Senior Specialist Psychological Therapist / Senior Psychologist

This is a very exciting opportunity to join our highly regarded and award-winning Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS) which operates over the whole of Sussex.

The Specialist Perinatal Mental Service (SPMHS) within Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust now requires a Senior Psychologist or Psychological Therapist in Perinatal Mental Health. The post is for 22.5 hours a week. Applicants must demonstrate substantial post-qualification experience working within a specialist perinatal mental health service, or in a clearly defined specialist perinatal mental health role.

This post provides opportunities to develop highly specialist clinical skills within the perinatal service, with scope for senior responsibilities and leadership development. This may include liaison and consultation with the wider perinatal network and partners in the maternity, acute trust and community/children's services.

Days of the week are negotiable but are likely to include Wednesdays - hours are 9-5

The post holder will be basedin East Sussex and may be expected to travel across Sussex. The post holder will report to the Principal Clinical Psychologist within their team.

The postholder will be given regular supervision and close support from highly skilled professionals within the service as well as opportunities for professional development.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have a training in Clinical Psychology and will be responsible for delivering NICE concordant perinatal psychological therapies to women, their babies and their families.

The Psychologist in the specialist community perinatal mental health service will work with the main community service treatment pathway and the bereavement pathway (neonatal loss and stillbirth) which forms our Maternal Mental Health Service (MMHS) commitment.

Within the larger community service, the postholder will be responsible for typical and atypical perinatal mental health presentations,alongside specific formulation of parent-infant relationships. The postholder will need to have an up to date knowledge of adult and infant safeguarding practices and thresholds. A working knowledge of DBT is desirable and an interest psychoanalytic thinking.The postholder will be responsible for contributing to, or leading on complex case discussions, peer learning and staff training.

Within the bereavement pathway, the postholder will be responsible for providing a highly responsive individualised therapy and support for women and their families who have experienced the death of a baby from 24 weeks gestation to one month after birth. A knowledge of trauma informed interventions for individuals, couples and family would be desirable but specialist supervision regarding bereavement and traumatic loss will be provided.

The Long-Term Plan for Mental Health sets out national and local ambitions to improve care for people in pregnancy through the first stages of their babies life who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, mental health difficulties or emotional crisis.

One in five women experience post or ante natal depression, anxiety or in some cases psychosis, during pregnancy or in the first year after childbirth.

Perinatal community mental health services provide specialist care for women (and their babies) with moderate to severe mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or severe unipolar (postnatal) depression and/or difficulties bonding with their babies. This kind of specialist care provides early help and support to parents and babies with a range of perinatal issues including parent infant relationships and adjustment to parenting.

The Bereavement pathway (BP) is one of the key 'flexible deliverables' in the LTP, called therein as the 'Maternal Mental Health Service's (MMHS). Each service-based iteration is designed to meet local needs and wider maternal health pathways, while at the same time, forming a continuity of care the national design of the MMHS cohorts. Our BP is focussed on providing high calibre individualised care to women, their partners and their families who have experienced neonatal loss or still birth, defined as loss at 24 weeks or after.