The Role of Mental Health Practitioners in Primary Care

 
Mental Health Practitioner Role
in Primary Care
 
 
Vicki Jordan
Mental Health Practitioner/Independent Prescriber
Primary Care Clinical Advisor (Mental Health)
 
Mental
Health in
Primary
Care
 
The Role
of
Primary
Care
 
In primary care, the role
is in 
maximizing the
opportunities 
for
prevention, early
intervention and self-
management; and
ensuring that there is
continuity of care to
provide a safety net for
people with enduring
mental health problems,
including self-harm and
suicidal thoughts.
 
How Do We
Strengthen
the Mental
Health
Offer?
 
1. Identifying the opportunities for prevention and the promotion of positive mental
health
• Providing information and resources to enable people to manage their mental health
including community assets.
2. Maximising social interventions for mental health
• Moving away from prescriptions for antidepressants and psychological therapy as
the only solutions to common mental health problems;
• Building awareness of community resources that GPs seldom know about, through
‘link worker’ or ‘navigator’ roles;
• Embracing social prescribing as an opportunity to bring together community
resources and maximise social interventions;
• Linking to voluntary sector initiatives focused on promoting mental wellbeing and
providing crisis support.
3. Culture change – embracing the holistic approach
• Valuing social support that is not necessarily labelled as ‘mental health’ care –
covering multiple dimensions e.g. social contact, employment/vocational support,
housing, benefits, debt advice, exercise, healthy eating, alcohol management, sleep
etc;
• Linking to physical health initiatives – e.g. smoking cessation, long term conditions,
integrated care pilots;
4. Empowering the person – moving ‘from patient to person’
• Enabling people to make their own decisions about what they need to focus on in
their life – whole life mapping, recovery college style approach;
• Identifying clear routes into support to address social factors and the causes of their
mental health problems – domestic violence, sexual abuse, debt, housing, welfare
benefits;
 • Valuing social contact, volunteering, hobbies and employment.
 
 
 
Summary
Of Mental
Health
Practitioner
Role
 
Supporting patients with a mental
health diagnosis and/or needing to
address social stressors affecting their
mental health including access to
appropriate community, voluntary and
social care services and support.
Although there is no specific criteria,
MHP’s predominantly work alongside
people with:
Stress, anxiety and low mood
Sleep problems, social stressors,
heightened worry
Issues with substances and alcohol
Severe and enduring mental illness in
remission
 
H
o
w
 
D
o
e
s
 
I
t
 
F
i
t
 
I
n
?
Mental Health
Practitioner/
Navigator
 
Primary
Care
 
Secondary
 Care
 
Severe &
Complex Mental
Health requiring
multidisciplinary
approach and
care co-
ordination
.
 
Common Mental
health problems
that can be self-
managed or with
minimal input i.e.
IAPT, 3
rd
 sector
organisation input.
 
Service for All
Service for All
 
What Can
an MHP
Potentially
Do?
 
Assess patients independently, diagnose (where
appropriate), prescribe (where appropriate), provide
signposting, follow up and onward referrals to a variety of
agencies dependent upon need.
Reviews- depression reviews, annual SMI reviews including
medication reviews.
Psychoeducation on diagnosis and appropriate options for
treatment (pharmacological and non-pharmacological)
Stabilisation work – coping strategies, DBT skills, self-help,
anxiety management, crisis support etc.
Follow up patients who are off sick with stress or other
mental health problems and support people to get back to
work.
Provide emotional support whilst on waiting lists for talking
therapies
Review attendances to A&E for mental health reasons,
consultant letters from secondary care etc. Make necessary
changes to medication as directed by secondary care.
Source of support to primary care colleagues around
navigating mental health services, make contact directly with
different teams to discuss cases.
Access advice and guidance from secondary care mental
health services
Maintenance of the SMI register ensuring they are reviewed
including QOF outcomes (physical health)
General physical health examinations: Bloods, BP, weight,
BMI, ECG’s, immunisations and provide general health and
lifestyle information.
 
How it is
Working
in
Practice
 
General uptake of appointments very
good and patients have been extremely
receptive of the role
Verbal feedback from patients is
extremely  positive
DNA rate is low, with ability to follow
up.
GP’s are reporting seeing far fewer MH
cases which is making access for other
things much easier
Mental health QOF targets over 90%
consistently
GP’s have somewhere to signpost for
reviews after their initial consultations
Able to provide a “full package”
approach and consistency of care.
GP’s are happy with having an “expert”
on board a source of knowledge and
advice and ability to navigate MH
services.
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GPs and primary care play a pivotal role in addressing mental health challenges, yet the focus on primary care in mental health is often overlooked. From early prevention to empowering individuals, primary care can offer effective support through holistic approaches, social interventions, and linking to community resources. Embracing social prescribing, valuing social support, and empowering individuals are key aspects of enhancing mental health services in primary care.


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  1. Mental Health Practitioner Role in Primary Care Vicki Jordan Mental Health Practitioner/Independent Prescriber Primary Care Clinical Advisor (Mental Health)

  2. GPs and primary care are the first port of call for many people experiencing poor mental health. Most people with mental health conditions in England do not have contact with specialist mental health services. Mental Health in Primary Care This challenge has not gone unrecognised and yet the role of primary care in mental health has rarely been the focus for policy development or attracted the same level of attention as specialist mental health services in England. This means that the mental health support that people are offered in primary care will depend on local developments and the interest and commitment of local GPs and colleagues to strengthen the mental health offer. Primary care is uniquely positioned as a frontline universal service to provide an effective and early response to people experiencing poor mental health and to play a critical role in prevention.

  3. The Role of Primary Care

  4. 1. Identifying the opportunities for prevention and the promotion of positive mental health Providing information and resources to enable people to manage their mental health including community assets. 2. Maximising social interventions for mental health Moving away from prescriptions for antidepressants and psychological therapy as the only solutions to common mental health problems; Building awareness of community resources that GPs seldom know about, through link worker or navigator roles; How Do We Strengthen the Mental Health Offer? Embracing social prescribing as an opportunity to bring together community resources and maximise social interventions; Linking to voluntary sector initiatives focused on promoting mental wellbeing and providing crisis support. 3. Culture change embracing the holistic approach Valuing social support that is not necessarily labelled as mental health care covering multiple dimensions e.g. social contact, employment/vocational support, housing, benefits, debt advice, exercise, healthy eating, alcohol management, sleep etc; Linking to physical health initiatives e.g. smoking cessation, long term conditions, integrated care pilots; 4. Empowering the person moving from patient to person Enabling people to make their own decisions about what they need to focus on in their life whole life mapping, recovery college style approach; Identifying clear routes into support to address social factors and the causes of their mental health problems domestic violence, sexual abuse, debt, housing, welfare benefits; Valuing social contact, volunteering, hobbies and employment.

  5. Summary Of Mental Health Practitioner Role

  6. How Does It Fit In? How Does It Fit In? Primary Care Secondary Secondary Care Care Service for All Common Mental health problems that can be self- managed or with minimal input i.e. IAPT, 3rd sector organisation input. Severe & Complex Mental Health requiring multidisciplinary approach and care co- ordination. Mental Health Practitioner/ Navigator

  7. What Can an MHP Potentially Do?

  8. How it is Working in Practice

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