Occupational Therapist Specialist (Mental Health Liaison Team)inBridgendinBridgendPUBLISHED WED 27 NOV 2024

The post holder will be required to work as a key member of the multi-disciplinary Mental Health Liaison Team providing a service for patients with mental health needs.

The post holder will be required to provide assessment to patients referred. Depending on the patient needs, the post holder but will also have access to the Health Board's therapy departments if required. They will be required to carry out assessments in the community at the referring care homes within their role in the Mental Health Liaison Team in order to facilitate the well-being of patients and preventing inappropriate admission to hospital and enable early supported discharge from hospital.

The post holder will be required to deliver on a range of performance indicators including:

o reduction in length of stay.

o improving independence.

The post holder will assess the ability of patient to ensure safe discharge and promote independent and joint working for complex cases held by other members of the team.

The post holder will liaise with families, carers and advocates as well as the Multi-Disciplinary Team (for example Primary Care, Discharge Liaison, Local Authority and third sector organisations).

Use the Occupational Therapy process autonomously in various settings, including lone working in the community in service users' care home place of residence.

Manage a defined caseload in providing specialist mental health assessment, for people referred to the Mental Health Liaison Team.

Use evidence based practice/patient centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate further intervention requirements in hospital and community settings.

Maintain clinical records according to local and professional guidelines.

Develop expert skills and knowledge through an agreed personal development plan.

Provide leadership for junior and support staff through supervision and allocation of work.

Supervise students as an accredited practice educator who adheres to the requirements of the defined standards of practice and supervision.

Provide evidence based training and delivery of competency-based practice to the support staff.

Collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team involved with the provision of Mental Health Liaison Team patients. This will include hospital staff, intermediate Care Managers, care managers, Single Point of Access.

About us

Use the Occupational Therapy process autonomously in various settings, including lone working in the community in service users care home place of residence.

Manage a defined caseload in providing specialist mental health assessment, for people referred to the Mental Health Liaison Team.

Use evidence based practice/patient centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate further intervention requirements in hospital and community settings.

Maintain clinical records according to local and professional guidelines.

Develop expert skills and knowledge through an agreed personal development plan.

Provide leadership for junior and support staff through supervision and allocation of work.

Supervise students as an accredited practice educator who adheres to the requirements of the defined standards of practice and supervision.

Provide evidence based training and delivery of competency-based practice to the support staff.

Collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team involved with the provision of Mental Health Liaison Team patients. This will include hospital staff, intermediate Care Managers, care managers, Single Point of Access.

Contribute to the review and development of secondary and local authority physical and mental health therapy services.

Develop local networks with other teams providing similar services, contributing to the wider professional network.

The post holder will work within a close multi-agency team to deliver assessment and discharge planning, within the hospital and community.

Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to communicate effectively with individuals and/or their family or carers and care home staff in order to elicit co-operation and establish an appropriate intervention plan. This may include potentially difficult or stressful situations or where there may be barriers to understanding e.g. cognitive problems, hearing, visual, or speech impairment, confusion, anxiety, cultural, or language barriers.

Create an environment that promotes effective communication with individuals and their family/carers, and the multidisciplinary team by establishing effective communication networks and demonstrating skills in empathy, reassurance and the ability to motivate others. This includes education and behavioural change approaches using suitable media.

Communicate complex assessment and treatment plans to individuals and their family/carers; dealing sensitively with distressing or emotional issues which are potentially emotive and respecting the dignity and rights of the individual and their family/carers e.g. encountering resistance, anger or aggression from carers/family.

Establish and maintain excellent communication networks with members of the multiagency team, statutory organisations, private and voluntary sector as appropriate when assessing a patients safe discharge.

Be a point of reference for the team concerning complex patient cases within the specialised area.

Take a lead role in education and development of competencies of support staff via formal talks, on the job evaluation and competency-based assessments.

Contribute to educating individuals, carers, health professionals, about the management of health impairment and management within the patients social and physical environment.

Maintain good working relationships with individuals, their family/carers, colleagues, and personnel from statutory and non-statutory agencies.

