Different roles in Substance Misuse

The areas they may specialise in include;

·        Drug and alcohol testing

·        Care planning andrehabilitation referral

·        Counselling and otherpsychological interventions

·        Medical treatment and closelyoverseeing rehabilitation.

The duties of substance misuse workers can vary.

Outreach workers visit substance users in the community and will often patrol the streets with police. They will generally identify immediate needs such as finding temp housing for homeless clients.

Counsellors in rehabilitation units will oversee client treatment and will convey group and one-to-one sessions helping clients understand their psychological dependency.

Police custody referral workers will help offenders understand the implications of testing positive for drugs and other substances when arrested and offer them a pathway into harm reduction, treatment, and rehabilitation services.

Nurses and doctors working in specialist clinics will assess a patient’s health and current needs. They will also, where appropriate, refer the service user to other support facilities including residential rehabilitation clinics.

Youth workers provide emotional and educational support to young people who may either be substance users themselves or children of drug and alcohol using parents

Working hours may vary for substance misuse workers with some working standard hours Monday – Friday and others working more irregular hours including evenings and weekends. The job can include travelling to various locations within a district including service users homes or temporary accommodation.

Education and Training

Some employers will look for candidates with experience working with vulnerable people or youth work. Studying counselling or an NVQ in Health and Social Care are usually desired for some roles within the sector, and medication can only be administered by health care professionals.

Most employers offer a comprehensive induction programme and new employees will be closely supervised with some organisations operating mentoring programmes.

For information on our current vacancies within substance misuse click here

Additionally, call or email us today to speak to one of our substance misuse recruitment specialist

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