Mental Health Division
There are so many great reasons to come and work for us, and on this page, you will find out more about some of the individual Mental Health teams across NHS Dumfries & Galloway. Each division within our Health Board has a dedicated Manager which allows for excellent lines of communication for our different teams.
The Mental Health Service provides assessment and ongoing care for people across the region with mental disorders and mental health needs associated with increased risks; significant impairment to functioning and/or complex problems and who may have significant difficulties engaging in support and treatment.
The Service comprises professionals from a range of disciplines who work together to deliver comprehensive care that addresses individual needs. These professionals work within a range of teams/services. Each of these teams/services share the same NHS values, working to service objectives, and promoting collaborative, coordinated, person-centred care. These teams/services include:
- Community Mental Health Nursing Teams
- Intellectual Disability Service
- Psychology service
- AHP service
- In-Patient Team
- Psychiatry Team (Consultant Psychiatrist)
- CAMHS service
- Crisis and Assessment Team (CATS)
- Psychiatric Liaison Team (DGRI)
- Specialist Drug and Alcohol Team
- Prison service
Why work for NHS Dumfries & Galloway?
- Smaller teams providing a real sense of community within the workplace
- Positive culture throughout the organisation
- Visible and approachable senior managers
- Free parking across all of our sites
- Regular social events in and out of work hours
- State of the art facilities including clinical training spaces and simulation suite
Key Features of Mental Health Services
- Small friendly effective team working
- Modern recently built inpatient facilities at Midpark providing an excellent working environment.
- Well developed remote working practice
- Small cohesive community teams working across a largely rural area
- Good links with partner agencies and third sector
- Opportunity to be involved in local sub specialty teams
- Well staffed and resourced services
- Effective Consultant group
- Opportunity and support to develop special interests both locally and nationally
- Trading and development encouraged and supported
- A real chance to shape and design service via a small and effective management team.
Find out more about some of our teams/services
Please note that there are further services within the Mental Health division that are not listed below.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health service sits under the Women, Children and Sexual Health Directorate. For information on CAMHS, please click here.
Mental Health AHP Service
The Mental Health Allied Health Profession service covers the whole region of Dumfries and Galloway, services include: Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Dietetics and Speech & Language Therapy. As a small specialist team we are in the fortunate position to be able to work closely with a wide variety of teams across a wide variety of clinical and specialist areas. Staff have opportunities to develop their clinical knowledge and skills across many fields of practice from acute inpatients, to rehabilitation, to Intellectual disabilities to Specialist, Drug and Alcohol, Dementia and Community Mental Health. Although we cover a wide geographical area, specialist teams tend to be small and this is great for collaborative working and getting to know your colleagues across nursing, medical, psychological, AHP, and wider community and third sector teams. We are seen as integral team members and play key roles in wider service delivery. Please click here to view our AHP Division page for more information on AHP services.
Why work for us...
- We are a small, friendly, supportive, specialist service, with regular team meetings, peer support and training
- Opportunities to work across many different speciality areas to increase knowledge and gain wider skill set
- We work as one team across the region in inpatient and secondary care and therefore are able to follow patients through their whole journeys
- Supported learning time to work on service improvement projects, continual professional development, and involvement in national work
- Ability to network within specialist national groups and represent Dumfries and Galloway at this level
- We actively support student education
- Increased use of technology and flexible ways of working
- Continually looking to improve and modernise our service
“I started as an Mental Health OT with NHS D&G in January 2021. I have been delighted that the staff team were so welcoming and friendly right from day 1! Very quickly I’ve been booked onto OT courses (such as AMPS) and I’m thrilled that the department are so forward thinking and proactive in training their new staff.”
Mental Health Occupational Therapist
Psychological Services
Based at Mountainhall Treatment Centre we are a friendly, dynamic team, offering high quality, effective, evidence-based psychological input to a wide range of services, across all ages, across the region. We work closely with our colleagues in the Mental Health Directorate and with a wide range of staff and teams across health and social care.
Why work for us...
- We value continuing professional development for our staff ensuring we deliver high quality psychological interventions that reflect the latest evidence base.
- We value sharing our knowledge and skills with other professional groups via a variety of teaching and training opportunities that aim to support a workforce offering psychologically-informed care.
- We have representation throughout all levels of the Health Board as well as on national groups and forums.
