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Job description

Under the direct line management and clinical supervision of a qualified and accredited practitioner, the Counsellor will provide time limited counselling interventions and co facilitate structured psychoeducational groups for adults and children within community based services. The role involves working with service users affected by substance misuse and/or self harming behaviours, supporting individuals experiencing mild to moderate emotional and psychological distress alongside associated psychosocial difficulties that may be co existing with or attributable to alcohol and/or drug use and/or self harming behaviours. The post holder will work within agreed integrated care pathways, deliver high fidelity, evidence informed interventions in line with service specifications, maintain accurate and up to date clinical records, and contribute to the delivery of a high quality, safe, effective, and compassionate service. Upon successful completion of the preceptorship programme and achievement of relevant professional accreditation, the role will align to a Counsellor position.

Responsibilities

• Deliver individual counselling interventions to service users impacted by substance misuse and self harming behaviours, applying high fidelity, evidence informed therapeutic modalities in line with service specifications.
• Support clients experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, including anxiety, low mood, and trauma related presentations, alongside issues that are co existing with or attributable to substance misuse and self harming behaviours.
• Support clients to understand and explore self-harm and substance use, motivation for change, emotional regulation, and coping strategies.
• Under the supervision of designated senior clinical staff, complete brief standardised psychosocial assessments and work collaboratively with service users to agree appropriate counselling goals.
• Monitor engagement, progress, and outcomes, identify and respond appropriately to risk and escalate any immediate concerns to designated senior staff.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• To be flexible as the role may involve travelling and working at various locations and times.
• Possess a full current driving licence and access to a car. Business Insurance will be a requirement for this post.
• Consideration will be given to alternative travelling proposals in respect of applicants with a disability who cannot hold a driver’s licence
• A professional Diploma in Counselling, covering psycho-dynamic, CBT and humanistic models of intervention or a person centred approach AND
• Committed to working towards achieving full accreditation within one calendar year of taking up post.
• Experience providing counselling or structured emotional support (either paid or in a voluntary capacity), with a minimum of 300 post qualified supervised counselling hours.
• Ability to understand and apply core principles of CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing (MI) within a supervised therapeutic setting.
• Experience or demonstrable understanding of non-abstinence, recovery-oriented approaches to substance misuse and self-harming behaviours.
• Good written, verbal, and IT skills to enable accurate clinical documentation and reporting.