Substance Abuse Counselor

Community Medical Services • Tucson, AZ

14d

About The Position

Community Medical Services (CMS) is hiring a Substance Abuse Counselor to support patients recovering from opioid and other illicit substance addictions. The counselor helps patients on their recovery journey by facilitating individual and group sessions and assisting with treatment plans and coping strategies. The role is based in an outpatient setting and follows a consistent Monday–Friday schedule from 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The position involves managing a compliant caseload, conducting counseling and educational sessions, completing behavioral health assessments and individualized treatment plans, monitoring treatment effectiveness, and coordinating care with community providers and other systems. The counselor maintains client records and chart compliance, includes family and natural supports according to client preference, assists with primary care coordination, and stays current with developments in the substance use field and applicable state licensure requirements.

Community Medical Services is a CARF-accredited addiction treatment program that provides outpatient medication-assisted treatment and individual and group counseling. Headquartered in Arizona, CMS operates more than 70 treatment clinics in 14 states.

Requirements

• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Knowledge of behavioral management, de-escalation methods, crisis intervention, and techniques to defuse situations and prevent violent behavior harmful to clients or others; ability to apply these techniques to clients at varying levels of crisis.
• Academic and working knowledge of DSM-5, community resources, clinical methods, and procedures, and their application.
• One of the following education and experience combinations: high school diploma, GED, or associate degree plus 2 years of behavioral health experience; bachelor’s degree in a behavioral health-related field plus 1 year of behavioral health experience; or master’s degree in a behavioral health-related field with no prior behavioral health experience required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and manage a caseload in compliance with regulatory standards and ratios.
• Conduct individual sessions, facilitate group counseling, and deliver didactic educational presentations.
• Complete comprehensive behavioral health assessments and individualized treatment plans that meet regulatory requirements and clients’ needs.
• Evaluate treatment effectiveness through ongoing assessment of clients and their natural supports, modifying service plans when appropriate.
• Coordinate care with recovery and community-based service providers; send referrals, complete service-related documentation, and maintain chart compliance.
• Include family and natural supports in treatment according to the client’s preference.
• Maintain and apply knowledge of developments in substance use treatment as required by state licensure.
• Maintain professional relationships with other substance use professionals, programs, and associations.
• Maintain thorough and comprehensive client records.
• Coordinate and communicate with other systems when clinical knowledge of a case is important.
• Assist in screening and coordinating primary care services for clients.

Benefits

• Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance for full-time employees.
• Health savings account.
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Paid sick, vacation, and holiday time.
• 401(k) retirement plan with match.
• Tuition and CME reimbursement up to 100%.
• Employee assistance program supporting mental health and wellness.
• Ongoing professional development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED