World Mental Health Day 10th October – Shining a light on Mental Health Practitioners, by Kirsty Fielding

World Mental Health Day 10th October – Shining a light on Mental Health Practitioners, by Kirsty Fielding, Head of Operations for Allied Health Professionals, Healthcare Scientists and Social Workers

This world Mental Health Day, we want to focus on the work of our Mental Health Practitioner colleagues, dispel some of the myths around these roles and showcase potential Mental Health Practitioners roles.

Mental Health Practitioners, what do they do?

Mental?health and?wellbeing practitioners?use their skills to provide wellbeing-focused, psychologically informed interventions for people with a variety of health and wellbeing issues.?They coordinate?care plans for?patients?with severe mental health?problems, ensuring accessible care is tailored to the individual’s needs.?

What does it take to be a Mental Health Practitioner?

There isn’t a course or certification as a Mental Health Practitioner, rather a skill set, developed through clinical practise, that enables someone to become a Mental Health Practitioner. Typically, a Mental Health Practitioner has a clinical background in a psychology, counselling, or mental health discipline, but often Mental Health Practitioners are qualified as occupational therapists or social workers and have used their skills in mental health focused roles and environments.

Formal qualifications aside, Mental Health Practitioners must be versatile to enable them to deploy the many tools in their kit, depending on the patient’s need. A forward-thinking approach and the ability to manage patients with a variety of complex needs is essential.

What kinds of patients are referred to Mental Health Practitioners?

Patients referred to Mental health practitioners tend to have specific needs which, when addressed, would have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing, rather than just specific conditions. Caseloads are typically varied, and treatment interventions draw on established skillsets to deliver care, to offer:

·??????Behavioural activation and graded exposure using the?‘GOALS’?programme?

·??????Advise on approaches to improve problem-solving?

·??????Targeted advice on sleep hygiene to improve sleep

·??????Strategies and tools to recognise?and manage emotions?

·??????Guided?self-help for bulimia and binge-eating?

·??????Strategies for confidence?building?

·??????Support?with?managing?medicines management??

·??????Education and advice on the management of panic attacks, anxiety and depression?

·??????Education on approaches to improve emotional health and wellbeing?

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How do patients get referred to a Mental Health Practitioner?

Patients accessing Mental Health Practitioners can be referred from a variety of sources.?Referrals can be initiated via a GP or following a request from a primary care practitioner such as a health visitor or community nurse. Some referrals may be generated following an acute hospital stay. In addition, other local services may link into a network of support, which ultimately enables a referral to a Mental Health Practitioner, if that is deemed the best, psychological support for the individual.

Can NHS Professionals Support a Career in the NHS as a Mental Health Practitioner?

NHSP have a variety of Mental Health Practitioner roles available within our partner NHS Trusts across the UK. For more information, please visit https://www.nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk/en/campaigns/ahp-hub/allied-health-professionals

A word from our NHSP Bank Members:

Basil Kamusoko, Mental Health Practitioner for Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust explains the variety of his role: “Some days you come across people who are on road to recovery and futuristic in their plans, some days I might be dealing with a crisis which might need to contact emergency services or arranging a mental health assessment”.