Counselor Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Massachusetts LADC 1, LADC II, CADC I, or CADC II license or certification required.
• Must have access to an operational, insured vehicle and be willing to use it to transport Persons Served.
• A valid driver's license must be presented at employment; incumbents must be at least 21 years old, have held a valid U.S. driver's license for at least six months, and pass a driver's screening background check.
• If using a personal vehicle, must maintain adequate insurance and a safe driving record, subject to annual checks.
• Must obtain CPR certification within the first two weeks of hire.
• Must obtain First Aid certification within two weeks of hire.
• Must obtain MAP certification within 150 days of hire.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, crouch, crawl, climb, sit, reach, climb stairs, and maneuver through narrow spaces or hallways.
• Ability to lift at least 25 pounds using proper lifting techniques or a two-person lift, and to assist Persons Served with daily living tasks.
• Ability to operate a computer and office equipment such as a calculator, copier, and printer.
• Ability to remain stationary for 50% of the time as needed and to move around the facility.
• Ability to speak, hear, and communicate with Persons Served, staff, and external representatives.
• Required vision abilities include close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Knowledge of addiction-treatment principles, modalities, best practices, and evidence-based practices, including Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change, Harm Reduction, SSI-SA, SBIRT, Housing First, addiction peer support, Seeking Safety, WRAP, Cognitive Behavioral interventions, acute addiction treatment, and Medication Assisted Treatment.
• Knowledge of engagement strategies and ability to build supportive, trusting relationships with Persons Served.
• Knowledge of risk management and mitigation strategies.
• Knowledge of recovery-oriented, person-centered, strengths-based values and principles, empowerment, and self-advocacy techniques.
• Knowledge of prejudice, internalized negative attitudes, discrimination, oppression affecting people with psychiatric disorders, and the effects of poverty.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed and culturally competent services; sensitivity to cultural, religious, ethnic, disability, and gender issues.
• Knowledge of the human, legal, and civil rights of Persons Served.
• Knowledge of emergency services, acute addiction-care systems, and community-based mental health, healthcare, care coordination, and other services available to Persons Served.
• Knowledge of health risks associated with psychiatric disability and/or addictions.
• Skills and competence in formulating treatment plans and training staff to provide substance-misuse and addiction services.
• Knowledge of formal and informal substance-misuse and addiction assessment practices.
• Knowledge and use of different communication and learning styles and supervisory techniques.
• Knowledge of participatory and collaborative skills, and ability to provide leadership to staff on substance-misuse and addiction issues.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.
• Clinical experience working with people with co-occurring disorders or addictions preferred.
• Preference given to bilingual/bicultural applicants and applicants with lived experience of psychiatric conditions.

Responsibilities

• Screen, assess, and reassess substance use, addiction risk, and treatment needs using the SSI-SA and other assessments in group living environments and outreach settings; develop or direct licensed staff to develop formulations addressing use, risk, impact, and readiness for change.
• Provide direct interventions and supports to Persons Served who have substance misuse or addiction, regardless of where they reside.
• Use trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered, culturally competent, and strengths-based approaches and skills-training techniques.
• Provide evidence-based and best-practice addiction treatment, including Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change, Harm Reduction, Relapse Prevention, SSI-SA, SBIRT, Seeking Safety, WRAP, Cognitive Behavioral interventions, safety planning, crisis prevention and response planning, and the 8 Dimensions of Wellness.
• Refer Persons Served and coordinate with Care Coordination entities to support access to Medication Assisted Treatment, Dual Recovery groups, psychoeducational services, and related Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS treatment as appropriate.
• Provide addiction-treatment psychoeducation to Persons Served individually and in groups.
• Participate as a member of intervention teams for assigned Persons Served.
• Train, mentor, and model evidence-based addiction-treatment practices for GLE SIE staff, including motivational interviewing, stages of change, harm reduction, and Housing First.
• Perform, train, supervise, mentor, and model evidence-based clinical and recovery-oriented interventions for Persons Served, including screening, brief intervention, referral and treatment, Seeking Safety, WRAP, and Cognitive Behavioral interventions.
• Document the needs and services of Persons Served thoroughly and thoughtfully.
• Promote engagement, safe housing, community tenure, self-sufficiency, and successful completion of services.
• Promote access to healthcare, employment, and education services for Persons Served.
• Coordinate access to community-based acute addiction treatment, medication-assisted treatment, self-help and peer support, psychoeducational services, and relapse prevention resources.
• Participate in the Addiction Recovery Counselor Community of Practice Workgroup for role-specific supervision, competency development, mentoring, and learning.
• Receive regularly scheduled, role-based clinical supervision from the Assistant Team Leader.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• $3,000 sign-on bonus