Substance Abuse Case Worker - BARC Residential

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is seeking qualified candidates for the Substance Abuse Case Worker (BARC Residential) position with the Human Services Department - Broward Addiction Recovery Center.
The Human Services Department is seeking a dedicated Addiction Services Paraprofessional to support clinical, nursing, and professional staff in delivering compassionate, high-quality care within a County addiction and substance-abuse treatment environment.

This position plays an essential role in keeping daily operations running smoothly across residential, inpatient, and admissions settings. The Addiction Services Paraprofessional engages directly with program participants, offering non-clinical case support, assisting with treatment plan implementation, monitoring participant behavior, and ensuring safety and confidentiality throughout the facility. Core responsibilities include supporting staff with routine care tasks, conducting non-clinical assessments, facilitating or assisting with group education sessions, entering documentation into required systems, and helping participants access needed services and resources. Additional duties may involve transporting participants for appointments, collecting specimens, supporting eligibility screenings, and contributing to community outreach efforts that reinforce recovery goals. The ideal candidate brings strong interpersonal skills, experience in addiction or mental-health services, sound judgment, and the ability to maintain professionalism in a fast-paced treatment environment. This role is perfect for individuals who are passionate about supporting recovery, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of those seeking treatment.

2026 Benefits of Broward County Employment

Eleven (11) paid holidays each year

Vacation (Paid Time Off) = 2 weeks per year

Tuition Reimbursement (Up to 2K annually)

Up to 40 hours of Job Basis Leave for eligible positions

Paid Parental Leave

Health Benefits

High-Deductible Health Plan - bi-weekly premiums: Employee $10.90 / Family $80.79

Includes a County Funded Health Savings Account of up to $2,000 Annually

Consumer Driven Health Plan - bi-weekly premiums: Employee $82.58 / Family $286.79

Florida Retirement System (FRS) - Pension or Investment Plan

457 Deferred Compensation County matches up to $2,000 a year

General Description

• Paraprofessional work, providing technical assistance and administrative support and, depending upon area of assignment, patient care assistance, for the professional, clinical, and/or nursing staff within a County addiction/substance abuse treatment program or facility.
• May be assigned to a County addiction/substance abuse facility, e.g., a receiving center, admissions office, or inpatient or residential treatment facility, and/or may provide non-clinical casework to consumers within a County addiction/substance abuse program. While actual tasks may vary, depending upon area of assignment, work generally involves assisting professional, clinical, and nursing staff in the treatment and care of program participants in accordance with the established methods and procedures of the County addiction/substance abuse program and state regulations.
• Judgment and discretion are used in assisting program participants. Work is performed with some independence in daily operations within approved policies and procedures and is evaluated through reports and observation of results.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• Requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in social work, psychology, gerontology, or closely related field. (One year of relevant experience may be substituted for each year of required education, depending upon area of assignment.)
• Requires two (2) years experience as caseworker or providing direct client services in an addiction/substance abuse treatment or mental health facility or program.

Special Certifications and Licenses

• A valid Florida Driver's License may be required.

Preferences

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in social work, psychology, gerontology, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology or closely related field.
• Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) Certification or other applicable FL Certification Board Certifications.
• Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (CRPS) or similar through the Florida Certification Board.
• Bilingual
• 3+ years of working with marginalized populations, substance use disorders, and or co-occurring disorders
• 3+ years working in a trauma informed care environment

