Are you a member yet? Membership is open to all and is the first step towards accreditation.
EMHPs work across educational and health care settings (such as schools, colleges, social, mental health or learning disability settings) within a metal health support team (MHST), using a range of psychological interventions and skills to support children and young people with mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and behavioural difficulties. EMHPs work collaboratively with children, young people, schools and collages alongside other professionals to increase access to interventions and support for those who may be experiencing difficulties who are not receiving or suitable for specialist mental health services. In some settings, EMHPs will also need to liaise with parents, carers and families.
The role of a EMHP includes providing person centred assessment, thorough risk assessment, providing evidence based treatment interventions (including guided self-help and therapeutic activities), EMHPs also have a pivotal role in promoting improvements in organisational approaches to emotional health and wellbeing and supporting and signposting education workers in accessing further information to ensure children and young people are receiving appropriate support. EMHPs will also signpost to other agencies and refer more complex cases to the appropriate systems of care for more support when appropriate.
Interventions are provided on a one-to-one basis or in groups and can be delivered via telephone, video or face to face. In addition to direct interventions, EMHPs provide support and consultation to staff within CYP services
Treatment interventions are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Social Learning theory. CBT informed interventions focus on areas where the person wishes to change how they feel, think or behave to help improve how they feel and their quality of life.
To train as a EMHP, you need to apply for a post as a trainee EMHP in a healthcare organisation. These roles are advertised on NHS Jobs website.
Training routes are available for those who do not have an honours degree as well as those who are graduates who can meet the academic requirements for the post graduate level qualification. You can train for either a graduate or post graduate certificate but you will need to be able to demonstrate you can study at degree level or above and are committed to completing the training.
All applicants must be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and experience of working with children and young people and mental health.
EMHP’s who successfully secure a trainee post will complete 12 month training programme which will include academic teaching and work alongside supervised practice. The training is fully funded and you will usually be paid a band 4 AfC salary during your training year.
For further information on entry and training requirements please see here.
Once you are qualified and experienced as a EMHP there are opportunities for you to develop your skills further such as supervisory training/role and ongoing skills development training. EMHP is an evolving role and there may be opportunities to progress into more senior roles in line with national and regional developments. EMHP’s may also later go on to train as Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist or Psychologists.
If you completed NHS funded training you will usually be unable to access further NHS funded training in a new roles such as CBT training until you have a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience. (Any queries regarding this should be directed to the service and/or training provider.)
On April 24 2023 Registration for EMHPs was launched. From April 24 2024, EMHPs will be required to be registered with either British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) or the British Psychological Society (BPS). The registers are already open and the BPS and BABCP websites have all the details about what is required and how the registration process works.