Day in the life of Jameire Vaughan, Senior Education Mental Health Practitioner | Talking #TeamCWPT blog

Jameire is a senior education mental health practitioner (EMHP) in the Mental Health in Schools Team for Rugby. The Mental Health in Schools Team is an NHS service that has been introduced as part of the national plans to expand mental health services for children, young people and their families within the education setting.

"Working across Coventry and Warwickshire, we are here to provide mental health interventions, advice, and liaison with specialist services to help children and young people get the right support. We work closely with schools to develop their 'whole school approach' to mental health and wellbeing.

The role of the senior EMHP is broad and involves delivering low-intensity interventions to young people from different backgrounds, supporting whole-school approach initiatives and providing case management and clinical skills supervision to staff in the team. The role has also grown to include responsibilities within working party groups that focus on specific projects to develop the service.

I have been working in RISE for four years and was part of the first wave of the EMHP training. The reason I chose to enter the EMHP profession four years ago was connected to my experiences working in schools and noticing first-hand children's increasing mental health difficulties. I wanted to support and influence change for children's mental health in the school setting. Working as an EMHP often reminds me of the privilege I have in supporting children and families, which is not possible without the partnership with our schools.

Since starting at CWPT, there have been many opportunities to grow within the service. I started a secondment in 2022 to start my journey as a supervisor. This led to the successful completion of the low-intensity supervisors training course in August 2023."

You have heard about the fantastic support Jameire gives to patients in her role as a senior EMHP, now here's a glimpse into what a day in her life looks like

Before 9am

I get up early to get myself ready for the day and travel to The Railings or a school in Rugby if I have appointments. If it is a really good day and I am up extra early, I sometimes start my mornings at the gym before work. As a senior EMHP, my day-to-day duties can vary. It may involve clinical supervision, treatment or assessments with young people, school workshops or team meetings. I am going to talk you through what my working day looks like on a Monday.

9am

My working day usually starts at 9am. I arrive at Locke House and start my day by catching up on emails, preparing for my next appointments over the working week by resource finding, printing and agenda setting.

10am

I start clinical supervision sessions with my supervisees to discuss and support with different cases, where we collaboratively decide suitable treatments, next action points and discharges.

12pm

I finish off any outstanding supervision notes, actions and emails before breaking for lunch. Those who work with me will know my go-to lunch is a jacket potato, ideally with veggie chilli and cheese!

1pm

Now it is time for our weekly referral screening meeting. The team lead, fellow senior EMHPs and I meet to discuss new referrals from our partnership schools. We will take time to screen, discuss and triage based on the needs of the child.

2:30pm

At this point in the day, my duties can vary vastly. I am usually either writing signposting letters, having clinical discussions with colleagues or at a school to start an appointment with a young person. Appointments can vary and be allocated time for initial assessments, reviews, treatment sessions or meetings with school staff.

4pm

I usually spend my day finishing any documentation, clinical notes or letters that are outstanding from previous appointments or meetings.

5pm onwards

I finish for the day and travel back home. When I am home I make dinner, prepare lunch for the next day and head to the gym if I have not been in the morning before work.

In the evenings I try to keep active where I can, even if it is a walk to my local park. I also take dance classes midweek to help with my own wellbeing and help reset for the next day.

Progression routes into mental health services are ever-changing and growing. However, I plan to apply for my professional registration as an EMHP. I look forward to continuing to help shape the MHST service and build stronger connections with our schools.