mental health team

Question 1

What is a multi-disciplinary team?

Answer 1

A multidisciplinary team or MDT for short is simply a diverse group of professionals working together. The MDT would aim to deliver person-centred and coordinated care and support for the person with care needs.

Question 2

Which professionals would constitute an MDT

Answer 2

Nurses – may have specialist or management roles
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Speech and Language Therapy
Psychology
Pharmacist
Social Worker
Mental Health Officer
Admin staff
Medical staff – Consultant, Associate Specialist, Specialty Registrar, Core Trainee, Foundation Doctor

Question 3

Administrative Staff

Answer 3

Covers a number of roles including: Personal Assistant (PA); secretary; receptionist; ward clerk

Question 4

Consultant (Forensic) Psychiatrist

Answer 4

Medical Doctor
Recognised as a specialist with the General Medical Council (CCT or CESR)
Leads MDT
Diagnosis, assessment, management, treatment, risk assessment, risk management
Formal roles around legislation – ‘responsible medical officer’
Teaching and training and other non-clinical responsibilties

Question 5

Core Trainee

Answer 5

Post foundation training
Three Years
Rotate around specialties and tend to be with a team for 6-12 months
Will undertake day to day care of patients on the ward including physical care
Some outpatient responsibility
Under supervision and have a number of training tasks

Question 6

Specialty Trainee / Higher Trainee

Answer 6

Will have completed core training
Picked to train in one of 6 subspecialties
Undertake some of the roles of the consultant for patients but still under supervision
Still have to follow a training curriculum

Question 7

Senior Charge Nurse (SCN)

Answer 7

Registered Nurse
Most senior in the area with direct responsibility for the staff and patients in that area
Senior clinical and managerial leadership to a ward
Promote MDT working
Nursing tasks when needed
Manages and develops nursing team including: deputy charge nurses, staff nurses, health care support workers.

Question 8

Psychologist

Answer 8

Trained mental health professional
Assess and treat mental disorder using psychological approaches
Manualised therapies – CBT, DBT, MBT
Assessment using standardised approaches
Risk Assessment and Management Plans
Contribute psychological understanding to teams
Supervision

Question 9

Community Psychiatric Nurse

Answer 9

Registered Nurse
Assess and monitor mental health of patients in the community
Assess and monitor medication
Management of patients in transition from hospital to home
Risk management strategies eg drug testing
Practical tasks to assist with independent living
May have specialist assessment and diagnostic functions