Op COURAGE Veterans Dual Diagnosis Lead | Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust


Company:	Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Salary:	£32,073 - £39,043 per annum
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Colchester, CO4 5JL
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	29 Oct 2026
Closing date:	28 Nov 2026

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Summary

This is a new post within the service, so you have an exciting opportunity to be part of developing and evaluating Op COURAGE's approach to supporting veterans with dual diagnosis needs, ensuring effective partnership working and timely access to appropriate local services.

As the Band 7 Dual Diagnosis Lead, you will be part of the management team within Op COURAGE, utilising both leadership skills and your specialist knowledge and clinical experience of dual diagnosis.

This team is unique in that we cover the six counties of the East of England and comprise of six contracted clinical and non-clinical partner organisations, to deliver high-quality mental health care to Veterans, Reservists, and Service Leavers. The team offer a blend of face-to-face and remote working, so you will need to be comfortable with working with staff and patients remotely. You will also need to be able to drive to relevant meetings across the East of England region, where face-to-face attendance is required.

You will be responsible for leading on partnership working for service users who experience both mental health and problematic alcohol and substance use. You will understand clinical interventions and local and national protocols regarding the formulation of effective assessments, harm minimisation, risk management, and recovery.

You will lead on developing and maintaining relationships with local drug and alcohol services across the East of England, to help ensure that Op COURAGE are helping our Veterans to access the right care for their needs.

You will lead on developing staff capability within Op COURAGE to build confidence, knowledge and skills in supporting Veterans with dual diagnosis.

You will lead on implementing specialist therapeutic groups within Op COURAGE, to provide a motivational space to help Veterans get ready for making positive changes. You will be provided with support from leadership, and specialist training, to deliver these groups.

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.

• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.

• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.

Benefits

• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.

• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.

• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.

• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us

• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on the review and development of the dual diagnosis offer, making recommendations to the Deputy Regional Lead regarding service improvement and future development

• Provide clinical leadership across the service in relation to dual diagnosis practice.

• Attend daily referral triage meetings, to offer your specialist clinical opinion on cases that have co-occurring needs, and the correct timely pathways.

• Attend and participate in internal MDT meetings, maintaining an oversight of relevant referrals and assessments, and providing your specialist advice and guidance on evidence-based care for dual diagnosis

• Provide specialist consultation and clinical supervision to Band 6 case managers who are supporting Veterans with dual diagnosis needs

• Develop, deliver and evaluate specialist training, reflective practice and consultation sessions to improve workforce capability.

• Where appropriate, to provide specialist input through completing initial assessments and joint working with Band 6 case managers for service users with complex dual diagnosis presentations, including significant clinical risk, diagnostic uncertainty, treatment resistance, safeguarding concerns and/or multi-agency involvement.

• Plan and organise the delivery of a specialised ‘SMART’ recovery group for Veterans with addictions, including organising the training of staff to co-deliver this group

• Influence and promote evidence-based approaches to assessment, intervention and recovery.

• Maintain high standards of clinical documentation, record keeping and information governance, ensuring that records accurately reflect assessment, formulation, risk management, clinical decision-making and care planning in accordance with Trust policies and professional standards.

• To act as the regional specialist lead for dual diagnosis within Op COURAGE, establishing and maintaining relationships with specialist drug and alcohol services across the East of England

• Facilitate timely and effective referrals between Op COURAGE and relevant external services by acting as a designated point of contact. This will involve communicating sensitive/ highly sensitive, confidential information concerning patients.

• Advocate for the Armed Forces Community, by educating external services to understand the Armed Forces Covenant and the importance of reducing unwarranted variation and disadvantage in accessing care and treatment

• To promote the involvement of families/carers/social systems in the delivery of care and treatment to individuals with dual diagnosis

• Collect, analyse and report on service activity, outcomes and audit data relating to the Dual Diagnosis offer, using findings to inform service development, quality improvement and reporting requirements.

• You may be required to have direct clinical patient contact to support clients and staff, providing trauma-informed and culturally competent mental health assessment and care.

This advert closes on Thursday 12 Nov 2026

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