Research Officer: Psychiatric Day Hospital Study
The Health Research Board (HRB), through its Mental Health Division,
conducts original epidemiological and health services research. The
division administers the National Psychiatric In-patient Reporting
System which provides detailed admission and discharge information on
patients attending psychiatric in-patient facilities. The division is
also responsible for the Westmeath and Roscommon psychiatric case
register.
The Board, in its programme of health services research in the mental
health field has recently completed and published an analysis of acute
psychiatric bed usage in the Eastern Health Board region. We are now
undertaking another project in this series and seek to appoint a
Research Officer to investigate the functioning of psychiatric day
hospitals. Day hospitals provide a range of supplementary in-patient
treatments on a day basis and are located in the community.
Applicants should have an honours degree in a health or social science
related discipline and should have an established background in research
and data analysis. Good interpersonal skills and familiarity with
computers systems including SPSS and Microsoft Office will be required.
Previous knowledge or experience working within the mental health
services would be advantageous.
Salary in the range of £22,556 - £25,500 per annum depending on
qualifications and experience. The contract will last for 18 months.
Applications with CV including the names of two referees should be sent
to:
The Secretary / Accountant
The Health Research Board
73 Lower Baggot Street
Dublin 2
By Friday 17th March 2000.
Further particulars available from the HRB website at www.hrb.ie or from
the
Health Research Board, 73 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-6761176, Fax: 01-6611856. E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Informal enquiries to: Dr. Ciaran Browne, Mental Health Division.
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Job description.
Research Officer Mental Health Division Health Research Board
Psychiatric Day Hospital Study
The Mental Health Division in the Health Research Board (HRB)
administers the National Psychiatric In-patient Reporting System (NPIRS)
and is responsible for the Westmeath and Roscommon psychiatric case
register. Established in 1971, these two databases are used extensively
for planning and research purposes.
Purpose
Psychiatric day hospitals were introduced shortly after the second world
war and rapidly proliferated, particularly in those services in the
forefront of providing community-based care. Currently there are 69 day
hospitals providing 1,113 day hospital places in Ireland. This study
will focus on the philosophies, policies and practices in relation to
the provision and usage of day hospitals in psychiatric care in Ireland.
Because it is clearly impracticable to survey all Irish psychiatric
services it is proposed to undertake the study on a sample basis. It is
intended, therefore, to carry out the study in two representative health
board areas, the Eastern Health Board and the Midland Health Board
psychiatric services. The study will consist of three phases. The
first will be the planning and preparatory phase, the second that of
carrying out the fieldwork and the third the analysis and write-up of
the findings. The preparatory phase will consist of literature review,
explorations of the role and function of day hospitals and day centres
in Irish psychiatric care in preparation for the fieldwork. The
fieldwork itself will consist of contacting and enlisting the
co-operation of service workers in the respective services, in
particular those in day hospitals and day centres. This will be
followed by a census of current attenders at chosen day hospitals and
day centres, a detailed analysis of their clinical and social status and
by a study of the characteristics of a random sample of new attenders.
The final phase will be concerned with the analysis and presentation of
results.
The Health Research Board invites applications for the post of Research
Officer in the Mental Health Division.
Role
1. To assist in designing an appropriate study plan and methodology
for the project.
2. To meet with clinical and administrative staff and identify
issues relating to the functioning of day hospitals appropriate to the
aims of the study.
3. To collect appropriate data for each of the study proposals.
4. To conduct suitable analysis of the data in conjunction with
other research staff from the division.
5. To provide a comprehensive report on the findings and present
results and recommendations to professionals in the Eastern and Midland
Health Board.
6. To carry out other duties as may be assigned to him/her from
time to time.
Reporting Requirements
The Research Officer will be supervised on a day to day basis by the
Senior Research Officer who reports to the Head of the Division.
Requirements
Applicants should have an honours degree in a health or social science
related discipline and should have an established background in research
and data analysis. Good interpersonal skills and familiarity with
computers systems including SPSS and Microsoft Office will be required.
Previous knowledge or experience working within the mental health
services would be advantageous.
Salary
Salary in the range of £22,556 - £25,500 per annum depending on
qualifications and experience (equivalent to Health Board Grade VI
scale), subject to review at 6 months. The contract will last for 18
months.
Application
Applications with CV including the names of two referees should be sent
to:
The Secretary / Accountant
The Health Research Board
73 Lower Baggot Street
Dublin 2
By Friday 17th March 2000.
Further particulars available from the HRB website at www.hrb.ie or from
the Health Research Board,
73 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6761176, Fax: 01-6611856.
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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