Congratulations to Shari Grant and Shwan Rashid who have passed their Foundation Certificates with the CMHP recently.
The foundation certificate assesses professionals use and application of knowledge within common mental health conditions. Passing the certificate shows through the successful completion of recognised mental health courses and examination of that knowledge through a Viva, that candidates have a good understanding of the management of these conditions and that they are using this knowledge to share learning and improve patient care.
Shari Grant is Advanced GP Clinical Pharmacist at Newburn Healthcare which is a GP Practice in Aberdeen City Centre. She has shared some her story with us:
“I started working in this GP practice in 2019 and I saw a huge need for mental health services within the primary care. Over time I have been developing my knowledge and skills in this area. During my training to become a prescriber, I took the decision to take an interest in prescribing in Mental Health. After becoming a qualified prescriber, I thought it was important to seek out some further training and support for pharmacists working in this sector. This is when I found the CMHP website and I signed up for the Psych 1 course. Alongside this, I have also done specialized certificate in the Management of Problem Drug Use. Since these courses, I have developed 2 pharmacist led clinics within my practice - Anxiety/Depression review clinic and also a Substance Misuse Clinic.
“I felt that I wanted to start working towards accreditation and the first step for me was to carry out the Foundation Certificate. The process to complete the certificate was great and I felt it was made very clear what was expected in order to pass. Although any type of viva can be daunting, I felt that the examiners made me feel super relaxed as well as providing me with really quick and positive feedback. I felt it was important for me to have the Foundation Certificate behind me to validate my prior training and to start me on the path towards further training and accreditation.”
Shwan Rashid is the GP Practice Pharmacist at St James Surgery, Dover.
Commenting about the certificate he said: "I developed my interest in Mental health two years ago during the pandemic, and I was amazed how little I knew about the subject as it was hardly mentioned in our course at University. I attended the wonderful Psych 1 and Psych 2 course and I have joined the wonderful CMHP and learned more about credentialing but I didn't have the experience behind me, so the Foundation Certificate was ideal while I build up my experience towards credentialling. The preparation for the certificate was manic as I had a lot of ground to make up, but all turned out fine on the day, the interviewers made me feel valued and supported and I really enjoyed it. If you are reading this, go for it!"
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