Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Youth Counselor

Job Title: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Youth Counselor I

Reports To:  Wellness Clinical Director

Job Status:  Exempt ☐   Non-Exempt ☒

Hourly Rate: $23- $28

Summary

The Substance Abuse Youth Counselor I conducts individual counseling sessions on the Stages of Change and leads recovery groups for Youth and TAY. The Counselor I specializes in early intervention and uses motivational interviewing when working with the youth population. The Counselor I will work with patients with substance use disorders that may also suffer from co-occurring mental health disorders and/or homelessness. The Counselor I will support the efforts of the Wellness Supportive Services team by providing counseling sessions that complement the care provided by the Addiction Psychiatrist, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, LCSW, and all of the clinical and administrative staff. To support patients’ full scope of needs, the Counselor I will refer patients to the Case Managers in order to equip patients with the resources they need to obtain additional services. The Counselor I will provide ongoing clinical updates to clinical staff to ensure each patient gets the highest quality of care. The Counselor I will document all communication with patients in the organization’s electronic health record. Communications may include individual session processes, group processes, or other relevant communications.

Responsibilities

• Conduct screenings and assess readiness to enter into the substance abuse outpatient program.
• Help patients develop treatment goals and plans related to Stages of Change.
• Provide individual substance use counseling sessions on Stages of Change to youth displaying a substance use disorder and in need of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) or other treatment.
• Participate in facilitating recovery groups for patients on an ongoing basis.
• Refer patients to the Case Managers and SDOH services if additional community resources and services such as transportation, support groups, specialty medical care, self-help programs, residential facilities, and/or more intensive outpatient MAT services, i.e., opioid treatment program (OTP) or inpatient psychiatric care are needed.
• Document all patient interactions in the organization’s electronic health record.
• Complete all grant related assessments and documentation as assigned.
• Schedule counseling appointments with patients and call patients to remind them of appointments and to follow-up if they do not keep appointments.
• Participate in administrative and outreach activities as required by the program, which may include activities at additional La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc. locations.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

1. Attend staff meetings.
2. Perform other duties as assigned.

Patient Centered Medical Home Essential Responsibilities (Principals)

• Collaborate with individual patients, their personal physicians, and when appropriate, the patient’s family to ensure accessible, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally competent care.
• Facilitate care by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means to assure that patients get the indicated care when and where they need and want it in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
• Ensure all decisions respect patients’ wants, needs, and preferences and that patients have the education and support they require to make decisions and participate in their own care.
• Continually strive to attend to each patients’ “whole person”, in context of the patient’s personal and medical history and life circumstances, rather than focusing on a particular disease, organ or system.

Job Requirements

Education: Certification preferred. Registration from a California State Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Services certifying organization such as CCAPP, CAADE and/or CADTP. Associate degree and/or Bachelors degree in related field preferred. High school diploma (or GED equivalent) required.

Experience: A minimum of two years of experience providing counseling to high-risk yout with co-occurring mental and/or behavioral health disorders preferred.

Verbal and Written Skills to Perform Job Duties: Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and demonstrated ability to work with diverse individuals and groups, knowledge and experience working in medical settings and interacting collaboratively with various staff and ability to exercise conflict management skills. Familiarity with basic word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications. Accurate keyboarding skills.

Technical Knowledge and Skills Required to Perform Job Duties: Demonstrate high levels of self-initiation and direction. Knowledge of communities we serve. Knowledge and experience working in medical settings and interacting collaboratively with medical teams. Skill in analyzing situations and making timely decisions.

Physical and Mental Requirements: Work involves sitting, talking, hearing, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reaching with hands and arms. The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.