DBT Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

To provide specialist DBT assessments for young people presenting with complex emotional needs, drawing on structured interviews, self-report measures, behavioural observations, and collateral information from families, schools and professionals.

To formulate and deliver individualised DBT treatment plans for young people based on a robust psychological formulation, identifying crisis patterns, vulnerabilities and behavioural targets, in line with evidence-based practice.

To deliver all components of the standard DBT-A model, including weekly individual therapy, co-facilitating skills training groups, phone coaching (during working hours), and participating in weekly DBT consultation meetings.

To co-facilitate multi-family DBT skills groups, contributing to the delivery of DBT content to both young people and their parents/carers.

To provide DBT-informed parent/carer coaching and family sessions as part of the standard DBT-A model, and to support the inclusion of carers in the therapeutic process where clinically appropriate.

To undertake comprehensive assessments with parents and carers as part of pre-treatment and formulation development.

To contribute to the maintenance of treatment fidelity through active participation in the DBT consultation team, offering and receiving peer consultation to support high-quality, consistent DBT delivery.

To monitor and evaluate therapeutic outcomes using routine outcome measures, goal-based outcomes, and behavioural tracking tools, adapting interventions accordingly.

To provide specialist DBT-informed consultation and advice to colleagues within CAMHS and external partner agencies (e.g., schools, social care, inpatient units), promoting psychologically informed care and trauma-sensitive practice.

To support the delivery of psychoeducation and DBT-informed interventions to families and carers, in collaboration with colleagues where appropriate.

To contribute to multi-disciplinary risk assessments and management plans, including assessing and responding to risk of suicide, self-harm, and other high-risk behaviours.

To work collaboratively with professionals across agencies to ensure coordinated, holistic care planning and safe transitions, including discharge planning and step-down from inpatient care.

To maintain high standards of clinical record keeping in accordance with professional and Trust guidelines, including contemporaneous notes, formulation summaries, risk documentation, and structured reports.

To receive regular specialist DBT supervision and clinical supervision, engage in continuing professional development, and contribute to a learning culture within the team.

To contribute to the development and improvement of the DBT-A service through participation in audit, service evaluation, and team learning forums.

To practice within professional ethical guidelines and Trust policies, including safeguarding, health and safety, information governance, and equality and diversity.

2. CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To provide comprehensive DBT assessments for young people referred to the DBT-A service, integrating information from interviews, observations, structured measures, and third-party reports.

To formulate clear and collaborative treatment plans based on DBT principles, identifying key problem behaviours, vulnerabilities, and treatment targets across all DBT modes.

To deliver individual DBT therapy, co-facilitate multi-family and adolescent DBT skills groups, and provide DBT-informed phone coaching (within working hours), in line with the standard DBT-A model.

To deliver DBT-informed parent assessments, parent coaching, and family sessions to support systems change and the generalisation of DBT skills in the home environment.

To carry out and update risk assessments and collaboratively formulate risk management plans related to self-harm, suicidal ideation, or other risk behaviours.

To act as care coordinator for a caseload of young people, maintaining oversight of care planning and ensuring continuity across multiple systems (e.g., school, social care, CAMHS, inpatient units).

To liaise and work in partnership with parents/carers, schools, social care, and other professionals, offering DBT-informed consultation and contributing to multi-agency meetings.

To maintain detailed and timely clinical records in accordance with trust and professional guidelines, including formulations, session summaries, progress reviews, and outcome measures.

To contribute to the weekly DBT consultation team, engaging in peer supervision and team-based clinical decision-making.

To monitor clinical outcomes and treatment adherence using appropriate DBT tools and audit measures (e.g., diary cards, progress charts, routine outcome monitoring).

To adjust interventions responsively based on risk, developmental needs, therapeutic progress, and family context, while maintaining fidelity to the DBT model.

To deliver DBT-informed psychoeducation and skills training content to young people and families as part of pre-treatment and ongoing therapeutic work.

To provide trauma-sensitive care and consider the impact of past trauma on the young persons presentation, using DBT as a stabilising foundation for future trauma work where appropriate.

To actively contribute to service evaluation, audits, and clinical research within the DBT-A pathway, including the collection and interpretation of outcome data.

To promote a psychologically informed culture across the MDT by sharing formulation-based thinking and offering case-specific advice when appropriate.

To ensure a safe working environment by maintaining up-to-date knowledge of risk procedures, safeguarding protocols, and personal safety guidance, including managing incidents involving distress, dysregulation, or aggression.

To remain actively engaged in professional development, including attending DBT supervision, maintaining professional registration, and participating in relevant CPD and training events.

Person Specification

Experience and knowledge

Essential

• oExperience working in CAMHS or adolescent mental health
• oExperience delivering DBT or DBT-informed interventions
• oExperience working with young people who self-harm or present with emotional dysregulation or suicidality
• oMinimum of two years' experience of working directly with patients with Personality Disorder, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• oEvidence of CPD relevant to adolescents or DBT
• oExperience of working in a multi -disciplinary team and/or CAMHS service and/or with wider professional networks and agencies
• oKnowledge of DBT model and adolescent application
• oUnderstanding of safeguarding and risk management
• oSkills in assessment, formulation, and care planning
• oCapacity to manage emotional intensity and therapeutic boundaries
• oAbility to offer consultation and advice to professionals
• oAwareness of trauma-informed and systemic practice

Desirable

• oExperience in group facilitation (e.g., DBT skills groups)
• oExperience of assessment and treatment of children and young people with mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence based psychological therapies, particularly DBT
• oExperience in assessing for DBT and application of DBT Experience of using supervision to address and resolve clinical and professional dilemmas
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups

Qualifications

Essential

• oCore health professional qualification (Psychology, Nursing, Social work, Occupational Therapy)
• oRegistration with the appropriate professional body (HCPC, NMC, Social Work England)
• oBasic Training Certificate in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• oEvidence of CPD relevant to adolescents or DBT

Desirable

• oWorking towards Accredited Practitioner Status DBT
• oCompletion of DBT Intensive or Foundational Training

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Address

Child Development Centre

79 Axe Street

Barking

IG11 7LZ

Employer's website

https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)