Job overview
Are you passionate about reshaping mental health care? Do you believe in the power of community, collaboration, inclusion, and peer support to transform lives? We’re launching an innovative community care centre inspired by global models like Trieste’s Mental Health Network, Navigo in Grimsby, and Clubhouse models in New York and Brixton.
This is a rare opportunity to join a pioneering pilot with national significance. Supported by NHS England, this initiative aims to radically transform mental health care delivery across the UK.
We’re seeking dedicated staff to help lead this revolutionary approach.
What We Offer:
1. A unique care model focused on community, social inclusion, and holistic recovery.
2. A supportive, peer-led environment where your contribution makes a real impact.
3. Career development and training within a nationally profiled programme.
About the Role: The post holder will provide specialist assessments and evidence-based interventions to service users within the Lewisham N2 Community Mental Health Team. Working with individuals experiencing co-existing mental health and substance use issues—particularly methamphetamine use—they will use an assertive outreach approach. The role involves close collaboration with professionals and services to ensure high standards of care, promote best practice, and support recovery.
Main duties of the job
4. The post holder will provide specialist mental health and substance misuse assessments for the Lewisham N2 Community Mental Health Team. They will deliver time-limited, evidence-based interventions for individuals with complex dual diagnosis needs, using a person-centred, multi-disciplinary approach. Responsibilities include holistic assessments, risk evaluations, and collaborative care planning.
They will offer specialist advice on recovery, harm reduction, and signposting, applying motivational interviewing and other bio-psychosocial methods. The role involves working closely with families, carers, and external agencies to ensure integrated care and improved outcomes.
The post holder will contribute to service development through training, supervision, and dissemination of best practices. They will maintain accurate records, participate in audits, and support governance processes. Adherence to professional standards and Trust policies is essential.
They will promote culturally sensitive, person-centred care, reduce crisis episodes, and support access to community and digital resources. The role includes improving physical health outcomes and supporting social inclusion for people with dual diagnosis.
Working for our organisation
SLaM provides a comprehensive range of mental health and substance misuse services to residents of Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham, as well as national specialist services. We offer the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK and work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London as part of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.
With around 5,000 staff, we serve a local population of 1.1 million and operate over 230 services, including inpatient wards, outpatient clinics, and community teams. Each year, we provide inpatient care to over 5,300 people and support more than 45,000 in the community. We also deliver substance misuse services in Bexley, Bromley, and Greenwich.
Joining SLaM means becoming part of an organisation with a rich history and global reputation in mental health care. Staff benefit from extensive professional development opportunities, including access to academic research and over 14,000 training experiences annually. Our unique integration of care, research, and education makes SLaM a dynamic and rewarding place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see Job Description for more details.
Post holder will provide ongoing specialist support and guidance to colleagues to enable staff to work effectively with people with complex needs. They will promote understanding of the effect that substance use can have on community support/treatment such as in engagement and risks to physical health. The post holder will work jointly around assessment, treatment, management and evaluation of support for people who present with dual diagnosis issues. They will provide support to people in line with the clinical pathways and best practice within the Early Intervention and substance misuse services including motivational interventions to enable people to engage with services and encourage change behaviour.
Adults with psychotic disorders often struggle to engage with the existing addiction services and therefore someone motivated and some experience in working creatively and assertively with this clinical population would be preferred.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
5. Registered Nurse (RMN/ RGN), Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or Psychology degree with some experience working with people with substance misuse related problems
6. Evidence of continuing professional development and training relevant to substance misuse/ mental health work
Desirable criteria
7. A qualification or training in a relevant area of practice eg. dual diagnosis, substance misuse, motivational interviewing, trauma informed practice, cognitive behavioural therapy
8. Experience of working with vulnerable adults and safeguarding
9. Awareness of challenges an EI/addictions population face
Experience
Essential criteria
10. Experience of working with people who misuse substances
11. Experience of assessing the needs and strengths of people with mental illness and their families and holding a caseload of people with complex needs
12. Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and working in partnership with a range of organisations
13. Experience of adult safeguarding and protection
Desirable criteria
14. Experience of working with people with: a history of trauma, psychosis, physical health problems
15. Experience of auditing, research or data collection
Knowledge
Essential criteria
16. Knowledge of the interactions between mental health problems and drug use and the issues facing people trying to stabilise their situation
17. Current and up to date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance relating to the client group eg DoH, PHE, NICE, MHA, Care Act, MCA
18. Applied knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management particularly in relation to harm minimisation
19. Cultural awareness and knowledge of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice in assessment and provision of service
20. Knowledge of the principles and practice of clinical governance, clinical audit and risk management
21. Ability to work effectively as a clinician and educator with a varied staff group
Desirable criteria
22. Ability to engage service users who are hard to reach
23. Ability to work as part of a team offering support to those with different professional backgrounds.
24. Ability to work under pressure
Skills & Abilities:
Essential criteria
25. Intermediate computer skills with Microsoft packages for example, Word, Excel, Outlook, Team & Epjs
26. Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, and ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people from differing backgrounds
27. Commitment to service user empowerment
28. Ability to maintain appropriate records
29. Ability to use and understand the supervision process
Desirable criteria
30. Report writing and presentation skills