Dual Diagnosis Lead

The post-holder will take responsibility for the provision of a high quality service for those diagnosable with a dual diagnosis, under the auspices of the Trust’s Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Directorate.

Alongside carrying a clinical caseload, the post-holder will provide structured guidance, supervision and advice to other mental health staff in relation to their working practice with this service user group. The post holder will promote awareness and best practice across community and inpatient teams, actively supporting positive attitudes and a consistent approach towards assessment and treatment of this service user group using evidenced based interventions and treatment frameworks.

You will sit within the community mental health service management structure but clinically supervised and supported by the trust's Dual Diagnosis Clinical Lead. You will be a core member of the community mental health team providing integrated stage focused treatment and support colleagues across the community service to ensure mainstreaming of service provision for patients with dual disorders takes place.

You will be supported and empowered in your role to lead and inspire your colleagues in the treatment of substance misuse, ensuring appropriate caseload management, complex risk assessment and formulation whilst providing social support and delivering brief motivational interventions for clients with dual disorders. You will work closely with the other dual diagnosis workers across the county and be a central part of this developing team.

The post holder will need to have a strong understanding of dual treatments and foster and lead on positive joint working practice with the local drug and alcohol agencies and recovery networks within your area.

This post is a permanent position and the post holder will be allowed to prescribe within the role if you are already a non-medical prescriber. You will be supported by the trust to complete the training if you wish, and there will be an expectation to work towards this qualification as prescribing is a highly beneficial part of the role although not essential.

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone’s throw away from bustling city centers like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone

Relocation packages are available.
- To take a lead in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions for people with a Dual Diagnosis within a designated geographical area or as required by the Service
- To work within the framework of the Trust’s Individual Care Programme Approach (ICPA), ensuring evidenced
- based practice is reflected throughout the process of recovery focused interventions
- To work within the principles of the Trust’s Dual Diagnosis Policy and to help with early identification of people who might benefit from the service and/or who might be diagnosable with co-existing disorders
- To act as Care Coordinator for a caseload of people diagnosable with a Dual Diagnosis, assessing their needs, and developing their recovery care plan, coordinating and reviewing their care and treatment outlined in the plan, offering direct individual and group interventions to these and other service users where appropriate
- To provide group interventions if agreed within a local job plan
- To guide assessment, formulation and treatment planning for people with a Dual Diagnosis by other Care Coordinators and/or by community and inpatient teams. This will include taking a lead in developing formulations for service users and to promote best practice in positive risk management amongst teams working with this client group.
- To work collaboratively and flexibly with the multi-professional teams in the community and inpatients wards to co-ordinate a coherent psychological approach towards Dual Diagnosis in the Trust, actively promoting continuity of care and approach between Wards & Community Teams