SUDs Counselor - Homeless Outreach Team

Central City Concern • Portland, OR

20h • $28 - $40

About The Position

Central City Concern’s Homeless Enhanced Outreach and Retention Team (HEART) provides proactive, street-based outreach and short-term care coordination for people experiencing homelessness. This role supports individuals in connecting to housing, medical care, mental health services, substance use treatment, harm reduction services, and other long-term supports. As a SUDs Counselor , you work in the field alongside a multidisciplinary team, providing trauma-informed, person-centered outreach, clinical interventions, and care coordination. This role requires flexibility, strong clinical judgment, and comfort working independently in dynamic environments. This is meaningful, front-line work for clinicians who believe engagement comes before treatment and dignity comes first. Central City Concern’s Homeless Enhanced Outreach And Retention Team (HEART) meets people where they are by providing proactive street outreach and care coordination services. This multidisciplinary team engages folks on the streets, providing basic resources and information, explores interest and barriers to engaging in more formalized supports and can enroll someone in short term (1-3 months) transitional care services to facilitate access and engagement in longer term supports. This team can assist people connecting to shelter/housing resources, primary care, mental health, substance use services, harm reduction services, employment, and other more traditional service models. The SUDS Counselor works as a member of a treatment team providing substance abuse treatment and case management. The team works to address all treatment needs, including crisis management, substance abuse treatment, physical health management, mental health management, accessing affordable housing, accessing employment and educational opportunities. This position has access to mental health billing and service records. The SUDS Outreach Counselor position requires flexibility of hours and independent decision-making.

Requirements

• Must have one of following: CADC-1 CADC-2 CADC-3
• Must be registered in MHACBO as a CADC 1, 2,or 3
• Must have High School Diploma or GED (advanced degree preferred).
• PSS or CRM preferred and be registered with MHACBO as a Certified Recovery Mentor; OR must be a certified Peer Support Specialist (or Peer Wellness Specialist) AND be registered as a Traditional Health Worker on the THW registry.
• Must meet CCC privileging requirements as required by FTCA.
• Must have current CPR certification prior to start.
• Must embrace the mission and philosophy of harm reduction, and client centered outreach supports.
• Must pass a pre-employment drug screen, TB test, and background check. This includes clearance by the DHS Background Check Unit.
• Must possess a current driver’s license, pass a DMV background check and be designated an “acceptable” driver as outlined in Central City Concern’s Fleet Safety Policy.
• Must pass an initial drivers training within 60 days of being an approved driver and continued recertification training.
• Ability to adhere to Central City Concern’s drug-free workplace which encourages a safe, healthy and productive work environment and strictly complies with the Drug-Free Work Place Ace of 1988. An employee shall not, in the workplace, unlawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess or use a controlled substance or alcohol. The OAR prohibits A&D program staff from having within the previous 3 years a DUI conviction or diversion, a felony conviction, or a conviction under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.
• Will be required to carry an agency cell phone for work use. Cell phone will be provided by Central City Concern.
• Required to be available for after-hours pager and holiday coverage rotation.
• Must adhere to agency’s non-discrimination policies.
• Must generally have the ability to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, twist, reach, pull and lift heavy objects and climb stairs, with reasonable or no accommodation.
• Ability to effectively interact with co-workers and clients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, political affiliations, cultural backgrounds, life-styles, and sexual orientations and treat each individual with respect and dignity.
• Knowledge, education, training, skills, and experience in providing services in a highly diverse work environment to a highly diverse and mostly homeless population.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change, and Harm Reduction.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Trauma-Informed Care and Anti-Racist clinical practice.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in counseling techniques, to include mental health and substance use disorder treatment methods.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and necessary paperwork.
• Must be able to follow screening, enrollment, assessment, and client goal planning protocol.
• Knowledge of budgeting practices and procedures.
• Ability to manage time and meet deadlines.
• Ability to display a non-judgmental attitude.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing with clients, co-workers, and community partners.
• Ability to work courteously and effectively communicate with the public, medical personnel, corrections personnel, police, and coworkers.
• Ability to work independently, plan, organize, prioritize, implement, and multi-task.
• Must be creative, innovative, and be a progressive problem solver.
• Ability to attend to detail, be flexible and dependable.
• Must be able to work under stressful conditions.
• Must be able to work in an environment where people may be verbally hostile.
• Knowledge of de-escalation methods or ability to be trained in de-escalation methods.
• Have the necessary computer skills to accomplish duties.
• Must be able to work variable work hours.
• Sufficient manual dexterity and physical ability to perform assigned tasks.
• Physical ability to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, twist, reach, pull, lift heavy objects, and climb stairs several times a day.
• Must be able to perform considerable intra-city travel.

