Substance Abuse Counselor III

Certified Substance Abuse Counselors are responsible for:

• Conducts comprehensive assessments and develops and implements complex treatment plans for clients with co-occurring disorders.
• Maintains patient caseload, including conducting comprehensive assessments, preparing individualized treatment plans. Maintains regular contact with insurance providers to report client treatment progress and obtain required certifications for continued stays. Reports caseload activities and progress to supervisor.
• Prepares and conducts group counseling or therapeutic encounter sessions to address specific social or psychological issue to promote the development of effective life skills to support a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
• Prepares and conducts individual counseling sessions to assist patients with overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, and making life changes.
• Develops and implements complex treatment and discharge plans for patients and conducts intensive or comprehensive interventions (family or domestic violence counseling, etc.).
• Designs, implements, and integrates intensive service programs for the site to address particular social or psychological problems affecting portion of patient population, e.g., domestic violence, sexual assault, grief, etc.
• Serves on variety of department or site committees necessary to plan and evaluate treatment programs and client services. Develops and contributes to improvement of treatment protocols, procedures and outcomes.
• Documents treatment plans, narrative progress notes, interventions, treatments, evaluations, discharge summaries, and treatment plan reviews. Maintains patient records and charts to ensure organizational, regulatory, accreditation, and contractual standards.
• Serves as a professional resource to clinical team by auditing patient records to ensure compliance with required documentation and service delivery by providing assessments of special needs clients; and
• consults with clinical staff to resolve complex case problems by implementing case-appropriate procedures, modalities and techniques.
• Develops and conducts in-service and continuing education programs on subjects related to assigned specialty for other Counselors or Technicians.
• May provides supervision to treatment team as needed.

Job Requirements:

• Master's degree in psychology, social work, mental health counseling, substance use disorder counseling or related field required.
• Minimum of 2 years counseling experience in the substance use disorder field or mental health field.
• Current, valid credential ( LPC, or LSW).
• Comprehensive knowledge of group and individual dynamics, conflict resolution and intervention techniques.
• Knowledge of federal and state rules and regulations governing health records confidentiality
• Time and project management skills.
• Advanced communication skills to exchange information and interact with treatment team, clients, client families and outside vendors and agencies.
• Active listening skills and social perceptiveness.
• Critical thinking, persuasion and negotiation skills.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: ability to shift priorities.
• Basic coaching / mentoring skills.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to walk and move about the facilities for up to two hours at a time, to monitor and interact with clients.
• Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Ability to record, proofread and check documents and files for accuracy.
• Ability to use a keyboard and video display terminal to receive, retrieve, and/or audit information and data.
• Ability to respond to telephones, and to hear and detect alarms and unusual noises.

Work Environment

• Works in a typical office or clinical environment where there are relatively few discomforts due to dust, dirt, noise and the like. Occasional exposure to contagious diseases, but potential for harm is limited if established safety and infection control precautions are followed.
• Regularly exposed to hazards of driving, but potential for harm is limited if safe vehicle operation procedures are followed.

Compensation (based on experience and credentials):

• Range begins at $24.74-$38.50 per hour
• Gateway Foundation conducts annual reviews including merit increases.