Drug and Alcohol Worker

Drug and Alcohol Worker

Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service

Carmarthenshire

Llanelli

37 hours per week

£26,790 - £28,880 per annum

DDAS Team Leader

Volunteers

Fixed term until 31

The aim of Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service (DDAS) is to engage drug and/or alcohol users and/or their concerned others in Dyfed’s substance use treatment system and support them when accessing it. DDAS staff will support individuals to address substance related issues, access appropriate interventions, reduce physical dependence and related health problems, reduce drug and alcohol related offending and improve physical, psychological, family and social functioning.

DDAS works with substance users and their families, friends and carers in both community and criminal justice settings, delivering specific services for those involved in the criminal justice system. DDAS supports service users and their loved ones to sustain the gains they make in treatment by providing aftercare and peer support to help build social capital and prevent relapse.

DDAS is a consortium comprising three organisations, Barod, Kaleidoscope Project and G4S. DDAS is delivered throughout the geographical regions of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire. DDAS is aimed at adult drug and/or alcohol users aged 18 years of age and over, and their families, friends and carers.

DDAS services are provided in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory, and professional manner and in a way that demonstrates courtesy and respect for individuals using substances, and sensitivity to their unique personal situations and experiences.

The role of the drug and alcohol worker will be to assess the needs of the people who use the service and subsequently plan and deliver structured treatment interventions to empower and support people to make positive lifestyle changes.

The role will work holistically with all people on case load including those presenting with needs that require brief interventions and harm reduction support through to service users requiring structured and comprehensive care planning. The role will engage with individuals who are receiving medically assisted recovery programs and aftercare support alongside. The role will also engage with individuals and organisations through an outreach approach and deliver training in line with contract requirements.

• Engage service users in the DDAS treatment system.
• Deliver harm reduction initiatives including needle exchange, naloxone and dried blood spot testing at our bases and throughout the communities of Dyfed.
• Deliver evidence based and manualised brief interventions and relapse prevention in group work settings and on a one to one basis to people who use substances and concerned others.
• Deliver or broker access to a range of diversionary activities.
• Provide a range of interventions including crisis intervention and information regarding substance use and associated lifestyle behaviours that reduces risk of overdose, reduces the risk of blood borne viruses, promotes healthy living and minimises the potential risks and impact of drug related crime and disorder on the wider community.
• Conduct initial and comprehensive assessments and care planning in line with the substance used and access to brief interventions prior to accessing Tier 3 structured treatment.
• Undertake risk assessment and develop and review risk managements plans that seek to mitigate identified risk.
• Devise with service users and concerned others, individually tailored time-limited support plans based on a clear assessment of need that that assist individuals in building recovery capital.
• Offer flexible working environments including location, duration and frequency of appointments to respond to individual needs.
• Engage service users and concerned others via open access at the base, on a rota basis.
• Provide training or talks to internal staff or external organisations.
• Support individuals who use the service beyond brief interventions, sometimes jointly with external partner agencies to ensure seamless transition between services.
• Actively support people who use the service in co-production and active participation in shaping service provision.
• Encourage involvement in mutual aid groups, peer led recovery and service user groups.
• To assess and contribute towards the safeguarding and wellbeing of children and adults within the statutory obligations of the social service and wellbeing act in line with organisational safeguarding policies and…