- Service development and innovation is a high priority, for example, over the last year, we have adapted our services to offer a fast access telephone service (SHOW); delivering high quality psychological input remotely using NHS Near Me and developed a highly regarded service for individual staff and teams in health and social care.
- Having one main base at MTC, we have a high level of interaction and communication between the different services within the Department.
Specialist Drugs & Alcohol
The NHS Specialist Drug & Alcohol Service provides a Dumfries and Galloway region wide service, with 2 bases; one in Dumfries at Lochfield Road Primary Care Centre and one at Newton Stewart at Masonfield Health Centre, however staff also work throughout the region at various GP surgeries. The Service operates a “harm reduction” and “recovery focused” model to treating Service Users with drug and alcohol related problems. The Service aims to provide a gold standard specialist service that is Safe, Effective and Recovery Focused with the Service User at the centre. Staff develop knowledge and skills to meet the needs of service users with multiple co-morbidities including addiction, mental and physical health problems.
The Service has a range of staff including a Consultant Psychiatrist, Mental Health and General Adult nursing staff, Specialist Pharmacists, a Specialist Occupational Therapist, 2 CBT Therapists, 2 Motivational Interviewing National Coaches, a trainee Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Non Medical Prescribers, an Assertive Outreach Specialist Nurse, Drug and Alcohol Liaison Team, an Associate Practitioner, Health Care Support Workers, a Drug Outreach Worker and service administration staff.
The Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service offers the following services:
- Alcohol detoxification
- Support with alcohol reduction
- Opiate replacement therapy /Medication Assisted Treatment
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Mental health support
- Non Medical Prescribing for alcohol and drug pharmacotherapy
- Consultant led Alcohol Review Clinic
- Shared care with local GP practices
- Assertive Outreach provision
- Drug and Alcohol Liaison Service for inpatients at DGRI, Galloway Community Hospital and Midpark Hospital
- Weekend Liaison service cover
- The Service provides ease of access for Service Users to BBV testing, vaccination and treatment
- General health checks
Why work for us...
- We have a team that is knowledgeable, friendly, approachable and supportive of other staff
- The service works collaboratively with a number of other services including 3rd Sector Services, Social Services, Police, GP Practices and Pharmacies
- Excellent facilities at Lochfield Road, designed with the Service and Service user in mind
- Nursing staff are given the opportunity to work autonomously to manage their individual caseloads with support from Team Leads and their peers
- Self direction and decision making are encouraged to empower staff and make them feel valued and motivated.
- There are a range of development opportunities that include CBT, MI, Non Medical Prescribing, advanced practice and trauma based care, including clinical training spaces and simulation suite
- Staff well being is a priority for the Service and its staff
- The Service is progressive and embraces innovation and new ideas
- Nurse led Medication Assisted Treatment Clinic for same day prescribing for ORT
- Buvidal / espranor as well as methadone for ORT
- Assertive Outreach Specialist nurses working jointly with We Are With You Assertive outreach staff to reduce the risk of overdose in high risk service users
- Drug and Alcohol Liaison Team working jointly with acute hospital staff and community addiction staff
- The service provides a range of training for other staff working with people with drug and alcohol problems
- Training around various psychological therapies
- Up to date with technology. In the service we use : Point of Care testing to facilitate same day prescribing, NEBULA prescribing system, Kardia mobile ECG technology and NHS Near Me
- Award winning team - Celebrating excellence Award - Naloxone team lead winner 2015, Mentor team of the year 2016,LGBT Gold charter award 2016
Hear from our staff...
What do you like most about living in Dumfries and Galloway?
“I like the access to the outdoors, particularly areas of less explored dynamic landscapes such as the Galloway Forest Park and Galloway hills, nature reserves, Solway coast. It is also close to Wanlockhead – Scotland’s highest village, historical sites and good for winter sports and hiking”
Community Addictions Staff Nurse
“I like the wildlife, the countryside – hills, forests, sea shore and the vast array of hobbies available with vibrant communities and varied cultural events all year round”
Mental Health Nurse Specialist Addictions
What do you feel are the best things about working for our service?
- The service provides staff an opportunity to help support a very vulnerable group
- Daily Staff feedback sessions for support and guidance
- There is a really good balance between independent working and peer support
- An opportunity to build up specialist skills and knowledge
- The service value of self improvement and development and opportunities to facilitate this
“The staff are knowledgeable, experienced, supportive and friendly and there are excellent facilities at Lochfield road”
Mental Health Nurse Specialist Addictions.