• Assists clinical, professional, and nursing staff with routine tasks and supports implementation of treatment plans.
• Interacts with and monitors program participants throughout daily routines, encouraging participation in scheduled activities and supporting positive recovery behaviors.
• Conducts client orientation, intake processing, and discharge procedures, ensuring all documentation, personal property, and instructions are completed accurately.
• Provides daily support to residents, including guidance on coping skills, life skills, and recovery-based behaviors.
• Assists clients in accessing community resources, completing paperwork, making phone calls, and participating in court hearings as needed.
• Maintains participant confidentiality at all times in accordance with agency policy and regulations.
• Monitors visitors and program participants to maintain safety and compliance with program rules.
• Performs room checks, headcounts, facility rounds, and routine safety inspections.
• Conducts searches, breathalyzers, urine drug screens, CO2 tests, and vital-sign checks as required.
• Reports unusual, suspicious, or dangerous behaviors to supervisors and clinical staff promptly.
• Responds to crises using trauma-informed de-escalation strategies and ensures incidents are documented according to policy.
• Assists with AMA prevention efforts, including early identification of risk and supportive engagement.
• Enters data into required software systems for charting, discharge, billing, and other operational needs.
• Records information in participant charts following agency protocols; prepares shift reports and documentation for case staffing.
• Provides general administrative support such as filing, answering calls, logging program participants, and assisting with scheduling.
• Maintains accurate records of financial transactions, service fees, and eligibility documentation, including Medicare assistance when applicable.
• Coordinates with Human Services Coordinators on needs assessments, case management tasks, and discharge planning.
• Assists with or facilitates group education programs related to recovery, treatment, and prevention.
• May speak to groups or community organizations about addiction, substance use, and recovery.
• Participates in community outreach activities and provides support to individuals in recovery, following program procedures and regulations.
• Helps maintain a safe, clean, and supportive environment for staff and participants.
• Performs tasks such as defrosting/cleaning refrigerators and freezers, monitoring laundry times, and assisting with general facility upkeep.
• Maintains open communication with supervisors, clinical staff, nursing, and colleagues to ensure coordinated participant care.
• Participates in staff meetings, morning/community meetings, roll-call, recreational activities, and family-involvement events as required.
• Interacts with coworkers, program participants, and families in a manner consistent with treatment goals and agency policies.
• May transport or accompany participants to appointments for health care, treatment, or social services.
• May conduct non-clinical assessments, develop non-clinical recovery plans, and make referrals.
• May inspect participant belongings during admission or as part of program protocols.
• Participates in education and training programs to maintain and enhance job knowledge and skills.
• Performs related work as required.

• Manages Complexity : Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. Gathers basic information to understand a problem and find a solution. Seeks to understand and apply systematic problem-solving methods; distinguishes symptoms from underlying problems.
• Decision Quality : Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. Knows when to act independently and when to escalate issues. Integrates various inputs, decision criteria, and trade-offs to make effective decisions. Typically makes good independent decisions.
• Directs Work : Provides direction, delegating, and removing obstacles to get work done. Confirms mutual agreement on accountabilities, fostering strong coordination and minimizing duplicated efforts. Communicates delays or problems early so others can manage their own work schedules effectively.
• Ensures Accountability : Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments. Accepts responsibility for own work, both successes and failures. Handles fair share and does not make excuses for problems. Usually meets commitments to others.
• Drives Results : Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances. Holds self to high standards of performance; sets some challenging goals; wants to achieve meaningful results; pursues initiatives/efforts to successful completion and closure. Focuses on key goals, even during setbacks and obstacles.
• Communicates Effectively : Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Disseminates knowledge, insights, and updates in a polished, precise, and compelling manner. Demonstrates a deep interest in others' comments. Creates rich documents and reports.
• Organizational Savvy : Maneuvers comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics. Has a firm grasp on organizational culture and politics; connects with key stakeholders and knows when to bring something to their attention.
• Self-Development : Actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels. Shows commitment to own leadership development and encourages others to expand their expertise and skills; uses stretch opportunities to broaden capabilities aligned with organizational needs.
• Manages Ambiguity : Operates effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear. Embraces change, staying focused, positive, and effective. Addresses problems without clear solutions, making substantial progress.

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

Performs light work that involves walking or standing most of the time and involves exerting up to 20 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis, or skill, adeptness and speed in the use of fingers, hands or limbs on repetitive operation of electronic office equipment within moderate tolerances or limits of accuracy.

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

None.

All Broward County employees strive to demonstrate the County's four core behavioral competencies.

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Customer focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Instills trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Values differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.

Copyright 2025 Korn Ferry. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Broward County is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusion. Broward County is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. We support the hiring of people with disabilities; therefore, if you require assistance due to a disability, please contact the Professional Standards Section in advance at View phone number on click.appcast.io or email View email address on click.appcast.io to make an accommodation request.

Note: During emergency conditions, all County employees are automatically considered emergency service workers. County employees are subject to being called to work in the event of a disaster, such as a hurricane, or other emergency situation and are expected to perform emergency service duties, as assigned.

All Broward County employees must serve the public and fellow employees with honesty and integrity in full accord with the letter and spirit of Broward County's Employee Code of Ethics, gift, and conflict of interest policies.

All Broward County employees must establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, co-workers, elected and appointed officials and members of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or gender identity and expression.