Mental Health in Primary Care Competencies Matrix |
Skills for Health and the National Workforce Skills Development Unit (NWSDU) at Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust are working on creating an overarching matrix of primary care mental health frameworks. Following a literature review of existing mental health frameworks, we have gathered a list of competencies organised in 6 domains or clusters covering different aspects of mental health care in primary care. In order to take into account the variety of the primary care workforce and the differences in competencies needed per job, we have also followed a Tier system from lighter to heavier involvement with patients with potential MH problems:
- Tier 1: Staff who have significant non-clinical contact with patients and are not involved in the long-term planning of their care. E.g. dental and optometry administrative staff, receptionists, health care assistants.
- Tier 2: Staff who may have non-clinical contact with patients, but who hold responsibility for the planning and delivery of clinical services e.g. Practice Managers, Commissioners.
- Tier 3: Staff who have clinical contact with patients, but who are unlikely to be the first contact for mental health problems e.g. Practice nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, health visitors (dentists, optometrists).
- Tier 4: Staff who have clinical contact with patients who may present to them with Mental Health difficulties and/or require onward referral and/or treatment e.g. General Practitioners, GP Registrars, Advanced Practitioners, other clinical staff.
Specialist Mental Health clinicians (e.g. psychologists, psychiatrists, etc.) have not been included in the Tier system as they would be following their own professional guidelines and be experts in this field.
We welcome primary care users, staff and mental health workers as well as members of relevant organisations to participate in this survey as their opinion and experience will be of high value to inform guidelines and self-assessment tool to support CPD and workforce planning. Completion will take about 20 minutes and results will be completely anonymous following data protection legislation (Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR). Many thanks!
We welcome primary care users, staff and mental health workers as well as members of relevant organisations to participate in this survey as their opinion and experience will be of high value to inform guidelines and self-assessment tool to support CPD and workforce planning. Completion will take about 20 minutes and results will be completely anonymous following data protection legislation (Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR). Many thanks!