Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)
About the Programme
In line with the government’s priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role is an exciting opportunity to deliver brief evidence-based early interventions. EMHPs work in educational settings, including primary and secondary schools, and further education colleges, as part of NHS led Mental Health Support Teams. The EMHP training programme is part of the national Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) initiative.
The training programme for EMHPs is 12 months in duration. Training consists of a combination of taught days provided by the Psychological Therapies Training Centre (PTTC), independent self-guided study days and closely supervised practice experience gained within Mental Health Support Teams. There are approximately 70 days of teaching on the course and we currently provide half of these online and half through face-to-face teaching in North Manchester. Teaching typically takes place on Thursdays and Fridays during term time.
During training, the post-holder will work under the supervision of their employing service to gain experience in providing brief interventions for children and young people who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems (principally anxiety and depression). Trainee EMHPs are also trained in providing support to educational settings with Whole School Approaches, designed to improve emotional well-being and mental health more broadly within schools and colleges.
The EMHP Training course is validated by the School of Health Sciences within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, at The University of Manchester. The PTTC is an accredited provider of EMHP training, registered with the British Psychological Society. Successful completion of training entitles trainees to join the BPS or BABCP register, and then work as a qualified EMHP.
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Programme Aims
The overall aim of the programme is to provide an introduction to the theory and practice of brief evidence-based interventions, specifically low intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) informed and parenting approaches drawing on Social Learning Theory (SLT).
Specific programme aims are:
To familiarise students with the core principles of the CYP IAPT service transformation and apply these to their work with CYP and families.
To familiarise students with the context of educational systems, develop skills of recognizing mental health issues within educational settings and support CYP and educational professionals with supporting and promoting mental health in an evidence-based way.
To provide students with a thorough grounding in the Department of Health curriculum for EMHP.
To develop students’ understanding and clinical competency in engaging, assessing and delivering the low intensity clinical method and enable them to adapt their practice to work effectively with children and young people (CYP), with common mental health difficulties and their parents/carers and professionals.
To provide students with the foundations to establish a commitment to continuing professional development and becoming an evidence-based practitioner.
To provide students with a high quality and stimulating learning experience in a supportive environment that is enriched by an internationally recognised research environment, nationally recognised innovative clinical teaching approaches and current clinical practice.
To develop students’ understanding of the legislative and policy frameworks, how schools / colleges are organised and challenges working with mental health issues in an educational setting.
To develop students’ understanding of common problems and experiences (including adversity and disadvantage) and support education of staff through training, implementing peer mentoring approaches and supporting classroom management in education settings.
To develop students’ understanding and clinical competency in consultation skills: the course will provide a framework for the EMHP to offer consultation to staff in relation to specific groups of children or young people, or in relation to individual children.
Who Can Apply
To undertake this training you will need to successfully apply for a post as a Trainee EMHP with one of our partnered employing NHS Trusts or related organisations across the North West of England. Applicants must have a sufficient level of relevant experience working with children and young people. An understanding of educational systems is also desirable. EMHP training is offered as a Postgraduate Diploma but you do not need have to have a degree to train as an EMHP. Candidates without an undergraduate degree are welcome and eligible to apply but must first demonstrate their ability to study at the required academic level by completing an essay as part of the selection process.
Successful candidates will be offered a paid, full-time 1-year fixed term contract as a Trainee EMHP, funded at NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) Band 4. Trainees who successfully complete the training will be eligible for employment in Mental Health Support Teams as qualified EMHP’s with a starting salary of NHS AfC Band 5.
The training course starts in September each year, and applicants must be available to start then.
We value diversity in all of it’s forms and we are dedicated to promoting diversity within our student body to better reflect the diverse communities that our practitioners will serve. We warmly welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of their background or protected characteristics. We particularly encourage individuals from Black, Asian, and other minority ethnic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities and men to apply, as these groups are currently underrepresented on our training programme.
Please be aware that this is not a training programme that you can apply for within your existing job role and you cannot apply directly to the training centre for this course.
Training Component
The training component is in the form of lectures, workshops and skills practice. There are approximately 70 days of teaching. Following the initial induction, attendance will mainly be two days a week on a Thursday & Friday over three academic terms.
How to Apply
The Trainee EMHP posts will usually be advertised on NHS Jobs and other websites between April and August. Please note this is an approximate timescale as the trainee posts are advertised by the recruiting services themselves.
To get an alert when a trainee post is advertised, you need to be registered with NHS Jobs and other recruitment websites. You can create a search for this role in My Searches and be automatically notified when any Trainee EMHP Posts are advertised.
Contact Us
We are happy to answer questions related to the course itself, but unfortunately are unable to provide any general career advice.
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