Job overview

This post offer a unique opportunity to be part of a newly developed service to deliver Primary Care assessments and interventions as part of Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTR) in the Criminal Justice System, as directed by courts in the North East. 

This service works alongside CNTW’s well-established Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Team (CJLD), which has an excellent reputation with courts, police and probation partners in identifying those with such needs and signposting to relevant services.

The MHTR service provides direct treatment intervention for those requiring primary care interventions with the aim of improving access to mental health support and reducing further offending behaviours.

The post will be of interest to those with experience in delivering psychological treatment under supervision including B5 Higher Assistant Psychologist posts and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners who have completed the initial training qualification. Mental Health professionals eligible for a B5 job and with a qualification in an accredited therapy might also find this development of interest.

There is access to support to assist with future career planning and the successful applicant will access CPD opportunities within the CJLD, wider secure care services and across CNTW. 

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will provide assessments within the court environment and deliver primary care interventions alongside Probation colleagues as directed by care plans agreed by the Principal Psychologist/Clinical Lead who will provide clinical supervision and day to day management.

We are looking to recruit a practitioner with experience of providing psychological interventions to cover the North East court footprints in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear. The Practitioner will conduct assessments, develop care plans and deliver primary care interventions.

There is also opportunity to be involved with research and contribute to service development.

Working for our organisation

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

MHTR offers up to 12 sessions of primary care, psychological, talking therapy that are tailored to the individual’s needs. We offer neurodiverse friendly, trauma informed care to support mental health difficulties the client has that often links with their offending behaviour.  We work closely with our colleagues in probation; we have an initial meeting with the client, probation practitioner and other CSTR providers then begin the therapy interventions in probation offices, or remotely, depending on the preference of the client.

What is our impact? Although we are still an evolving service, the data shows how MHTR interventions are having a statistically significant benefit in terms of psychological distress, anxiety and depression. From those who have completed the intervention 65% experienced a positive reliable change in at least one of the areas measured.