Prescribed Medication Intervention Worker

Some prescription medications can be addictive, leading to significant problems for people taking them or trying to reduce and/or stop use completely. This is an exciting pilot project in which Open Road hopes to develop an effective service for people struggling with addiction to prescribed medication. The Prescribed Medication Intervention Worker will work closely with identified General Practitioners, Pharmacists and local Pain Management Clinics to support individuals to explore their motivation to change their behaviour.

Being required to encourage, initiate and sustain recovery, the worker will facilitate 1:1 psychosocial interventions, together with maintaining excellent relationships with partnership agencies. Collaborating with the person's GP, joint care/reduction plans will be developed with clients to ensure their clinical and psychological needs relating to their medication use are met.

A day in the life

Within the role of a DFM worker I primarily work with patients in Dr's surgeries to reduce them from prescription medication which have addictive properties. As many patients may not realise that they have could have an emotional or physical dependency to these medications it is important that a repour is established between worker and patient and together you can work effectively to reduce patients down on the doses they are on. Which may reduce the dependency but also can look at alternative medications that a maybe more suitable and are not addictive. We also spend time exploring what withdrawal and dependency may feel and look like and work with the Dr's so that patients do not have to experience severe withdrawal symptoms as if they were to reduce independently.

What you'll be doing

Planning your daily and weekly diary to organise patient appointments.
Visiting practices to conduct your 1:1 patient appointments and interventions. Conducting 1:1 telephone appointments with patients that might not be able to see you in person. Conducting home visits where appropriate to do so.
Making referrals for and signposting to various other agencies or organisations to help your patients with their additional needs.
Tasking GP and pharmacists with actions following your 1:1 appointments.
Attending practice meetings with colleagues to discuss patients and promote the service within the practice/s.
Drafting awareness and learning sessions to deliver to colleagues about dependence forming medication.
Drafting reports to measure and record the progress patients are making, not just in reducing their medication but in the other positive health outcomes you are promoting and helping with.
What it's like to work for Open Road

Open Road provides drug and alcohol treatment services and offender support services across Essex & Kent including a range of interventions that deliver mentoring, advice and information programmes. Accredited with Investing in Volunteers, our mission is to empower a diverse range of individuals, families and communities to lead healthy and more meaningful lives, free from addiction, offending behaviour and disadvantage, to ensure healthier, happier lifestyles.

Benefits to you

25 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays, plus a day off for your Birthday
Royal London Pension and Death in Service benefit.
Access to our in-house Organisational Training Plan, and full training tailored to your development needs.
Legal training including Health & Safety, Safeguarding and GDPR.
What you need

Experience working within physical healthcare and/or substance misuse settings.
Training and/or experience in delivering interventions based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.
An awareness of the issues facing those that struggle with addiction to prescribed medication, and how these can impede progress and ultimate recovery.
Experience of liaising and maintaining relationships with primary/secondary healthcare services.
Excellent communication, time management and administrative skills.
A willingness to learn and work with a variety of people.
Have a clear understanding of, and a commitment to safeguarding best practice.
A commitment to multi-agency working, and be able to work in partnership with other agencies to achieve good outcomes for clients.
Ability to drive and access to a car.
This position is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check at enhanced level. To apply, please visit our website to download an application pack. Please note CVs will only be accepted when accompanied by completed application forms.