Residential Counselor

Job Title

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide care in a safe and comfortable environment.
• Comply with medical records requirements.
• Submits required documentation within required time frames per agency policies and procedures.
• Provide care based on ethical concepts and principles while refraining from forming a personal relationship with the consumers.
• Able to perform checks on all new residents as dictated per agency policy.
• Maintains confidentiality at all times regarding the consumers.
• Ensure the accuracy, content and completeness of client files.
• Provides services within time requirement as set forth in Agency policy and procedures.
• Provide services as documented in client treatment plan.
• Refrain from assuming any duty that is unrelated to and/or interferes with the responsibilities of the position.
• Respond to emergency situation in a timely fashion.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with other team members, as part of a multidisciplinary team, and independently, when necessary.
• Substance abuse staff may be required to perform drug screenings as required.
• Other duties may be assigned when necessary.

Requirements:

Qualifications: Requires a Bachelor's Degree (Social Work, Psychology, Human Services, Sociology or an Associate Degree in Nursing is preferred.) If employed in a Recovery Services Residential Facility, immediately submit application for Temporary Certification as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor (TCADC). Submit to and pass a criminal record check and a drug screening test.

*A Central Abuse/Neglect Registry Check is required on staff working at Independence House

Hours: The hours are flexible and based on either a daily work schedule or a shift schedule. The work hours are based on a 24/7 work week. The position may require overnight shifts.

Required Job Skills:

• Oral and Written Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Ability to exercise good judgment, tact, diplomacy and compassion when problem solving, handling conflict or in a crisis situation.
• Ability to complete record keeping in a timely fashion
• Ability to get along with diverse personalities and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to work well with people of all races, backgrounds and needs.
• Knowledgeable of health promotion and disease prevention and differential diagnosis and disease management as appropriate to educational level.
• Knowledgeable of Behavioral Health Concepts and how to deal with aggressive or violent behavior.

Additional Responsibilities:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable the individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physically able to reach, push, pull, bend, stoop, stand, walk and lift up to 100 pounds
• Possess a valid Driver's License, maintain a safe driving record, and maintain the required minimum vehicle insurance amount for the State of Kentucky, if required for job performance.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions or may be off-site from normal office location.

The noise level in the work environment is mild to moderate.

Environmental Data and Job Hazards:

• Hours of work can be a 7.5 or 8.0 hour block of time but may be subject to irregular and/or flexible hours based on needs or demands.
• Position may require duties to include routine or reasonable anticipated tasks or procedures where there is a degree of actual or potential exposure to blood or other infectious materials.
• All staff are required to participate in yearly trainings regarding infection control and safety in the environment including hazardous waste and blood borne pathogens.
• All new staff must attend training regarding handling physical, verbal threats, acts of violence or other escalating and potential dangerous situations including when police need to be summoned.
• All new staff must attend training regarding medication and self-administration policies and successfully pass a post test.
• All staff must be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation within one month of employment and maintain the certification. First Aid Training may be required.

Required Job Performance:

• Successful Performance Evaluation rating of 3 or above. A Performance Improvement Plan will be initiated on all scores below a 3 rating. An employee will be terminated if the Performance Improvement Plan is viewed as unsuccessful after 2 attempts.