and at any stage in their journey of living with HIV.

understand the impact of stigma and social exclusion on minority groups and be comfortable to work with these patient groups

have knowledge and skill in the application of psychological theory and practice in physical health settings

ideally be aware of the latest evidence base and national strategies on psychological support for patients living with HIV, and the prevention of HIV transmission

have a willingness to work flexibly across a range of locations in Brighton and Hove

You will have completed post-graduate/ doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or outside the UK] as approved by the HCPC

You will have experience of working with a range of models including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.

You will have extensive experience of working with patients with a wide range of mental health presentations, including those with complex difficulties, and of working with wider multidisciplinary teams

You will have experience of taking full clinical responsibility for a patient's psychological care plan and intervention

You will have experience of managing and supervising other clinical staff, including trainee clinical psychologists and non mental health staff

Desirable

Prior clinical experience of working with people living with HIV or in sexual health

Experience of working with socially excluded, stigmatised groups

Experience of working with patients who present with comorbid mental health and substance misuse difficulties, particularly recreational drugs and chemsex

Experience of working within a physical healthcare setting

Training and experience in a model of trauma therapy e.g. EMDR or TF-CBT

See JD and PS for full details.

For further information please contact Dr Emma Russell, Lead Clinical Psychologist in HIV, Clinical Health Psychology.

The Department of clinical health psychology has an exciting vacancy for a highly specialised clinical or counselling psychologist to work within the HIV Mental Health Team in Brighton and Hove. The post is a fixed term postover 12 months in the first instance.

You will join a thriving multidisciplinary HIV service which is integrated with the large and highly respected HIV service at the Royal Sussex Hospital. Psychology is well integrated with the HIV team, and much valued. You will also work closely with the rich network of HIV support services from the voluntary sector including The Sussex Beacon and Terrence Higgins Trust.An understanding of working with excluded or stigmatised groups would be valuable along with experience of working in a health psychology setting and with complex psychological trauma.You will receive regular supervision from an experienced lead clinical psychologist, and will gain experience of supervising trainee psychologists, consultation and teaching with physical healthcare staff teams, and to be involved in the development of the service. We strongly advise applicants to contact the team to discuss the post and to arrange an informal visit or discussion. To do so, please contact Emma Russell, Lead Psychologist in HIV in the first instance on , email , or Jo Fry, Service Manager on , or email

You will gain experience of a variety of roles and tasks within this post and to work across a range of locations and teams. The core elements of the role are as follows:

Assessment of patients living with HIV who present with mental health / psychological difficulties which are impacting their ability to live well with HIV

Liaison with and referral to other relevant mental health services

Offering ongoing one to one therapy to patients living with HIV, drawing on a range of psychological theories and models as appropriate

Consultation with HIV staff teams to support care of complex patients

Working closely with the rich network of HIV support organisations within the voluntary sector to provide joined up holistic care to those living with HIV

Teaching and training, and supervision, with physical healthcare colleagues in HIV

Receiving regular supervision from the lead psychologist, and providing supervision to trainee clinical psychologists

Attending team meetings with the HIV mental health team and wider clinical health psychology team

Contributing to service development and reviews

Creating and sharing psychological formulations and treatment plans to share with the HIV nurses and doctors to enhance care for patients

The role necessitates working across a range of locations and teams, and includes some remote access therapy sessions in addition to face to face clinical and team work.