Per Diem Gambling Disorder Counselor

Garden State Treatment Center is seeking a compassionate, engaging, and dependable Per Diem Gambling Disorder Counselor to join our team. We are looking for an experienced behavioral health professional with specific experience treating individuals affected by problem gambling and gambling disorder. The ideal candidate is passionate about recovery and skilled at creating meaningful, interactive, and clinically appropriate group therapy experiences. This position is ideal for a professional who enjoys facilitating groups, working with individuals experiencing gambling-related concerns and co-occurring substance use or mental health conditions, and collaborating with a supportive multidisciplinary treatment team.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate engaging and clinically appropriate problem gambling and gambling disorder treatment groups for adults receiving outpatient behavioral health services.
• Facilitate psychoeducational, process-oriented, relapse prevention, coping skills, recovery planning, and other therapeutic groups addressing gambling-related behaviors and consequences.
• Help clients identify gambling triggers, urges, cognitive distortions, high-risk situations, and patterns contributing to continued gambling behavior.
• Incorporate appropriate interventions addressing financial consequences, relationships, family impact, emotional regulation, relapse prevention, and development of healthy alternative behaviors.
• Recognize and appropriately address co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns within the individual’s professional scope of practice.
• Utilize evidence-based and best-practice approaches applicable to gambling disorder and behavioral health treatment.
• Create a welcoming, respectful, supportive, and recovery-oriented therapeutic environment.
• Adapt group facilitation techniques to accommodate varying clinical needs, learning styles, stages of change, and levels of engagement.
• Collaborate with the Clinical Director and multidisciplinary treatment team regarding client participation, progress, clinical presentation, and treatment needs.
• Complete group notes, attendance records, progress documentation, and other required clinical documentation accurately and within established timeframes.
• Provide services consistent with each client’s individualized plan of care and the facilitator’s professional qualifications and scope of practice.
• Maintain appropriate therapeutic boundaries and comply with confidentiality requirements, including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable.
• Maintain compliance with applicable New Jersey regulatory requirements, professional licensing and certification standards, Joint Commission standards, and Garden State Treatment Center policies and procedures.
• Participate in required clinical supervision, staff meetings, training, and professional development.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must possess the education, training, experience, and professional credentials appropriate to the clinical services they will provide and must practice within the scope permitted by their applicable New Jersey license or certification.

Qualified candidates may include individuals holding an applicable New Jersey credential such as:

• Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor (CCGC)
• Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Social Worker (LSW)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT)
• Other appropriately licensed or credentialed behavioral health professionals whose New Jersey scope of practice permits the clinical services assigned to the position

Problem Gambling Experience

• Demonstrated education, training, or clinical experience in the assessment or treatment of problem gambling/gambling disorder is required.
• Experience facilitating therapeutic or psychoeducational groups for individuals experiencing problem gambling or gambling disorder is strongly preferred.
• Candidates must demonstrate knowledge of gambling-specific clinical issues, including triggers and urges, cognitive distortions, relapse patterns, financial consequences, family impact, and co-occurring behavioral health conditions.
• Candidates must maintain any license, certification, supervision arrangement, or other professional credential required for their assigned responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor (CCGC)
• Experience treating individuals with gambling disorder and co-occurring substance use and/or mental health conditions.
• Experience facilitating both psychoeducational and process-oriented groups.
• Experience with Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relapse prevention, harm-reduction strategies, and other evidence-based approaches applicable to gambling disorder.
• Familiarity with Gamblers Anonymous, self-exclusion programs, financial recovery concepts, and other problem gambling recovery resources.
• Experience facilitating both in-person and telehealth groups.
• Strong clinical, communication, group facilitation, and documentation skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary treatment team.