Substance Abuse Counselor

GATEWAY CSB PEO LLC•Brunswick, GA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Assesses client needs; provides substance abuse education; individual, group and family substance abuse counseling; referring clients to community resources; and case management. The role involves completing assessments of consumer’s substance abuse history and current status, coordinating individual treatment planning including aftercare and recovery support services, and engaging consumers to achieve treatment goals related to substance abuse. The counselor assists consumers in becoming involved with self-help support groups and developing social support networks. They assess the need for inpatient substance abuse treatment and coordinate access to these services, collaborating closely with providers. The position ensures referrals to licensed or certified alcohol and other drug treatment programs and provides training to other program members on the signs, symptoms, and early identification of alcohol and other drug use and abuse, and the disease of alcoholism and drug dependency. The counselor also provides on-call crisis interventions, maintains client confidentiality and HIPAA adherence, and completes all required documentation in a timely manner consistent with agency guidelines, while maintaining agency required productivity standards.

Requirements

Addiction Certification
Two years of experience include crisis management, intensive case management
Working knowledge of the nature of serious mental illness
Working knowledge of behavior modification techniques and related treatment modalities, interventions and techniques
Working knowledge of different types of assessments and their uses in treatment planning
Knowledge of consumers’ rights
Knowledge of agency and federal policies, procedures and guidelines
Knowledge of local community resources and service delivery systems such as housing, social, welfare, educational, etc.
Knowledge of client record documentation requirements
Knowledge of client services plan development and implementation
Knowledge of crisis intervention techniques
Knowledge of individual and group therapy techniques
Knowledge of family dynamic and family support groups
Ability to observe, record and report on an individual’s functioning
Ability to read and understand assessments, evaluations, observation, and use in developing treatment plan
Ability to identify community resources and services for clients and coordinate provision of services
Ability to establish effective working relationships with internal agency staff as well as with relevant community organizations
Ability to effectively interact and communicate with consumers and their families in diverse populations
Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Ability to work independently under general supervision
Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal and “Listening” skills
Ability to establish and prioritize goals and objectives of assigned program
Ability to facilitate relationships between Gateway, consumer families/legal guardians and various social service community resources, such as housing assistance, healthcare, job training and placement and substance abuse support groups

Responsibilities

Completes assessments of consumer’s substance abuse history and current status as part of comprehensive assessment and on an ongoing basis
Assists in coordinating individual treatment planning including aftercare and recovery support services for each consumer actively involved in alcohol and drug treatment
Participates in engaging and motivating consumers to achieve treatment goals especially and specifically those related to substance abuse issues
Assists each consumer receiving drug and alcohol treatment in becoming involved with self-help support groups
Assists each consumer receiving drug and alcohol treatment in developing and maintaining social support networks
Assesses consumer’s need for inpatient substance abuse treatment and, when appropriate, coordinates access to these services
Collaborates closely with any inpatient substance abuse treatment providers
Ensures that each consumer referred for alcohol and other drug treatment is referred to an individual or program licensed or certified to provide alcohol and other drug treatment
Provide training to other program members on the signs, symptoms and early identification of alcohol and other drug use and abuse, and the disease of alcoholism and drug dependency
Provides on-call crisis interventions
Maintains client confidentiality and adherence to HIPAA requirements at all times
Completes all required documentation in a timely manner consistent with agency guidelines
Maintains agency required productivity standards