Dual Diagnosis Nurse
Job Description
Job summary
Change Grow Live is one of the UKs leading health and social care charities and the Dual Diagnosis Nurse role is a varied one. You will be supporting people with multi-faceted issues related to the impact of substance use on their physical and mental health.
Nurses working are an integral member of our multidisciplinary teams, offering specialist clinical interventions to people who use our services. Every person who comes into our service is treated as an individual, so understanding the importance of a whole person approach along with being curious, a good listener, a clinically robust practitioner and having a flexible approach are essential skills.
At Change Grow Live we want to support you to recognise and achieve your goals:
- We hold regular national nurse and HCA forums, and you will have regular 1:1s and appraisals.
- We actively support our nurses to revalidate with protected continuing professional development time, which totals up to 6 days per year.
- We also have a wide range of educational opportunities including free access to the RCNi learning platform and we pay for your NMC fee.
- We offer you the opportunity to use the government backed Apprenticeship Levy fund to develop nursing practice in line with your specific role.
- All our staff are encouraged to take a wellbeing hour every week and access personal well -being resources.
Main duties of the job
Work to the core CGL substance misuse nurse job description with additional role specific requirements:
Provide bespoke interventions for identified service users, with the aim of engaging people in the most appropriate service for their needs, reducing re-presentations and bringing about positive outcomes.
Support the development of joint working protocols with mental health services and substance misuse services (including Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs), Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services).
Review service users presenting to services and undertake specialist mental health assessments as required.
Identify the training and support needs of colleagues working with this group of service users and deliver training or provide support as appropriate.
Identify any gaps in dual diagnosis provision and provide examples of good practice to inform future pathway and service design.
Improve communication and referral pathways between substance misuse and mental health teams and other services involved in the care and treatment of people with dual diagnosis.
Provide a case management role for identified dual diagnosis service users as appropriate.
About us
Believe in people
At Change Grow Live, above all else we believe in people. It's the one thing that acts as a foundation for all our work.
If you use our services: we understand what you're going through. We won't judge. We believe you can make positive changes in your life.
If you work or volunteer for us: we believe in your potential. We believe you can do brilliant, life-changing work.
Our mission and vision
Our mission is to help people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential.
The vision we're working towards is to develop, deliver and share a whole person approach that changes society.
We believe that having diverse people working as part of our team makes us the organisation that we are.
We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds to help us to provide the best possible experience for the people who use our services and to make Change Grow Live a great place to work.
The safety of vulnerable children, young people and adults is our absolute priority. We will support you in your role to make sure that you are equipped to support the safety of people who use our services and those around them, to the highest standard possible.
Job responsibilities
Provide bespoke interventions for identified service users, with the aim of engaging people in the most appropriate service for their needs, reducing re-presentations and bringing about positive client outcomes.
Support the development of joint working protocols with mental health services and substance misuse services (including Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs), Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services).
Review service users presenting to services and undertake specialist mental health assessments as required.
Identify the training and support needs of colleagues working with this group of service users and deliver training or provide support as appropriate.
Identify any gaps in dual diagnosis provision and provide examples of good practice to inform future pathway and service design.
Improve communication and referral pathways between substance misuse and mental health teams and other services involved in the care and treatment of people with dual diagnosis.
Provide a case management role for identified dual diagnosis service users as appropriate.
Clinical Practice
Undertake physical and mental health assessments for people who access our services when indicated by clinical need and ensure appropriate sign posting/referral to primary care or appropriate secondary health care services for identified health issues.
Undertake assessments for all alcohol individuals who use our services as indicated in the Change Grow Live Alcohol Policy and Procedure, using the outcome to determine safe detoxification as required.
Assist in the titration process for opioid individuals who use our services as required by service need to ensure the service user achieves an optimum dose of opioid substitution therapy (OST). This process is supported by good communication to other team members, including community pharmacists.
Provide education, health promotion and screening for blood borne viruses (BBV). Provide Hepatitis A and or B vaccinations when indicated.
Work within and consolidate integrated care and treatment pathways for individuals who are identified as being infected with BBVs (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and/or HIV).
Undertake community alcohol detoxification either at the service or at the service users home.
Support opioid detoxification in the community.
Undertake phlebotomy, as required, ensuring adherence to identified pathways for blood sample labelling, collection, obtaining results and signposting.
Use blood results to support the assessment of the current health status of individuals who use our services, the need for specialist medical referral and the suitability for community detoxification.
Where indicated, refer for specialist inpatient services (including detoxification) and liaise with hospital and inpatient unit staff.
Contribute to Change Grow Lives Naloxone Strategy by training staff and individuals who use our services in the use of naloxone. Ensuring naloxone is distributed to individuals who use our services at every opportunity.
Offer wound care assessment and basic wound dressing to individuals who use our services. Organise signposting to other services as required and ensure clear pathways into other treatment arenas as appropriate.
Have a demonstrable ability to manage emergency situations by being proficient in basic life support, defibrillation and managing a medical emergency e.g., anaphylaxis and overdose until the ambulance arrives.
Understand and adhere to the legislation surrounding the use of patient group directions (PGDs).
Utilise psychosocial intervention in both one-to-one and group settings to promote engagement in treatment services and ownership of recovery planning.
Communication
Develop therapeutic alliances with individuals who use our services and develop effective partnerships with them to support their individual recovery journeys, offering health promotion and harm reduction advice.
Ensure that there is good communication of treatments offered, treatment progress and outcome of any investigations to other healthcare agencies, including GPs.
Maintain a current knowledge of appropriate interventions. Ensure that all revalidation requirements are being met and communicated to line manager.
Develop and provide health education, regarding problematic alcohol and drug use and alcohol and drug detoxification.
Attend meetings appropriate to the development and maintenance of the role in agreement with and under the direction of the Lead/Cluster Lead Nurse.
Delivering a Quality Service
The post-holder will contribute to the service to ensure that people who use substances consistently receive high quality services that adhere to the best practice guidelines and to the highest professional standards.
Ensure that procedures are constantly reviewed to promote best practice and evidenced based practice in accordance with UK Guidelines on Clinical Management, NICE guidance, and Change Grow Live clinical protocols and procedures.
Leadership
Provide clinical leadership within the service, including providing support, coaching, and teaching to staff working at ...
