1. BEING AN ASSOCIATE PSYCHOLOGIST Madeleine Fitzpatrick Associate Psychologist

2. HOW I BECAME AN ASSOCIATE PSYCHOLOGIST My route - BSc Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast - MSc in Applied Psychology at the University of Ulster - Psychology experience My experience - NIAMH –support worker - Voluntary Assistant Psychologist RBHSC - Assistant Psychologist for people with an intellectual disability

3. ASSISTANT PSYCHOLOGIST  My role - Clinical work with those with an intellectual disability. - Assessments for eligibility - Behavioural interventions - Research/audits  Who did I work with? - Clients - Clinical Psychologist (supervisor) - MDT team members – collaborative practice to provide client centred care

4. ASSISTANT PSYCHOLOGIST The Benefits The work – very rewarding job! The pay (Band 4) The experience – finally getting to put everything into practice! The Challenges Getting an Assistant Psychologist job The demands Finding your feet at the beginning

5. BEING AN ASSOCIATE PSYCHOLOGIST  Associate Psychologist in the Community Brain Injury Team. Who do I work with?  People >18yrs who have an acquired brain injury.  Often transferred from inpatient settings (e.g RABIU) to the community.  Rehabilitation - interdisciplinary team  Range of different professionals

6. BEING AN ASSOCIATE PSYCHOLOGIST  What do I do? - Neuropsychological assessments/reports - Behavioural interventions - Low intensity interventions for range of presentations - Research/audits - Attend reviews and team meetings - Run therapeutic groups - Attend supervision

7. A DAY AS AN ASSOCIATE PSYCHOLOGIST  9.00: Arrive into work.  9.15: Referral and allocation meeting.  10.00: Write up neuropsychological assessment reports/ telephone calls with professionals involved with clients  11.30: Meet client at their home for anxiety management work  13.00: Lunch with colleagues (this is important!)

8. A DAY AS AN ASSOCIATE PSYCHOLOGIST  13.30: Meet client at their home for anger management work.  15.00: Conduct a neuropsychological assessment in a clinic room at work  16.30: Transcribe my paper notes onto an electronic database.  17.15: Home time!

9. BEING AN ASSOCIATE PSYCHOLOGIST  The Benefits - Working with such a diverse range of presentations - Learning about myself and developing new skills - The pay (Band 5)  The Challenges - Time management - Difficult cases - Learning about myself

10. WHAT’S NEXT  Doctorate in Clinical Psychology – training to be a clinical psychologist.

11. MORE INFORMATION ON ASSISTANT PSYCHOLOGIST POSTS Guidelines for the employment of Assistant Psychologists www.bps.org.uk www.dcp-ni.bps.org.uk

12. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING Any questions?