Mental health practitioners

Mental health practitioners contribute to the ambition to develop integrated models of primary and community mental health care, supporting adults and older adults with severe mental illnesses to live well in their communities. Community mental health transformation defines those severely affected by mental illness, including but not limited to:

  • psychosis
  • bipolar disorder
  • ‘personality disorder’ diagnosis
  • eating disorders
  • severe depression
  • mental health rehabilitation needs

Some of these conditions may co-exist with other conditions such as frailty, cognitive impairment, neurodevelopmental conditions, or substance use.

Role and purpose

These roles were introduced to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) of the Network Contract DES in April 2021. Mental health practitioners are based in GP surgeries or neighbourhood settings to:

  • support people with severe mental illness or complex mental health needs
  • act as a ‘bridge’ between primary care and specialist mental health services
  • provide GPs and other primary care staff with timely support and advice
  • help relieve pressure on workloads
  • build stronger relationships with mental health services

These practitioners work alongside NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, and other primary care roles that provide mental health support.

Flexibility and local adaptation

Local areas can tailor the role to meet their needs, and we advise consulting with people with lived experience about the most useful support. A mental health practitioner role can be taken on by a wide range of staff with mental health expertise (ranging from Band 4-8a), including:

  • peer support workers
  • community psychiatric nurses
  • clinical psychologists
  • mental health social workers
  • mental health occupational therapists
  • mental health community connectors

Funding structure

The first mental health practitioner in a Primary Care Network (PCN) is funded 50/50 between:

  • primary care Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funding
  • funding held by integrated care systems (ICSs) for community mental health transformation

There is flexibility on funding for any additional mental health practitioners for each PCN. The roles are employed by mental health providers (or subcontracted to voluntary, community or social enterprise providers) and are embedded in primary care.

Supporting children and young people

Mental health practitioners can also be recruited to work with children and young people. These roles focus on:

  • supporting children and young people who present to primary care with identified or suspected mental health issues
  • offering access to mental health advice and additional support
  • supporting the NHS Long Term Plan aim for an additional 345,000 children and young people (aged 0-25) to access mental health services

Further resources

To learn more about mental health practitioners: