Addictions Counselor I

Fora Health Inc•Portland, OR

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Addictions Counselor (AC) provides professional and evidence-based treatment for individuals experiencing substance use disorders. This role is a core member of a multi-disciplinary team, collaborating with medical providers, mental health professionals, and peer mentors to deliver evidence-based behavioral health interventions. The AC is expected to have a strong understanding of trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, medication-supported recovery, and harm-reduction strategies, ensuring that Fora Health's mission of creating freedom from addiction is central to their work.

Requirements

Minimum of Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor 1 (CADC 1) certification required; or for internal candidates a CADC-R or obtaining CADC-R within 90 days of hire.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Outlook, Excel, and Word.
Ability to type 40 words per minute using a standard keyboard.
Detail-oriented and organized.
Demonstrated effectiveness in presenting ideas, transmitting information, or conveying concepts to individuals or groups of people of varying educational, cultural, and experiential levels.
Ability to maintain professional boundaries with patients, the community, and other staff members.
Ability to work collaboratively with patients, other treatment program staff, and team members, treating everyone with respect and dignity.
Written and organizational skills to complete all required documentation.
Communicate effectively in writing and verbally; ability to establish rapport.
Display initiative and problem-solving skills independently.
Demonstrates knowledge of and ability to record treatment plans, session notes, and patient progress in relation to treatment goals and objectives consistent with agency standards.
Demonstrates ability to facilitate groups.
Marked ability to demonstrate and utilize self-awareness.
Basic understanding of mental health disorders and symptom presentation.
For employees with a history of substance use disorder, certification of a minimum of two years of sobriety is required.
Ability to pass pre-employment or for cause drug tests.
Ability to pass DHS criminal background check.
Completed registration with Oregon Health Authority (DMAP) and National Plan and Provider Identifier (NPI).

Nice To Haves

Willingness to complete QMHA credential is preferred.
Bilingual with demonstrated written and verbal fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

Inform patients of confidentiality rights and program procedures, safeguarding patient privacy.
Gather patient data and utilize the ASAM criteria to assess and justify medical necessity and level of care.
Participate in the intake process to facilitate enrollment into various levels of care.
Assess patient motivation for treatment and change, using the Stage of Change model to guide interventions.
Formulate mutually agreed-upon, measurable treatment plans with evidence-based interventions and track patient progress.
Update treatment plans at minimum every 30 days for residential and every 90 days for outpatient care.
Assess progress and make appropriate changes to treatment plans in consultation with the patient and care team.
Document all patient encounters, progress, and outcomes in the electronic medical record within 24 hours of service.
Apply placement, continued stay, and completion/transition criteria based on medical necessity and patient preferences.
Conduct and document continuing care, relapse prevention, and completion/transition planning.
Complete and submit progress reports electronically, via fax, or email to referents every 30 days and as requested.
Establish and maintain community partnerships to increase access to culturally specific resources.
Manage caseload, track legal requirements for DHS or legally involved patients, and document engagement attempts for no-shows.
Send Transfer Summaries to referents within 5 days of patient discharge when appropriate.
Establish a helping relationship with patients using professionalism, warmth, respect, genuineness, concreteness, and compassion, with Motivational Interviewing as the foundational approach.
Facilitate patient engagement in the treatment and recovery process.
Provide individual and group counseling, individualizing services throughout the episode of care.
Demonstrate cultural humility and awareness of patients' individual needs related to cultural identity, values, ethnic background, age, and gender.
Explain and support abstinence-based, medication-assisted, and/or harm reduction models of treatment, helping to reduce stigma.
Describe health and behavior problems related to substance use, including transmission and prevention of infectious diseases, and provide referrals.
Teach life skills such as stress management, relaxation, communication, and refusal skills.
Complete continuing education classes and maintain required credentials.
Document all referral activity.
Arrange and assist patients with referrals to other professionals, agencies, and community programs.
Exchange and document relevant information with referral agencies, following 42CFR Part 2 guidelines.
Develop collaborative relationships with mental health practitioners, prescribers, PO's, ADSS/ADES'S, EAP, DHS, and insurance authorization representatives.
Contribute to a high-quality patient experience as a flexible and positive team member, supporting overage needs in all departments as assigned.
Cross-train and provide coverage at all levels of care (outpatient, intensive outpatient, residential, and intake assessments).
Attend and participate in all treatment team and clinical supervision meetings.
Build, strengthen, and maintain effective working relationships with clinical team members, management, and community partners.
Communicate and collaborate effectively with staff from other departments.
Maintain cleanliness and safety of the work environment.
Perform additional related tasks to support program growth.
Maintain flexibility in scheduling to meet changing program needs.
Participate in the development of and work toward department quarterly and annual goals.
Manage a caseload of patients, which may vary based on agency policy and manager determination.
Complete Assessments as required by agency policy and patient needs.
Meet individually with patients on caseload at the frequency indicated by the enrolled level of care, documenting engagement attempts for no-shows.
Facilitate evidence-based groups at the frequency indicated by the assigned level of care.
Maintain a minimum of 55% direct care hours (22 billable hours/week for full-time employees).
Demonstrate ethical behaviors by adhering to professional codes of ethics.
Adhere to Federal and State laws, accreditation board standards, and agency policies regarding substance use disorders and confidentiality.
Recognize the importance of individual differences influencing patient behavior and apply this understanding to clinical practice.
Actively participate in ongoing supervision and consultation, bringing ethical questions to supervision.
Develop and utilize strategies to maintain personal physical and mental health.
Maintain current addiction counselor certification.
Maintain any licensure held at the time of hire.
Meet or exceed patient outcome goals (engagement, retention, and completion) as set by the agency and the State of Oregon.
Attend staff and team meetings as scheduled.
Complete additional trainings as assigned in a timely manner.
Complete special projects and other duties as assigned.
Maintain quality treatment services responsive to client needs and reflecting best practices.
Establish a therapeutic environment where staff works together to meet client needs, individual circumstances, and culture.
Balance conflicting demands, seek help from supervisory staff as needed, and manage workload within 40 hours/week.
Communicate with supervisory staff when work may exceed 40 hours in a given week.