Job summary
We are looking for a Band 6 Crisis Line Practitioner with a background in Crisis and Acute Mental Health at Band 5.
The Crisis Line practitioner will be a non judgemental practitioner who is able to able to offer emotional support over the phone whilst employing innovative and practical approaches. The practitioner will help identify signs of becoming unwell and in more serious situations identify risks of self harm and/or potential suicide. They will be able to take appropriate action with the caller offering the right care and support.
The practitioner will also be available to offer support to carers and acting when agreed as a facilitator between carer/user and other health professionals.
The role also involves working with other professional colleagues in the ARC- Acute Referral Centre particularly with the Crisis Assessment Team practitioners.
The post holder is expected to make a valuable contribution to the 24 hour service and is required to work all shifts within the pattern consisting of 08:00 - 16:00, 14:00 - 22:00 and 21:45 - 08:15.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be required to respond to acute crisis situations which may be highly emotionally charged and which may involve carers and relatives as well as the client themselves. The post holder will be required to operate as a lone practitioner in crisis situations but with the assistance and support from senior Crisis Assessment Team Practitioner (CAT) and the Clinical Service Lead (CSL).
To work with people in crisis, using non-judgmental listening skills and providing innovative, practical and emotional support over the phone.
To employ advanced assessment skills to help people identify the signs that they are becoming unwell and, in more serious situations of risk of self-harm and/or suicide, take appropriate action (as agreed with them) liaising with staff involved in their care and support. To signpost to community resources in a variety of sectors that will benefit their recovery.
To work in partnership with mental health teams and other community organisations.
About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mentalhealth services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugsand 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. Thereare very few organizations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mentalillness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employs around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have morethan 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, weprovide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich. By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organization with a richhistory and international reputation in mental health care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Qualifications
Essential Requirements
RN (mental health)/Social Worker/Occupational Therapist. (A)
Mentorship qualification
Desirable Requirements
Dual diagnosis qualification. (A)
Experience
Essential Requirements
Significant experience in assessing people with acute mental health crisis. presentations in a community, A&E or acute adult inpatient setting. (A/I)
Experience of working with people with acute functional illnesses. (A/I)
Experience of working with people with alcohol and substance misuse problems. (A/I)
Significant experience of working within a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency setting. (A/I)
Good understanding of treatment based interventions (A/I)
Desirable Requirements
Experience of working in mental health liaison teams, home treatment or front end assessment services. (A/I)
Experience of working with people with learning disabilities. (A/I)
Knowledge / Skills
Essential Requirements
Highly developed telephone and/or face to face assessment skills. (A/I)
Highly developed skills in risk assessment and management. (A/I)
Highly developed verbal communication skills in order to ensure clear and unambiguous communication with service users and other agencies. (A/I)
Able to engage with vulnerable people and to work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances. (A/I)
Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently. (A/I)
Desirable Requirements
Experience of working in telephone based crisis intervention service/team. (A/I)
Job description
Job responsibilities
Qualifications
Essential Requirements
RN (mental health)/Social Worker/Occupational Therapist. (A)
Mentorship qualification
Desirable Requirements
Dual diagnosis qualification. (A)
Experience
Essential Requirements
Significant experience in assessing people with acute mental health crisis. presentations in a community, A&E or acute adult inpatient setting. (A/I)
Experience of working with people with acute functional illnesses. (A/I)
Experience of working with people with alcohol and substance misuse problems. (A/I)
Significant experience of working within a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency setting. (A/I)
Good understanding of treatment based interventions (A/I)
Desirable Requirements
Experience of working in mental health liaison teams, home treatment or front end assessment services. (A/I)
Experience of working with people with learning disabilities. (A/I)
Knowledge / Skills
Essential Requirements
Highly developed telephone and/or face to face assessment skills. (A/I)
Highly developed skills in risk assessment and management. (A/I)
Highly developed verbal communication skills in order to ensure clear and unambiguous communication with service users and other agencies. (A/I)
Able to engage with vulnerable people and to work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances. (A/I)
Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently. (A/I)
Desirable Requirements
Experience of working in telephone based crisis intervention service/team. (A/I)
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN (mental health)/Social Worker/Occupational Therapist.
- Mentorship qualification
Desirable
- Dual diagnosis qualification
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience in assessing people with acute mental health crisis. presentations in a community, A&E or acute adult inpatient setting.
- Experience of working with people with acute functional illnesses.
- Experience of working with people with alcohol and substance misuse problems.
- Significant experience of working within a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency setting.
Desirable
- Experience of working in mental health liaison teams, home treatment or front end assessment services
- Experience of working with people with learning disabilities.
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Highly developed telephone and/or face to face assessment skills.
- Highly developed skills in risk assessment and management.
- Highly developed verbal communication skills in order to ensure clear and unambiguous communication with service users and other agencies.
- Able to engage with vulnerable people and to work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN (mental health)/Social Worker/Occupational Therapist.
- Mentorship qualification
Desirable
- Dual diagnosis qualification
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience in assessing people with acute mental health crisis. presentations in a community, A&E or acute adult inpatient setting.
- Experience of working with people with acute functional illnesses.
- Experience of working with people with alcohol and substance misuse problems.
- Significant experience of working within a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency setting.
Desirable
- Experience of working in mental health liaison teams, home treatment or front end assessment services
- Experience of working with people with learning disabilities.
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Highly developed telephone and/or face to face assessment skills.
- Highly developed skills in risk assessment and management.
- Highly developed verbal communication skills in order to ensure clear and unambiguous communication with service users and other agencies.
- Able to engage with vulnerable people and to work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
