Project Leader- Primary Mental Health Worker CAMHS Band 7

Job/Role Summary

Initial assessments with follow up short-term care of children, adolescents and parents/carers. Consultation with Primary care professionals. Screening referrals, signposting where appropriate to other agencies. Providing education/training to Primary care professionals regarding Mental Health of children and adolescents. Management of the CAMHS team of nurses.

Specific qualifications and experience required

NMC Register Part 1 Specialist Practitioner RNM Minimum of 2 years experience of working with children and adolescents in a formal mental health setting Child & Adolescent (C&A) Mental Health Course ENB 602

Career Milestones

Trained in Adult Mental Health Nursing and worked as an RMN for 13 years in a hospital setting. Following this I worked as a CPN for one year. During this time I under took the C&A Course 602 due to the possibility of redundancy, and completed this in 1995. I gained experience working with an already formed C&A team. Service need dictated the formation of a Child and Adolescent team within the Tyrone area. I was a founding member of the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) within the region, and have been involved in the development of the service over the last 10 years managing a staff of six nurses. In Feb 07 I began working in the Primary Mental Health (PMH) as a pilot project separate from CAMHS Tier 3. At present the service is led by myself with ongoing audit and evaluation of the effect of the project and the development of the service into the Fermanagh area.

What attracted you to this job?

Emerging area of need/demand Career Opportunity Development of Clinical Expertise

Enjoyable aspects of the job/role

Multidisciplinary and multi agency working Autonomy as a clinician Success with families

Important success factors

Good supervision both individual and peer Adequate training opportunities Remaining motivated, a good team and support system

Advice for those considering the type of job/role?

Be prepared for challenging work and commitment to the same. Invest time in research and reading. Obtain adequate training for the job. Be knowledgeable on the Mental Health Act and the Children’s Order. Adopt a stance of collaboration within the Multidisciplinary framework, but be prepared to embrace autonomy. Learn to let go of families.

Key skills that can be gained within this job/role?

Communication skills- the ability to undertake a systemic assessment, formulate and presentation of the information. Utilization of the self as a therapeutic agent to facilitate engagement of children and adolescents and their families. Teamwork and creating a learning environment for staff and students.

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