Dual Diagnosis Recovery Navigator

Job responsibilities

The post holder will be based in our Haringey service, and will be embedded into local mental health (acute/community) services, with co-location in Haringey substance misuse services. They will ensure that high quality services are delivered to service users with a dual diagnosis.

The post holder will provide specialist liaison between mental health teams, substance misuse teams, and focus on Unmet Mental Health (MH) Needs, navigating to and from MH in Haringey. They will act as a specialist resource to address the broad spectrum of unmet MH need within those who are already within substance misuse treatment for drug issues in Haringey. The post will sit in the community teams and support and advise on cases where there is a MH need.

The post will have strong links with community mental health services like IAPT and Mind in Haringey. The post holder will also work with BUBIC to understand the mental health needs of their clients to help better manage these through training and pathway development.

The post holder will work with public health commissioned mental health services and support campaigns. Theywill also assist key workers whose clients mental health is under the care of a GP.

The post holder will also provide training, advice and support in alignment with mental health and substance misuse teams in Haringey.

This post will hold a small caseload whereby they will focus in delivering structured psychosocial interventions including harm reduction strategies to those that were previously unable to access services by removing current barriers into treatment. This will reduce the potential for increased substance use and mental health related crisis and long-term reliance on statutory services.

The post holder will be responsible for undertaking substance misuse triage of service users, implementing and managing complex management plans in partnership with multidisciplinary teams in Haringey ensuring that effective and responsive plans are in place.

For more details, please refer to the post job description.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Possession of an appropriate qualification or relevant experience and can demonstrate its relevance to this role i.e. the National Diploma Level 3 in Substance Misuse and/or a minimum of two years' experience in the field of addictions

Desirable

• Experienced in the use of ITEP or other psychosocial interventions such as addictions counselling or Motivational Interviewing

Previous Experience

Essential

• Recent and relevant experience of working with clients experiencing issues with substance misuse
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of assessment of people with substance misuse and related problems

Desirable

• Some knowledge of working in liaison with GPs
• Experience of working in community settings
• Experience of working in dual diagnosis service
• Experience in case/care management for vulnerable and complex mental health and substance misuse problems
• Evidence of working with complex mental health and substance misuse service users within in-patient and/or community settings
• Able to apply advanced understanding of physical, psychological and social needs of complex mental health and substance mis-users - dual diagnosis
• Experience in contributing to multi agency case/care management plans for service users with dual diagnosis presentations
• Good theoretical and clinical skills in Trauma Informed Care and the ability to inter-relate complex presentations in women and Domestic Violence, substance misuse and mental health problems

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work independently if necessary and as part of a team, coupled with the ability to share skills, knowledge and experience
• An understanding of the principles and practice of harm minimization, and a commitment to work within the harm reduction model of practice
• The ability to conduct strength-based assessment eliciting a client's recovery capital.
• An awareness of the physical, psychological and social needs of substance misusers
• A commitment to obtain an understanding of the theories and practices of safeguarding procedures for children and vulnerable adults
• Ability to establish working therapeutic relationships and maintain professional boundaries
• Ability to work with stable drug users in a low threshold support setting
• Basic knowledge of blood borne infection (BBV) and their impact on this client group
• An understanding and knowledge of the main psychoactive drugs used by this client group, their effects and current treatments
• Ability to manage challenging behaviour/ crisis intervention
• Ability to work in sometimes highly distressing and emotional circumstances
• Willingness to handle body fluids, eg urine screening and body fluid spillages
• Ability to design training programs, educating others about substance use, health and social well-being in formal and informal settings
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written. To be able to communicate in English, both verbally and in writing
• Experience of using word processing and database, as well as a willingness to improve existing skills

Desirable

• An understanding of Public Health directives and their impact on service delivery
• Experience of using electronic case management systems
• Awareness of the Recovery Model
• Evidence of applying working knowledge of complex interactions in mental health and substance misuse
• Able to formulate assessment, risk and care management of dual diagnosis service users
• Evidence of ability to develop, sustain and provide support to individuals with drug, alcohol and mental health needs
• Evidence of knowledge and application of Mental Health Act, Orange and NICE Guidelines, plus National Drug & Alcohol Strategy.
• Evidence of knowledge of good practice guidelines on Dual Diagnosis and implications on service delivery
• Able to develop and maintain professional and service user relationships across multiple Hospital and Community settings

Other Requirements

Essential

• The ability to understand and implement Equal Opportunities Policy, at a level appropriate to the job.
• A non-judgmental approach to drug use and drug users.
• Willingness to deliver services in partner agencies and across multiple sites within the Trust.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).