Dual Diagnosis Practitioner

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

As a Dual Diagnosis Practitioner, you will improve the care provided to people with co-occurring substance use & mental health conditions within adult mental health services impacting on patient experience & outcomes.

You will need to support the implementation of the co-occurring conditions strategy & NICE best practice guidance, ensuring that all staff have the knowledge & confidence needed to provide safe & effective care. You will need to be able to challenge stigma & build strong relationships with Neighbourhood MH Teams, urgent care services & wards as well as drug & alcohol & other services.

The role will be largely clinical and involve joint assessment, review, consultation and advice. You will support on the development of robust care plans in collaboration with patients, carers and drug and alcohol services.

A proportion of your time will also be devoted to service improvement through delivery of a programme of training and audit. You will need to work within leadership teams to understand and meet the challenges of busy services.

You will be embedded within mental health services and receive clinical supervision from the Dual Diagnosis Nurse Consultant and be a key member of the co-occurring conditions service development and reflective practice group.

This post is particularly suitable for those seeking career development with opportunities for additional training and education.

Main duties of the job

Clinical practice

To improve the quality of assessments and treatments for people with both mental health and substance misuse issues

To have experience in and specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice and lead on dissemination across clinical areas.

To establish professional relationships with other system partners and professionals to shape better care.

Practice Development

To provide specialist training and advice to other professionals and agencies.

To clinically supervise other members of the team.

To facilitate area communities of practice to promote skills sharing, reciprocity and clinical network development.

Research and Development

To develop teaching and training sessions for staff and professionals on specialist subject area.

To develop joint working protocols and pathways and contribute to continuous service improvement.

To undertake research, service evaluation and clinical audit and participate in clinical quality and governance forums as required.

Leadership and management

To provide effective leadership and supportive management which promotes high performance standards both individually and as a team. The Trust’s success is dependant on the contributions of all and leaders will need to understand the Trust’s priorities and those of our external partners and translate these into opportunities to improve outcomes for the populations we serve.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Core Training (OT, Nursing, Social Work) with current registration appropriate to the job role.
  • Degree/diploma level supplemented by specialist qualification, training, experience, courses to master’s level equivalent relevant to the care group
  • Evidence of post registration training in relevant service area
  • Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent if relevant

Knowledge

Essential

  • Extensive post qualifying experience in relevant service area
  • Experience of supervising staff and students
  • Able to manage a caseload of patients with complex mental health needs
  • Comprehensive knowledge of interventions specific to service area
  • Awareness of Trust policies and service specification

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 13 August 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.