Substance Use Counselor

Job Description

• General Description
  
  

Maintains a full participant case load in residential treatment setting; assumes responsibility as the primary counselor, making independent decisions regarding all non-medical aspects of the participants' care to affect optimum treatment and follow-up program; ensures basic needs are met before discharge.

• Reporting Relationship
  
  

The Substance Use Counselor reports to the Vice President of Program and Services.

• Supervises
  
  

The Substance Use Counselor may supervise interns or volunteers.

• Responsibilities and Essential Functions
• Assists in evaluating and assessing clients for admission to the program or in making necessary referrals; orients new clients to the program.
• Conducts individual case management sessions with clients as needed to develop service plan, address treatment issues and develop discharge planning.
• Provides individual counseling sessions as needed.
• Facilitates group therapy sessions to assist clients toward acceptance of their illness and to identify what needs to change to maintain a life free from substances that negatively impact their life.
• Prepares and maintains client case records including appropriate documentation of evaluations, assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, discharge plans, discharge summaries and effective follow-up care in accordance with program policies and procedures and all appropriate regulations
• Prepares and facilitates educational lectures on the physical, emotional, spiritual and social aspects of substance use.
• Encourages client and family involvement in the total program; conducts family counseling sessions as needed; when authorized to do so, includes clients family in service planning, discharge planning and follow-up.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary team staffings, team meetings, case consulting, community activities and organizations; prepares and delivers appropriate lectures to the public as requested by the program director.
• Participates in planning and evaluation session for continued growth of the program; works as part of a team in assuring quality delivery of services.
• Ensures appropriate and accurate documentation regarding client interactions, in compliance with agency and grant standards.
• Ensures appropriate and accurate documentation regarding distribution of time and payroll, in compliance with agency and grant standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Education and Experience
  
  

Masters degree in counseling, social work or related field; ICAADA certified or certified. LCSW preferred. Requires certification or completion of CPR training course, updated yearly.

• Knowledge and Ability
  
  

Requires an in-depth knowledge of the disease concept of substance use, individual, group and family system counseling skills and an understanding of the treatment and recovery process of the AA/NA program; requires demonstrated ability to make independent decisions regarding client admission, course of treatment and discharge planning and recommendations; required demonstrated interpersonal skills to communicate in a responsible, empathetic and effective manner with participants and to work effectively with a multidisciplinary framework; personal experience with the disease of substance use is helpful, either as a member of family recovering from the illness or as a chemically dependent person; individuals with a history of substance use must have a two-year period of substance use-free living and are required to maintain continued sobriety during the term of employment.

Required Experience

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Keyword: Substance Use Counselor