Drug and Alcohol Practitioner

Forward Trust; Hull and East Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Trust is seeking a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Practitioner to support adults in custody within an integrated healthcare framework. You will manage caseloads, conduct assessments, and deliver SMART care plans and structured psychosocial interventions.

Therapeutic groups and counselling will be part of the role to promote recovery and resilience. You will collaborate with partner agencies to ensure coordinated care during custody and post-release, applying 12-step recovery concepts and

Qualifications

• Experience in substance misuse services and knowledge of counselling theory.
• Ability to undertake assessments and develop SMART care plans.
• Ability to deliver structured psychosocial interventions and group work.
• Strong counselling skills and ability to engage individuals with multiple needs.
• Ability to work with partner agencies and maintain collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide person-centred support to adults 18+ with drug & alcohol issues in custody.
• Manage caseload, undertake assessments and review SMART care plans.
• Deliver one-to-one and group interventions, including therapeutic groups.
• Promote recovery using evidence-based approaches and 12-step concepts.
• Collaborate with transitional services and external agencies to ensure continuity of care.

Skills

Experience with substance misuse

Assessments & SMART plans

Structured psychosocial interventions

Facilitating therapeutic groups

Counselling skills

Stakeholder collaboration

Communication & empathy

Caseload management

Education

Recognised counselling qualification

Job description

Drug and Alcohol Practitioner

Location: Hull

Salary: £27,449.52 per annum

About the Role

Working within an integrated healthcare framework, you will provide person-centred support to individuals aged 18 and over who are experiencing drug and alcohol misuse issues within a custodial setting.

The service delivers a range of psychosocial drug and alcohol interventions and accredited treatment programmes for individuals entering prison who have been identified as experiencing substance misuse issues. Our approach combines harm reduction and abstinence-based treatment, tailored to the individual needs, circumstances and recovery goals of each person.

As a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Practitioner, you will manage a caseload of service users, undertaking assessments, developing and reviewing SMART care plans, providing harm reduction advice and guidance, and delivering structured one-to-one and group interventions. You will also facilitate therapeutic groups and structured treatment programmes, where appropriate to the service you are working within.

A key part of the role will be supporting individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and strategies needed to address their substance misuse, build resilience and make positive changes. You will promote recovery through evidence-based interventions, practical counselling skills and an understanding of the 12-step approach to addiction recovery.

Working collaboratively with partner agencies is essential to ensuring individuals receive coordinated support throughout their time in custody and as they prepare for release. You will develop effective working relationships with transitional services, housing, employment, gym services, healthcare, probation and external Drug Intervention Teams to promote continuity of care and successful resettlement.

About You

We are looking for a compassionate, motivated and recovery-focused practitioner who is passionate about supporting individuals affected by drug and alcohol misuse to achieve positive and sustainable change.

You will have experience working within substance misuse services and possess a recognised counselling qualification, alongside a sound understanding of counselling theory and practical counselling approaches.

You will be confident in engaging individuals with complex needs, building positive therapeutic relationships and delivering structured interventions that support people to understand and address the challenges associated with their substance misuse.

You will have a good understanding of the criminal justice environment and the issues faced by individuals involved in the justice system. You will also demonstrate a strong knowledge of the 12-step recovery process and the role of 12-step fellowship meetings in supporting long-term recovery.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Essential Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice sector and the issues faced by individuals experiencing substance misuse.
• Knowledge and understanding of 12-step fellowship meetings and their role in supporting recovery.
• A sound understanding of counselling theory and its practical application.
• The ability to guide and support individuals in developing the skills and strategies needed to manage their problems and overcome barriers to recovery.
• A thorough knowledge of, and commitment to, the 12-step process of recovery from addiction.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Experience working within substance misuse services.
• Experience undertaking assessments and developing, implementing and reviewing SMART care plans.
• Experience delivering structured psychosocial interventions to service users.
• Experience facilitating therapeutic groups and supporting group-based recovery work.
• Experience applying practical counselling skills to support individuals with drug and alcohol-related issues.
• The ability to build effective working relationships with service users and partner agencies.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage individuals in a supportive, empathetic and non-judgemental manner.
• The ability to work independently, manage a caseload and contribute effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Essential Qualifications

• A recognised counselling qualification.

Above all, you will share our commitment to helping individuals overcome the challenges associated with substance misuse, develop meaningful recovery goals and build the skills and confidence needed to sustain positive change both in custody and following release.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.