StR/ SpR POST DETAILS 2009-2010

DESCRIPTION OF PLACEMENT:

The post will be based at Blackburn community drug team with Dr Rebecca Lee who will provide educational supervision. Trainee will be also spending 2 sessions a week at Wentworth house with Dr Catherine Muyeba who will provide educational supervision for that part of the job.

At Blackburn with Darwen the work will be community based within the substance misuse service. The Regional Alcohol Service at Wentworth House is a 15 bedded inpatient unit, a tertiary service for alcohol detoxes, primarily for those with complex needs; both mental and physical health problems. The work will involve attendance at the ward round and assessment of new patients in a new patient clinic.

ROLE OF THE TRAINEE AND EXPERIENCE GAINED:

The placement will provide a range of community experience of people using a variety of substances, mainly heroin and crack cocaine and the opportunity to learn about assessment, induction and titration onto opiate substitution treatments, harm reduction, and assessment of dual diagnosis. The service has a new model of service provision and there will be chance to work across 5 teams – neighbourhoods (for new clients into treatment providing intensive work dose titration and stabilisation for 12 weeks), secondary care, criminal justice, detoxification and primary care.

At Wentworth House there will be the opportunity to assess patients with alcohol misuse prior to admission with the potential to develop their own caseload within the inpatient setting, assessment of mental health problems, use of medication to help in relapse prevention and to be involved in the group work programme and ITEP mapping.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES:

There are research opportunities within the directorate.

MANAGEMENT TRAINING:

There will be opportunities for the Trainee to participate in management both at the Drug Team and to attend Directorate management meetings. They will be encouraged to develop their own management projects.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING AVAILABLE:

This post would offer an endorsement in addictions.

There are opportunities to provide teaching, to visit other non-statutory services including those providing harm reduction, structured day care and rehabilitation. There is prescribing of more specialist medications in the treatment of addictions including injectables, dexamphetamine, disulfiram and acamprosate. There is a community detoxification team. ITEP mapping and psychosocial interventions are used with patients and there is chance to develop skills in this area.

PROBABLE TRAINEE TIMETABLE: