St. Columcilles Hospital (SCH) Loughlinstown is located on the border of County Wicklow. It is a model 2 hospital and is aligning itself to the Slintecare vision and provides a range of services to a diverse population covering South County Dublin and County Wicklow. St. Columcilles Hospital is committed to providing a quality, patient-focused service in a way that meets all patient needs in an equitable, efficient and safe manner. We acknowledge the contribution of each member of staff.
The Centre for Obesity Management in St Columcilles Hospital (www.schcom.ie) and St Vincents University Hospital is a National Referral Centre for Bariatric Surgery, and part of the European Association for the Study of Obesitys ''Collaborating Centres for Obesity Management'' (COMs) initiative, a network of accredited multidisciplinary treatment centres - https://easo.org/coms.
The post-holder will join a highly experienced multi-disciplinary team, including physiotherapists, dietitians, psychologists, social worker, occupational therapists, nurses, endocrinologists/bariatric physicians, and surgeons, dedicated to providing the highest standards of care to people living with obesity. The team provides Level 3 (outpatient programme) and Level 4 (inpatient rehabilitation and bariatric surgery) services, delivering an integrated and coordinated programme of care to patients with severe and complex obesity. The team has a track record of high-quality undergraduate and post-graduate education, funding and publication of clinical and translational research, and audit and annual KPI reports. The team is actively involved in collaborative practices with national and international peer advocacy organisations (e.g. Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity) and academic/treatment centres to further advance the study and treatment of obesity. This is a dynamic, enthusiastic and compassionate team, committed to high-quality patient care and further service improvement and expansion, including continued development of hybrid and remote service delivery models.
The growing and vibrant Psychology department is an integral part of the service offering psychological assessment and intervention to individuals across all Level 3 and 4 services. Following psychological assessment, individual and/or group therapeutic interventions are offered based on clinical need for psychological issues such as eating disorder, trauma, emotionally driven eating, anxiety, depression, and associated internalised weight bias, in addition to any psychological issues that may impact on an individual''s ability to engage with their treatment programme or impede post-surgical adjustment. The department has a key role in the development of service-based initiatives, integrated care pathways, education, advocacy, research, and contributions to national policy and clinical guideline development. There is a strong emphasis within the department on continued service development, personal professional development, self-care, and caseload management. There are also funding opportunities available for training.
The post holder will report to the Principal Psychologist, Dr. Cara Grda.
To provide a senior level of professional practice, clinical leadership, educational and professional development with The Centre for Obesity Management at St. Columcilles Hospital.
The Senior Clinical Psychologist will:
Provide psychology service delivery within the Level 3 (Outpatient) and Level 4 (Surgical) services.
Provide clinical expertise, supervision, teaching, and CPD for psychologists and the wider MDT within the Level 3 and 4 services to promote a wide variety of high-quality & clinically effective interventions.
Collaborate in the clinical assessment, case management, and delivery of complex interventions to high-risk patients attending the service, including individuals with complex childhood trauma, eating disorders, and other psychological issues that may impact an individual''s ability to engage with their treatment such as depression, anxiety, internalised weight bias, severe and enduring mental health issues, and chronic pain.
Contribute to the clinical triage of care pathways that deliver tailored interventions including prioritisation for (a) the COM Inpatient Rehabilitation Programme within St Columcilles Hospital and (b) case preparation and consideration for progression to bariatric surgery within the Level 4 service.
Demonstrate evidence-based practice through the process of advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making and apply this to the assessment, formulation, and treatment of complex cases.
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