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What Makes a Good CAMHS Primary Mental Health Worker?
Author(s) -
Bradley Sally,
Hickey Nicole,
Kramer Tami,
Elena Garralda M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
child and adolescent mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1475-3588
pISSN - 1475-357X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2008.00496.x
Subject(s) - flexibility (engineering) , thematic analysis , mental health , psychology , primary care , nursing , qualitative research , medical education , applied psychology , medicine , psychiatry , family medicine , management , sociology , social science , economics
Background: The role of primary mental health worker (PMHW) in CAMHS was established in 1995 although comparatively little research has explored the attributes required to successfully undertake this role. Method: Qualitative interviews with PMHWs and staff working in primary care were conducted and thematic analysis was performed. Results: In addition to clinical skills and mental health knowledge all respondents consistently emphasised the importance of inter‐personal attributes such as general accessibility, flexibility, and self‐motivation. Conclusions: Both professional competencies and inter‐personal skills are perceived as important characteristics for PMHWs. It therefore seems appropriate for these to be made more explicit in competency frameworks.