Agency Background:Lifeline Connections is a not-for-profit agency that is recognized as a leading behavioral health treatment provider in Washington State, offering a full continuum of care for individuals who have a behavioral health condition. Lifeline Connections' patients receive an unprecedented level of care by highly skilled professionals who know how to help people find and sustain long-term recovery. For over sixty years Lifeline Connections has provided hope, help and healing to thousands of individuals in Washington State and within the Portland, Oregon metro area.

Substance Use Dependency Professional – Apprenticeship– Posting #22-168

• What is the Substance Use Disorder Professional Apprenticeship?
• 2 year earn-as-you-learn program
• Hybrid learning experience
• 560 hours of virtual real-time class and lab sessions
• 4,000 hours of on-the-job work experience
• Earn a National Certified Addiction Counselor Level I (NCAC I) certification

Major Duties: 

The Substance Use Dependency Professional provides clinical services,
 counseling and case management for clients of the agency. The work includes assisting
 supervisory staff and Program Director in program review, daily management of treatment activities, and training/orientation of junior staff and trainees. The SUDP is responsible for the daily treatment activities for clients on their caseload. In providing these services, the incumbent performs the following duties independently:

• Collaborates with the supervisory staff and Program Director, other senior staffmembers, and other counselors in building and maintaining an intense treatmentenvironment that motivates clients to focus on problematic behaviors, , and teaches clients more productive coping strategies;
• Assesses the psycho social functioning of assigned clients and develops individualized treatment plans;
• Apprises team members of specific treatment plans and intervention strategies so that therapeutic consistency can be maintained;
• Leads treatment groups according to agency treatment guidelines;
• Develops discharge/aftercare plans and makes appropriate referrals for follow-up care;
• Documents relevant clinical information including treatment plans, treatment reviews, progress notes, and discharge summaries;
• Provides crisis intervention services, information, and referrals to clients and theirfamily;
• Provides motivational counseling to collaterals to encourage participation in family support programs;
• Teaches specialized treatment concepts to client groups according to agency treatment schedule;
• Trains junior staff, trainees, and students in didactic presentations;
• Provides complete and accurate written and oral formats regarding the course oftreatment to families, referral sources, and legal representatives;
• Recommends and participates in the development, design and documentation ofpolicies, procedures, and activities for the agency;
• Conducts alcohol/drug assessments pursuant to WAC 246-341;
• Assumes responsibility for unit management in the absence of supervisory staff; 
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in substance use dependency, human sciences or related field or equivalent work experience required;
• Knowledgeable of a wide variety of therapeutic approaches and the ability to set and maintain therapeutic limits. The agency milieu mandates that the incumbent be flexible, versatile and skilled in developing creative behavioral interventions that modify inappropriate behavior;
• Must be capable of functioning autonomously while maintaining continuous
   communication with other staff members;
• A broad knowledge of the stages of human personality development including cultural, social, and psychological factors affecting individuals and families involved with chemical use;
• Knowledge of the various theories, forms, stages, and manifestations of addictive
   behavior, awareness of socio-cultural barriers to change, and an in-depth knowledge of alternative coping mechanisms to replace the use of chemicals;
• An in-depth understanding of the theory and practice of individual and group treatment to facilitate client self-examination, expression of feelings, insight development, problem solving, and motivation to develop a chemically free lifestyle;
• Ability to instruct other Substance Use Dependency Professional trainees in treatment planning, clinical teamwork, clinical record keeping, and counseling skills, in accordance with agency and DBHR established procedures;
• CPR/First Aid Certification required for inpatient staff members;
• Good verbal and written communication skills;
• Great attendance;
• Ability to work well with others.

Salary: $21.00 - $25.20/hr DOE 

Application Process:Submit a cover letter and resume to Human Resources. We will only accept resumes with a cover letter specifying the position title and posting number of the position you are applying for. For more information on this and other positions, please visit our website at www.lifelineconnections.org

The Benefits:

Lifeline Connections is striving to be your employer of choice by offering our regular/full time employees a generous benefits package. The plan covers 85% of medical, dental, and vision costs at the employee level and 75% for all dependent plans. The majority of out-of-pocket costs for co-pays, prescriptions, and deductible under the medical plan are also covered. We also have employer paid Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance and supplemental coverages.

Our fulltime employees and some part time employees also qualify for our 401(K) plan that matches dollar for dollar up to 5%. On top of all that, our fulltime employees receive approximately 4 weeks of paid time off during their first year of employment (accrual rates increase with years of service), as well as 1 personal holiday and 12 paid holidays per year!

There are many other supplemental benefits we are glad to offer such as tuition reimbursement and discounted cellular service amongst others.

Send us your resume and let's talk about you joining our team!