Nice To Haves

• QMHA-R HIGHLY preferred. To meet the credential requirements of QMHA, must be registered with appropriate Oregon State licensing board to meet, at minimum, QMHA requirements.
• QMHA-R preferred. To meet the credential requirements of QMHA, must be registered with appropriate Oregon State licensing board to meet, at minimum, QMHA requirements.
• Experience working with outreach teams preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct outreach in encampments, shelters, and community settings
• Engage participants using harm reduction, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed practices
• Complete screenings, assessments, ASAMs when indicated, and individualized treatment plans
• Coordinate care across CCC programs and community partners
• Deliver proactive, trauma-informed street outreach and build trusting, non-coercive relationships with people experiencing homelessness
• Provide short-term clinical and care coordination support, including assessments, counseling, harm reduction, and connection to housing, medical, mental health, and substance use services
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and community partners while maintaining accurate, compliant clinical documentation
• Provide supportive outreach in encampments, on streets, in shelters and at other community-based locations in designated areas of town.
• Participate in outreach activities necessary to offer services and engage participation in a non-coercive manner.
• Escort clients to meetings and appointments as indicated and available.
• Assist participants in exploring interest, barrier to, and engagement in, services, and facilitate access to services of interest.
• Support transition planning for major events (housing, discharge for hospitals or jail, etc.)
• Provide assistance in identifying and accessing requested and recommended behavioral health, medical, substance use and social support services within CCC and in the community. This may involve providing ongoing care coordination, advocacy and clinical interventions to enrolled participants.
• Provide some pre-treatment intervention and supports, including motivational interviewing, harm reduction education and service connection, and discussion of participant-identified goals and barriers to working on those goals.
• Complete ASAM assessment when clinically indicated and requested to help access ongoing treatment.
• Assist in the creation participant support plans for enrolled participants.
• Conduct screening and assessment of potential clients to determine treatment needs, placement, and diagnosis; develop an individualized treatment plan to reflect these.
• Participate in direct treatment of clients by: Attending clinical staff meeting and case conferences in order to facilitate individual treatment plans for clients; Providing group counseling to clients as needed; Providing case management to clients as needed.
• Conduct treatment groups and provide individual counseling as needed.
• Adhere to agency norms for completion of all clinical documentation, including, but not limited to, assessment, treatment plan, progress notes, monthly reports to referral sources, and service conclusion summaries.
• Participate and facilitate as needed in community care conferences and staff meetings in order to facilitate longer term connections to and engagement in care.
• Represent Central City Concern HEART program in the greater community.
• Assist with any requested data collection and coordination with outside organizations (PSU, TIO, SAMSHA) for any part of the research evaluation and analysis of this pilot.
• Maintain appropriate clinical certification(s).
• Adhere to all state and federal privacy regulations, including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, and to CCC policies and agreements regarding confidentiality, privacy, and security.
• Support compliance with all privacy and security requirements pursuant to community partners’ and outside providers’ patient confidentiality agreements, including privacy and security requirements for EMR access.
• This includes immediately reporting any breach of protected health information or personal identification information of any person receiving CCC services by CCC or an outside provider to the CCC Compliance Department, as well as to your supervisor or their designee.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• We offer incredible benefits to our employees, including an extensive total rewards package, competitive compensation, medical, dental, vision, Student loan repayment options, and retirement savings matching plans!
• Generous paid time off plan beginning at 4 weeks of PTO accrual per year! Accrual amount/rate increases with longevity.
• Amazing 403(b) Retirement Savings plan with an employer match of 4.25% in your 1st year, 6% in the 2nd year, and 8% in your 3rd year!
• Up to 11 recognized Holidays and 2 personal holidays (dependent on work shift schedule)
• Comprehensive Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance coverage.
• Employer Paid Life, Short-Term Disability, AND Long-Term Disability Insurance!

What This Job Offers

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