Substance Abuse Counselor

General Summary of Responsibilities:

The Substance Use Counselor will provide clinical services, including but not limited to conducting substance use assessments and screenings, providing treatment recommendations for people with substance use disorder, as well as those with co-occurring diagnoses (substance use and mental health). Additionally, the substance use counselor will initiate treatment planning, conduct individual therapy, group therapy, process referrals, provide case management and coordinate discharges. This position functions as a fully integrated member of the multidisciplinary team to provide therapeutic services to assist individuals with substance use diagnoses to obtain and maintain abstinence. The Substance Use Counselor will apply an integrated approach to address each individual client based on their medical needs, mental health needs, and relapse prevention needs.

Essential Functions:

• Complete screening and assessments to gather detailed information about client history in order to best diagnosis, determine treatment needs, and treatment recommendations.
• Responsible for providing 1:1 case management to individuals with substance use disorders
• Develops client-centered treatment plans and goals to address needs that are identified during assessment and interactions with client, family, and referral source.
• Helps clients identify the social determinants that contribute to their recovery
  success, as well as the personal/societal triggers that inhibit their progress.
• Service coordination and case management for Substance Use Disorders and Co-Occurring Disorder
• Provides crisis intervention and counseling services to clients and family to assist with addressing their emotional and behavioral health needs related to substance use disorder and psychosocial stressors, and to encourage compliance with treatment recommendations
• Ongoing assessment and treatment (or referral for treatment) of barriers such as mental health and/or physical health.
• Facilitate substance use groups on a weekly basis to covering such topics as psychoeducation about substance use, relapse prevention, co-occurring diagnoses, emotional agility, and coping skills
• Counseling, therapy, and trauma informed care, with individuals, couples, families, and groups
• Provide referrals for continued care of clients and conduct follow up phone calls, letters, etc.
• Conduct random urinalyses of clients to promote on going sobriety.
• Monitor results of other toxicology reports, including but not limited to blood and urine
• Submit daily billing sheets for each billable service performed.
• Obtain and document insurance authorizations for assessments, concurrent services, and at discharge
• Attend weekly meetings with Substance Use Disorder Team. Attend monthly All Staff meetings and Departmental meetings
• Documents all clinical encounters as set forth by agency and licensing agencies.
• May be required to attend case conferences, interdisciplinary team meetings, and required trainings.
• Provide crisis interventions with clients and other interactions with emergency contacts as need arises.
• Engage in outreach efforts on behalf of the agency to recruit new clients.
• Collaborate with primary care staff; serve as a liaison for clients and medical staff.
• Maintain up to date professional knowledge, certifications, and licensure.
• May be required to provide services to multiple locations within the organization.
• Presents self with a professional demeanor and represents the organization/ department in a positive manner.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Knowledge:

• Certified Associate Counselor- Alcohol and Drug (CAC-AD) required
• At least three (3) years of in the substance use counseling
• Must have knowledge of diagnosis criteria for substance use disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders- Fifth Edition (DSM-V)
• Must have knowledge of the criteria for the different levels of care according to American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
• Must have clinical knowledge of the factors associated with substance use disorder, and how to effectively manage and overcome challenges to acquire/maintain recovery and how to independently function in the community.
• Some knowledge of mental health diagnostic criteria according to DSM-V and recognizing co-occurring challenges
• Accurately document and assess the emotional, mental, physical, and social functioning of persons, using evidence-based tools, observation, and knowledge of the behaviors and patterns associated with substance use disorder.

Skills:

• Must have interpersonal skills and the ability to develop rapport and effectively work with persons/families with substance use disorder, mental illness, and various community support representatives.
• Willing to appropriately and effectively use "confrontation" skill to hold client accountable in recovery efforts. Have effective de-escalation skills to appropriately mitigate crisis.
• Willing to accept the client where they are according to the Stages of Change Model and patiently and consistently provide support as the client transitions between stages
• Use of evidence-based therapeutic approaches for working with substance use population, such as Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Reference individuals to community resources to support recovery efforts
• Effective Time management skills to handle a fast-paced work environment and maintain the ability to meet all required deadlines.

Abilities:

• Ensure substance use services are provided in compliance with COMAR and Joint Commission guidelines.
• Ability and willingness to use clinical experiences to inspire, teach, motivate, encourage, train, communicate, and support members of the clinical team and clients/families.
• Demonstrate understanding of the ethics, values, standards, boundaries, and practices of the clinical and substance use treatment.
• Ability to communicate and work productively and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, including primary care medical staff, dental, and other behavioral health disciplines.
• Ability to work independently and practice critical thinking and problem solving skills.