Substance Misuse/Dual Diagnosis Worker

ABOUT THE ROLE

We have a new service based in Lewisham, we are looking for a specialist to join the team as a Substance Misuse/Dual Diagnosis Worker. You will be based within our SLaM Independent Community Rehabilitation Service which runs 24 hours a day. It provides specialist enhanced rehabilitation support to adults typically aged between 18 and 65 who are diagnoses with severe and enduring mental health needs, who would benefit from an intensive rehabilitation and recovery-focused approach. We provide accommodation and support across two sites in Catford.

In this role, you will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to achieve improved outcomes. You will  deliver evidence-based interventions based on holistic assessments to support personalised recovery, integration, and promotion of independent living skills. You will work to the long term support needs of our residents and work towards facilitating improved outcomes. 

Shift Pattern:  This role is part time 22.5 hours per week which could range 09:00- 17:00 or 14:00 - 22:00

Benefits, including Non-Contractual Perks

• 25 days annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Medicash includes discount gym memberships, routine optometry care, dental treatments, and physiotherapy treatments
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards

If you have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to make a real difference in people's lives, challenge stigma and make our communities safer, we would love to hear from you!

ABOUT YOU

This role is perfect for someone who is driven to provide high quality, effective and person-centred support to others. We are passionate about what we do and welcome the same drive, values, and interest in performing in our field. We are looking for someone who has a trauma-informed approach in everything they do, who thrives when working as part of a team, be effective at communicating, and able to build long-term purposeful relationships.
Initiative, adaptability, and proactiveness will be essential in this role, being able to follow processes and policies and resolve any challenges face on. 

If you are compassionate, supportive and empowering to others do keep reading!

OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Set up realistic and flexible strengths-based support plans, working closely with colleagues and support teams to support and advise on interventions and approaches to meet resident/participant needs.
  Include appropriate substance misuse interventions within support plans for those with co-occurring substance dependence and mental health need devising systematic plans for care; implementing this plan; coordinating the input of others and evaluating effectiveness.
• Undertake joint holistic assessments and risk assessments with residents/participants to help determine service and support needs and identify where these can be met. Provide outcome-based support measured against goals, recovery, and achievements.
• Encourage residents/participants to identify and define their own goals and work towards being resilient and independent as possible, support with reducing reliance on clinical interventions and hospitalisations. 
• Promote active involvement of those with substance dependency and dual diagnosis, assist residents/participants to identify their own strengths, personal interests and goals and support them to access and participate in activities of their choice.
• Undertake time-limited, SMART, and a range of evidence-based interventions such as 1-1’s, including harm minimisation, increasing awareness and motivation through stages of change and relapse prevention.
• Support in creating and maintaining a welcoming, psychologically informed home environment for residents/participants, ensuring a continuous focus on safety, health, and wellbeing.
• Positively promote and support connections with local communities and boroughs of SIG’s services and liaise with other teams to maintain and share knowledge and links to support people to access resources which include print, personal and digital.
• Develop community links and liaise regularly with a range of agencies and individuals across voluntary and third sector services in the community including but not limited to; drug and alcohol services, supported employment schemes, gyms and healthy living programmes, recovery colleges, and benefits and advice agencies.
• Act as a role model for staff of all disciplines and grades working with people with co-occurring mental health, alcohol and/or drug problems. 
• Share knowledge and skills to help enhance awareness around dual diagnosis and best practice, challenges, and services available with other services of Social Interest Group.

Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position. 

KEY CRITERIA

What we are looking for:

• Knowledge, understanding and experience of working with people of complex backgrounds. Ideally ex-offenders, those with enduring mental health, substance misuse and challenging behaviours
• Experience of assessing needs and strengths, and supporting people with dual diagnosis and complex needs
• Previous experience in a similar role, providing holistic assessments and support for people experiencing mental illness who use substances
• IT Proficiency, including Microsoft Office, and the ability to navigate and learn new case management systems and other types of organisational software
• Able to recognise ill health and additional support and need for interventions
• Knowledge of the interactions between mental health problems and drug and alcohol use and the issues facing people trying to stabilise their situation
• Applied knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management, particularly in relation to harm minimisation
• Ability to engage those who may be hard to reach, able to influence and negotiate positive outcomes with others

What we would like, but not essential:

• Experience in delivering training in motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Theory informed approaches and other relevant recovery models

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

WORKING FOR US

ABOUT US

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.

Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change

Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

Our Values

Ambition – Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people

Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential

Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff

Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.