Deal appropriately and professionally with general enquires regarding the rehabilitation programme in accordance with local authority and health board procedures and the operational policies: this may involve a pro-active approach to dealing with complaints.

Provide education/training to other health and social care professionals internal and external to the team; statutory and non-statutory agencies and the public.

Prepare presentations and handouts for these sessions.

Use supervision and/or consultation in order to promote personal effectiveness.

Utilise specific therapeutic communication strategies to maximise outcomes with patients.

Maintain the highest possible clinical and professional standards; abide by national guidelines and standards relevant to clinical caseload, and to take into account current evidenced based practice.

Take responsibility for maintaining own competency to practice through Continuous Professional Development (CPD), and maintaining a professional portfolio in accordance with guidelines from the HCPC, which is required for professional registration.

Develop specialist skills and expertise within the field of Mental Health Liaison.

Undertake reflective practice and to contribute to the debate on a range of clinical issues relating to the delivery of services for across organisation boundaries.

Contribute in the development of standards and outcome measurement for good practice for service users.

Proactively engage with other Occupational Therapists and staff of other professional groups to progress innovations and improvements in practice.

Be able to balance professional issues such as confidentiality and duty of care in a multi-disciplinary/agency setting in order to work effectively.

Promote professionalism for Occupational Therapy, both internally and externally.

Engage in regular supervision with the Clinical Lead.

Acknowledge limitations in own practice and seek help to develop professional competencies/practice.

Participate in performance appraisal reviews as an appraisee and appraiser.

Be actively involved in peer support, development groups and occupational therapy specialist sections for the defined clinical area and other professional development activities, as appropriate.

Identify and be responsible for own learning relevant to the clinical area and apply this specialist knowledge.

Be responsible for keeping up-to-date with own mandatory training.

Maintain and develop knowledge of evidence based practice in the areas of expertise, developing specialist knowledge of assessment, rehabilitation and discharge services.

Be an active participant in the in-service training programme including: tutorials, individual training sessions, journal clubs, external courses and peer review.

Contribute to the local training programme, demonstrating a willingness to learn.

Provide an effective and efficient discharge planning and rehabilitation programme.

Contribute to the development and planning of the multi-agency team.

Work jointly with the Clinical Lead in identifying methods or changes in practice to remediate deficiencies.

Be responsible for and facilitate a safe environment, recognising individuals requirements for privacy and dignity.

Be responsible for organising and planning a frequently fluctuating clinical workload.

To remain flexible to provide cover at times of staff shortage and allocate work to Occupational Therapists, support staff and other designated staff as required.

Contribute to planning and evaluation of the service through use of audit and research projects.

Use advanced clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques to identify barriers to improved health status and functional independence.

Work with the individual to develop an appropriate intervention plan. The management of the individuals barriers will potentially evoke extreme emotional responses from them. This will require sensitivity and empathy from Practitioners.

Formulate individual discharge/ intervention plans for patients based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and intervention options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment interventions.

Demonstrates sound judgement regarding achievement of support worker competencies and subsequent delegation of work within a competency based framework.

Demonstrate attitudes that ensure the expressed needs and choices of service users and carers become the focus of the care management process.

Assess an individuals needs using observation skills; interview techniques; standardised and non-standardised assessments. Individuals may be tearful, angry, frightened, upset or confused during the assessment, therefore excellent communication skills (verbal and non-verbal) are necessary to manage this.

Use validated patient cognitive functional outcome measures e.g. LACLs, RTI.

Carry out assessments and interventions within designated target times, requiring excellent time management skills.

When required, carry out home assessment visits including risk assessments and liaise with family and carers, members of the wider multi-disciplinary team to advise on the appropriate programme service to meet patients need on discharge.

Be competent in blurred boundary working which will include assessment,

recommendation and where appropriate provide and fit a range of low level equipment and/or aids in the individuals own home; to undertaken prescribed exercises. To facilitate individuals independence and promote mobility and independence in the home on discharge from hospital.

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.