Primary Substance Abuse Counselor (Casa Raphael) - Alpha Project for the Homeless

Position Title: Primary Substance Abuse Counselor

Department: Casa Raphael

Reports to: Clinical Supervisor

FLSA Status: Full-Time and Non-Exempt

BENEFITS: Alpha Project offers a generous benefits package, including 14 paid holidays, paid vacation, sick leave, and 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision premium, and group life insurance.

PAY RANGE: $52,000 - $56,160/yearly, commensurate with experience

The Primary Substance Abuse Counselor works with clients to develop effective treatment plans, provides guidance on resources and partners that can support the treatment plan and rehabilitation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Resident Counseling

• Provide case management, supervision, and strategic direction to residents in all aspects of treatment;
• Develop and monitor resident Individual Treatment Plans to ensure progress toward resident treatment and personal goals;
• Facilitate resident process groups, classroom activities, and workshops;
• Maintain appropriate documentation regarding resident progress, services received, and special incidents in individual resident case files;
• Monitor and record resident program participation in accordance to individual Task Plans on a weekly basis;
• Coordinate and schedule appropriate resident services with external medical, dental, legal (Court, Probation, Parole), and other agencies; and
• Coordinate ancillary services (dual diagnosis counseling, vocational training, continued education, social/recreational activities, etc.) to meet resident needs and treatment goals.

Administration

• Communicate and adhere to program policies and procedures and model professional rapport to all residents in accordance with the Casa Raphael Operations Manual;
• Complete and submit time-sensitive reports to referring entities and/or agents; and
• Ensure compliance with organization, contractual, local, state, and federal mandates, including confidentiality.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands/conditions described below are representative of those that must be met/tolerated by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Sitting at a desk for sometimes long and continuous periods of time;
• Answering or making calls on the telephone for sometimes long and continuous periods of time;
• Using a keyboard to perform research and to communicate through written means for sometimes long and continuous periods of time;
• Looking at a computer monitor for sometimes long and continuous periods of time;
• Frequent standing, walking, reaching, lifting, and stooping; and
• Exposure to moderate to loud noise

QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to follow policies and procedures as established in the Company's Employee Handbook. Candidates will also contribute to a positive work environment by behaving and communicating in a manner such that they get along with all constituent groups, co-workers, and management.

In addition, the education, experience, and other skills listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Registered or certified substance use disorder counselor certification in a treatment-related field, required;
• Two (2) years experience in a substance abuse residential facility or treatment-related field; required;
• Knowledge of assessment and treatment best practices, including trauma-informed care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, and other evidence-based practices, required;
• Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Red Cross First Aid certification;
• Knowledge of overdose prevention and Naloxone distribution emergency response, required; and
• Peer experience and Bilingual (any language) candidates are encouraged to apply.

KEY SKILLS SET

• Ability to communicate in person and over the phone, required;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, required;
• Understanding confidentiality protocols and protecting personal information, required;
• Ability to organize and prioritize projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner, required;
• Effectively problem-solve and maintain composure in high-pressure situations, required;
• Ability to liaise with partner agencies;
• Ability to work independently with minimal daily supervision, required;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive personal information of applicants, current and former clients, landlords, and other matters affecting tenant relations;
• Knowledge of treatment modalities in the areas of substance dependency;
• Knowledge of all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, codes, regulations, and departmental policies and procedures;
• Experience with theory, principles, and practices of homeless housing interventions, social services, case management, eviction prevention, shelter diversion, and crisis intervention.

EQUIPMENT AND APPLICATIONS

• High proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook;
• Proficiency in San Diego County database program, SanWits;
• Working knowledge of all standard office equipment; and
• Experience with principles and practices of data collection and report preparation, preferred.

Alpha Project for the Homeless provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.