Mental Health / Substance use Counselor

Phoenix House Florida•Citra, FL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Mental Health / Substance Use Counselor provides direct clinical services in a substance abuse treatment setting. The role performs mental health screenings and biopsychosocial assessments for potential admissions, makes admission recommendations, and recommends follow-up treatment for new admissions with Axis I or II diagnoses. The counselor provides individual, group, and family therapy and other clinical services, including urine drug screening. The position maintains timely, accurate, and confidential clinical records; supports client accountability and behavior change; and coordinates staff handoffs and communication about significant incidents with program leadership. The counselor follows Phoenix House policies and applicable contracting and licensing requirements, participates in meetings and training, and represents Phoenix House in court, inter-agency meetings, and community affairs when directed. This is a full-time, in-person position requiring evening and weekend availability. The work takes place in a substance abuse treatment milieu and may involve exposure to infectious diseases and business-related travel. Physical activities include regularly sitting, handling objects or controls, reaching, talking, and hearing, and occasionally standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and lifting or moving up to 10 pounds.

Requirements

Bachelor's or master's degree in a related field from an accredited college or university; a bachelor's degree is specifically listed as required in the application details.
At least two years of experience in a substance abuse or mental health setting.
Knowledge of the emotional and physical needs of substance abusers.
Ability to work with a diverse criminal justice population.
Ability to establish appropriate boundaries and professional relationships with current and former clients.
Working knowledge of effective crisis intervention techniques.
Ability to assess clients for lethality and self-harm.
Working knowledge of commonly described antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents, and commonly used psychotropic medications.
Working knowledge of therapy approaches for substance abuse clients with co-occurring disorders.
Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal relationship skills.
Excellent time-management and organizational skills.
Ability to maintain good working relationships with coworkers and the public, and to use good judgment in recognizing the scope of authority.
Ability to remain calm in stressful situations and work cooperatively as part of a team.
Computer literacy, including working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
Ability to operate general office equipment.
Demonstrate proficiency in Phoenix House's Welligent electronic health record system sufficient to perform the position's duties within 30 days of employment.
Ability to work evenings and weekends.
Meet the described physical demands, with reasonable accommodations available where applicable.

Nice To Haves

One year of individual or group counseling experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Perform mental health screenings and biopsychosocial assessments for potential admissions and judge whether to accept or reject admissions.
Recommend follow-up treatment for new admissions with Axis I or II diagnoses.
Provide individual, group, and family therapy and other clinical services.
Perform urine drug screening.
Maintain current, accurate, confidential clinical documentation and reports in a timely manner.
Hold clients accountable when appropriate and use confrontation techniques and behavior interventions to support improved behavior.
Debrief with staff at the beginning and end of each shift with oncoming staff.
Immediately communicate significant incidents to program leadership, including absconders, physical violence, suicidal threats, physical accidents involving staff or clients, and extreme negative behavior.
Adhere to Phoenix House policies and procedures.
Support program quality and integrity by complying with contracting and licensing agency guidelines.
Participate in staff meetings and training exercises as directed.
Represent Phoenix House in court, inter-agency meetings, and community affairs as directed.
Maintain continuing education required for any certification or license held and by Phoenix House and applicable regulatory and licensing agencies.