Mental Health Intervention Officer

About the role

This is an exciting time to join the Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service at Imperial College! We have been investing heavily in our Service to better support our students through university life. We are a diverse and multifaceted group of over forty professionals working in a multi-disciplinary service, striving to deliver the best experience possible for our students.

We are now recruiting for a Student Mental Health Intervention Officer to provide initial risk assessment, safety planning and signposting for students who may be struggling emotionally or psychologically, or who may present a risk to their health, wellbeing, themselves or those around them.  You will work as part of a small integrated Student Mental Health Intervention Team, providing assessment, stabilisation and signposting/onwards referral for students. You will also deliver training, consultancy and assistance to Imperial College staff, especially academic and key support staff, promoting confidence and empowering them to raise issues and support students appropriately.

What you would be doing

• Engaging students who are struggling, and building relationships that support and empower students to manage their mental health

• Undertaking timely, expert mental health and risk assessments, rapidly formulating students’ needs and determining the most appropriate response — including what can be safely and effectively supported within the University and when NHS or other specialist external intervention is required.
• Using sound clinical judgement to make pragmatic, proportionate decisions, including liaising and consulting with internal colleagues, NHS services and other external agencies to coordinate appropriate support and referral pathways.
• Developing and managing effective working relationships with key contacts, strengthening lines of communication and referral within Imperial and with external agencies.
• Providing and developing workshops and training on topics related to mental health for staff and students.

What we are looking for

• A qualified and professionally registered Mental Health Nurse, Mental Health Social Worker, Psychologist or equivalent

• Substantial clinical mental health experience within statutory services, particularly NHS Single Point of Access (SPA), Crisis, Liaison, Community Mental Health or other assessment-focused services. We particularly welcome applicants experienced in working at pace, managing a high volume of presentations and making timely, clinically informed decisions about risk, need and appropriate pathways of care.
• Advanced mental health and risk-assessment skills, with the ability to formulate complex presentations quickly and make confident, proportionate decisions about appropriate intervention, referral and escalation.
• Experience of providing advice and support in relation to acute and enduring mental health difficulties, including working collaboratively with the wider professional network around an individual.
• The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple assessments and competing demands while maintaining clinical judgement, professional curiosity and a person-centred approach.
• A flexible, pragmatic and collaborative clinician with a strongly student-centred approach.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days off a year)
• Development opportunities both from excellent in-house management and leadership training, as well as a CPD budget, supervision and reflective spaces.

Further information

Interviews will be held in person on Friday September 25^th tbc

Due to the nature of the role the majority of annual leave will need to be taken outside of term-time.

You may be required to work one evening a week to support late opening at the service.

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