CAMHS Clinical Nurse Specialist & Tri-Borough COMHAD Lead

Job overview

We are pleased to advertise an exciting opportunity for an outstanding candidate to join our dynamic and energetic CAMHS services as a Clinical Nurse Specialist & Tri-Borough COMHAD/Substance Misuse Lead. This is a new post situated within Greenwich CAMHS (Adolescent Pathway), located within the heart of the Royal Borough of Greenwich at our Highpoint House clinic base.

We are passionate about working with children, young people and their families/carers, and are dedicated to providing high-quality and caring community mental healthcare services that improve outcomes and build resilience in community relationships.

You will join a vibrant and experienced multi-disciplinary team in providing a variety of evidence-based interventions, drawing upon your professional clinical/leadership skills and values as a Nurse, for children and young people presenting with a range of mental health and substance misuse difficulties. This includes specialist assessment and targeted substance misuse interventions, in addition to developing and delivering consultation, training and supervision for other professionals working with children and young people in other settings.

Main duties of the job

The postholder is responsible for providing clinical leadership to CAMHS in the field of co-occurring mental health and alcohol/drug needs (COMHAD), working collaboratively with service leads in the sub-directorate to improve the quality of the assessment and treatment of CAMHS service users with COMHAD needs.

As the CAMHS COMHAD Lead, the postholder will be responsible for identifying and addressing any COMHAD training/CPD needs for CAMHS clinicians and in ensuring staff competencies meet best practice standards.

In undertaking this role, the postholder will work closely with local providers and commissioners of substance misuse services (adult and child) to ensure high quality and effective joint working practice within Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

In addition, the postholder will offer specialist mental health and/or substance misuse assessment, consultation, and short- and long-term interventions to CAMHS service users (including parents/carers) who use substances and/or who are open to the Greenwich CAMHS Adolescent and Early Intervention in Psychosis pathways. Interventions may also be provided to professionals working with children and young people who experience substance misuse difficulties.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Operate independently in providing leadership and direction regarding the management of COMHAD across Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich CAMHS and within local communities
• Develop clinical practice in the area of COMHAD within CAMHS in accordance with NICE and other guidance
• Facilitate education, training and development of internal staff and a range of external agencies, statutory and non-statutory in the management and treatment of children and young people with COMHAD accessing CAMHS
• Build and maintain relationships with key local stakeholders involved in the development, commissioning or delivery of drug/alcohol/substance misuse services
• Represent Greenwich CAMHS in both managerial and clinical decision making (participating in key senior tasks) as a senior staff member
• Provide specialist mental health assessment, consultation and short/long-term interventions within Greenwich CAMHS Adolescent Team
• Provide effective leadership to a range of clinical staff through formal supervision and appraisal, in accordance with professional standards
• Participate fully in continuous professional development and supervision
• To support the implementation of the safeguarding children policy and ensuring excellent safeguarding practice within the service area of CAMHS.