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Dual Diagnosis Training Initiative

Tuesday 03 February 2009Comment on this article Permlink

Dual Diagnosis Training Initiative

Offender Health, Skills for Health, (through its HE demonstration site work), NHS London and the London Lifelong Learning Networks have joined with other academic and government partners to initiate a Higher Education Demonstration Site project in dual diagnosis training for the criminal justice sector.

Dual diagnosis – the co-existence of substance misuse and mental health problems – has been identified by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (see note 1) and by a wide range of health and social care research as a condition that brings particular disadvantages including poor health, psychological distress, suicide risk, social isolation and homelessness.

Dual diagnosis is a common problem among people within the criminal justice sectors; it presents substantial challenges related to safer custody and reintegration.

A number of courses for dual diagnosis specialists are available across the UK, but to date no nationally accredited higher education institution (HEI) training in dual diagnosis is available to generalist practitioners in the justice sectors.

This project aims to provide this resource for people who work within criminal justice sectors. It will support new dual diagnosis guidance for prisons to be issued this autumn, and the 2008 practitioner’s guide for Criminal Justice Integrated Teams (see note 2).

The training has been designed for staff working in justice settings – police, probation and prisons.

The purpose of this initiative is to establish a national training programme that will assist criminal justice agencies to manage effectively the needs of clients with substance misuse and mental health problems.

This will be achieved through a modular-based training programme that seeks to enable staff working in justice sectors to progress from Level 1 Dual Diagnosis capability to Level 2 (see descriptions below).

The training is based on the NHS Key Skills Framework and the Drug and Alcohol National Occupational Standards, and will be accredited within both the Framework for Higher Education and the Qualifications and Credit Framework; it therefore represents a very durable competence-based means to service development and continuing professional development.

This initiative is a Skills for Health HE Demonstrator Site initiative, developed in partnership with:

Service providers across the justice sector within London and the M25 radius will be contacted shortly and asked to assess their service skills needs, and to nominate suitable course participants.

There will be a limited number of centrally funded places.

Notes
1. HMIP (2007) A thematic review of the care and support of prisoners with mental health needs
2. SCAN Consensus Project – Substance misusing clients with mental health problems: A brief practitioner’s guide for Criminal Justice Integrated Teams.

For more information email

Your Comments

  1. Dear Phillis

    Thanks for your inquiry concerning the DD training programme. At the moment we are in the middle of organising another DD training programme for 2010. Please could you email me your details concerning: place of work, job role and contact details. I will forward further details when we have finalised the programme.

    May I thank you again for your interest in the DD course.

    Best regards

    Digby

    Posted by: Digby Ingle · Sector Manager, Health & Social Care West London Lifelong Learning Network Nov 16, 10:37 am

  2. I would like to apply for the dual diagnosis training course. I have got diploma in mental health nursing and would like to continue with my continous development plan.

    many thanks
    phillis gomo

    Posted by: phillis gomo · Nov 13, 11:31 am

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