Detailed job description and main responsibilities

 To provide a specialist Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) service to clients with Borderline/Emotionally-Unstable Personality Disorder (BPD/EUPD) and comorbid difficulties associated with underlying emotional dysregulation. The job will entail delivering comprehensive DBT (individual DBT sessions, DBT skills training [group sessions], DBT telephone coaching and attending weekly DBT Team Consult meetings), planning and delivering DBT-S groups within the community teams, conducting specialist assessments and comprehensive monitoring of clinical outcomes. The job will also require the post holder to offer consultation to other professionals and teams as appropriate, and plan and deliver training or teaching as needed. The post holder will also be required to contribute to service evaluation, audit and research.

Our values and commitments:

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical

• To deliver comprehensive DBT, including individual DBT sessions, skills training (group and individual), and out-of-hours DBT telephone coaching. This work will also include delivering Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE) for trauma, for clients with comorbid PTSD.
• To provide specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with significant difficulties with emotional and behavioural dysregulation, particularly clients with Borderline/Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (BPD/EUPD) who engage in suicidal and parasuicidal behaviour and have co-morbid difficulties (e.g. substance misuse, eating difficulties, anger control problems).
• To design and deliver adjunctive therapy groups, both for clients in the DBT Service and for appropriate clients in the Southwark Assessment and Liaison primary mental health team (e.g. DBT Steps Group, Managing Emotions groups), monitoring outcomes and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on principles and skills from DBTICBT.
• To work as an autonomous professional within Health Care Professions Council {HCPC) and the policies and procedures of the Trust and both the wider and local DBT Service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions, under guidance from both DBT Consult and individual DBT supervision.
• To attend and contribute fully to the weekly DBT Consult team meetings. To work as an effective team member (being non-defensive, willing, fallible, open, supportive of others etc.)
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients to develop and review treatment plans and care plans.
• To assess and monitor risk regularly in sessions and draw up appropriate risk management plans and adapt these plans accordingly, particularly for clients with multiple services involved.
• To be responsible for delivering DBT-informed psychological interventions with carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients, including offering 'Family Connections' groups.
• To support DBT clients' care coordinators in the community teams and offer consultation to other team members with queries in relation to DBT service provision.
• To advise other members of the DBT Service, the wider borough community services (Lewisham, Croydon and Lambeth), and appropriate other services (e.g. PCMHTs, local CAMHS services, acute wards) on specialist psychological care of clients with BPD/EUPD and related difficulties. To communicate complex and sensitive information skilfully, compassionately and thoughtfully to clients and carers, taking account of any sensory and

cultural barriers to communication in line with clients' wishes.

Teaching training, and supervision

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior member of the DBT Service according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
• To attend and participate fully in the DBT Consult team meetings on a weekly basis.
• To provide specialist training in DBT-informed ways of working with complex/high risk clients to other professions as appropriate.
• To provide consultation and support for DBT-informed work undertaken by Band 6 community team members or assistant psychologists linked to the DBT Service.
• To provide supervision for the DBT-informed work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

·       To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.

·       To manage agreed workload of assistant psychologists, as required, under supervision from the Band 8a or a more senior DBT clinician.

·       To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services:

·       To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the Directorate clinical governance committee and team.

Research and service evaluation

·       To contribute to the development of the DBT Service through undertaking service evaluation and audit.

·       To contribute to the development of systematic outcome measurement, assessment, implementation and assisting other staff in the implementation of same.

·       To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

General Responsibilities

·       To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with Trust Continuing Personal and Professional Development Plan requirements.

·       To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in DBT and in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

·       To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

·       To comply with the HCPC 'Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics' and ensure professional development in line with the HCPC 'Standards for Continuing Professional Development' and 'Standards of Proficiency'.

·       To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities which make up the Treatment Service in Southwark.