Job overview
The post is an exciting opportunity for a Psychological Practitioner experienced in psychosis and EMDR to work as a trial therapist on a NIHR funded trial of EMDR for individuals with early psychosis and a history of distressing life experiences.
Main duties of the job
·To provide highly specialist psychological intervention, developed for the purposes of the EASE trial, namely EMDR to outpatients assessed as having first episode psychosis and a history of trauma, throughout the SLaM footprint. This will include specialist assessment, intervention, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
·To keep up to date with collecting and inputting therapy data and follow trial proceedings as set out by the lead site.
·To attend EASE related meetings and individual and group-based supervision. Supervision will have a focus on using recordings of therapy sessions for supervision purposes and to enable competency ratings of the therapy provided to be completed.
·To help with the advertising and recruitment of the trial in teams across SLaM, alongside the EASE team Research Assistants.
·To contribute to the Trust’s social inclusion agenda by enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment in the EASE trial.
·To work as an autonomous professional within professional guidelines and codes of conduct and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the trial and the host Trust, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
·Agreeing outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
Working for our organisation
About South London and Maudsley:
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
EASE is a a randomised controlled trial that aims to examine the value of EMDR for individuals with early psychosis and a history of distressing life experiences. An earlier innovative feasibility randomised controlled trial (EASE feasibility trial) indicated that this treatment is acceptable and safe for people with first episode psychosis. The EASE Trial is an exciting opportunity to become involved in building on this evidence base. Whilst we know that EMDR can be effective for trauma symptoms for people who have psychosis, there is limited research on whether EMDR is effective for symptoms of psychosis. This trial will contribute to the evidence base which will inform the care offered in NHS settings for early signs of psychosis. It will be an excellent opportunity for enthusiastic therapists to receive high-quality training and supervision, develop clinically applied research skills and contribute to the development of a very much needed evidence base that will inform future treatment delivery for people with first episode psychosis.
The EASE trial is a randomised two arm trial for people with first episode psychosis. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing plus Treatment as Usual (EMDR+TAU), or Treatment as Usual alone. The trial is funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).
It is expected that candidates applying for this position will have experience of working with people with psychosis and will be experienced in delivering EMDR interventions. Additional training in the specific therapy manual will be provided. The main purpose of this post is to provide manualised therapy to service users who are participating in the EASE trial at South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder will be required to provide service users with a high standard of therapy and follow the research trial and team’s procedures. They will receive training and supervision by experienced EMDR supervisors with extensive experience in the application of trauma-focused therapies for people with psychosis, complex trauma and other complex mental health needsThis job description is an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities of the post and the post holder may be required to undertake additional duties appropriate to the pay band. The post may change over time to reflect the developing needs of the Trust and its services, as well as the personal development of the post holder.
The postholder(s) will receive managerial supervision from Dr Amy Hardy and Dr Sunil Nandha, and clinical supervision from experienced EMDR consultants involved in the EASE trial. They will be professionally accountable to Dr Amy Hardy, Dr Sunil Nandha, and the therapy supervisors. The postholder(s) will have close working relationships with the trial manager and research assistants working on the EASE trial. They will liaise closely with the referring teams throughout SLaM and when needed neighbouring NHS Trust where participants for this trial may be identified.
EMDR is a NICE recommended intervention for people with psychological difficulties related to trauma. The standard protocol will be used for participants in the trial, with adaptations made to ensure the effective engagement of the trial participants, based on a treatment manual developed by our research team for use in clients with early psychosis.
EMDR training and supervision will be provided by the therapy leads in the EASE trial team. Trial therapists will be expected to travel across the SLaM footprint, to provide the therapy as well as to help with advertising of the trial in teams, alongside the Research Assistants. Therapists will be required to liaise with the referring teams and care coordinators or GPs throughout the delivery of therapy. They will be required to follow trial procedures for audio recordings and ratings of therapy sessions for purposes of treatment fidelity, to complete record forms following each session monitoring content of sessions, and to monitor and document Serious Adverse Events as they occur. They will also liaise closely with the SLaM co-Principal Investigator, Dr Amy Hardy and Dr Sunil Nandha, and have contact with the Trial Manager, and with the wider trial team.
This jhis job description is an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities of the post and the post holder may be required to undertake additional duties appropriate to the pay band. The post may change over time to reflect the developing needs of the Trust and its services, as well as the personal development of the post holder.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. •Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent as approved by the BPS (Registered with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist and evidence of continuing professional development) OR CBT therapist with post-graduate diploma and accredited with BABCP AND professional qualification in health and social care (e.g. RMN or social work OR KSA equivalence).
2. •Completed EMDR training (parts 1 – 3).
Desirable criteria
3. •EMDR accredited practitioner (A).
Experience
Essential criteria
4. •A minimum of 2 years post-qualification experience. (A)
5. •At least two years’ experience working with service users with complex mental health difficulties in multidisciplinary adult mental health services. (A)
6. •Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the lifespan and diverse backgrounds, reflecting the full range of clinical severity, whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, including verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. (A/I)
7. •Experience of providing trauma-focused psychological assessment and therapy to service users experiencing complex PTSD and/or psychosis, under supervision. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
8. •Experience of therapy delivery in clinical trials, and implementing trial procedures and protocols (A/I)
9. •Experience of supervising or conducting doctoral or post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects (A/I)
Knowledge and skills
Essential criteria
10. •Knowledge and expertise in providing trauma-focused psychological assessments and therapy to service users experiencing complex PTSD and/or psychosis. (A/I)
11. •Ability to deliver psychological assessments and therapy for clients with diverse, marginalised and intersectional identities. (A/I)
12. •Respectful and effective communication of complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, and colleagues, overcoming barriers to communication, including sensory and emotional difficulties, and interpersonally demanding and risky situations. (A/I)
13. •Ability to work effectively within a team, holding team roles and contributing to team functioning, including liaison with multidisciplinary teams and being responsive to their needs. (A/I)
14. •Ability to work effectively as an independent practitioner with good time management, completing clinical and research tasks according to governance procedures. (A/I)