Counselor III

About the Role

Supervises students, interns, and counseling staff seeking licensure. Serves as the primary counseling resource in the manager's absence, provides staffing and coverage support, and delivers specialized in-house training. Provides counseling services requiring specific competencies and/or credentials for reimbursement authorization. Implements assessments, treatment plans, and discharge plans for all clients assigned to their caseload. Actively communicates with referral sources to secure ongoing services for clients preparing to discharge from current levels of care.

Responsibilities

• Commits to the mission, vision, beliefs, and consistently demonstrates core values.
• Provides coverage and serves as the primary contact to respond to clinical issues when the Independence Center (IC) Clinical Manager is absent or as assigned.
• Collaborates with the IC Clinical Manager to provide support for staffing and coverage issues.
• Provides in-house trainings for staff in areas of expertise, especially related to dual diagnosis.
• Participates in quality assurance activities and file audits to ensure compliance with standards (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, paperwork standards).
• Acts as a mentor to new staff and non-clinical staff members (including nurses, technicians, and administrators) by providing education, feedback, and direction.
• Chairs and participates in Independence Center teams and committees, and hospital-wide teams/boards/committees (e.g., TIC, CAAT).
• Assumes a client caseload representative of complexity and area of designated expertise.
• Exhibits skills in all levels of the continuum of substance abuse treatment (inpatient care, residential care, intensive outpatient, continuing care, individual sessions).
• Clinically supervises practicum students, interns, and counseling staff seeking credentialing as assigned.
• Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with clients and/or families experiencing complex substance abuse problems.
• Utilizes skills in individual, family, and group settings as they apply to primary substance abuse issues.
• Conducts chemical dependency assessments and evaluations, including complete psychosocial assessments.
• Ensures completeness and timeliness in clinical record keeping (orientation, assessments, progress notes, treatment plan updates, staffing reviews, and discharge plans).
• Provides educational lectures to clients and their families on substance abuse topics.
• Presents clinical cases to multidisciplinary teams to develop and prioritize client needs, update treatment plans, and plan for appropriate discharge.
• Maintains active and consistent communication with current and potential referral sources to ensure continuity of care.
• Clinically communicates with third-party payers to ensure continued stays at appropriate levels of care.
• Provides counseling services requiring specific competencies and/or credentials for reimbursement authorizations.
• Provides oversight of client care and clinically supports other staff members in the absence of the IC Clinical Manager.
• Maintains professional growth and development through seminars, workshops, and professional affiliations.
• Participates in meetings, committees, and department projects as assigned.
• Performs other related projects and duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Knowledge of ethical and confidentiality laws as they apply to the field of substance abuse.
• Knowledge of the disease process and client care in the field of alcoholism/chemical dependency.
• Knowledge of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and other 12 Step recovery programs.
• Knowledge of the 12 Core Functions of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor as established by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (ICRC).
• Knowledge of substance abuse treatment services and techniques.
• Knowledge of computer hardware equipment and software applications relevant to work functions.
• Ability to exhibit skills in all levels of the continuum of substance abuse treatment (inpatient care, residential care, intensive outpatient, continuing care, and individual sessions).
• Ability to administer and interpret substance abuse assessment tools.
• Ability to facilitate group and individual counseling sessions.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with healthcare team members and diverse patient populations.
• Ability to clinically supervise and mentor students, interns, and staff about counseling methods and the field of addiction.
• Ability to prioritize work demands and work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality relevant to sensitive information.
• Ability to maintain regular and punctual attendance.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Counseling or Behavioral Health field required.
• Licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner required.
• Licensure as a Provisional Alcohol and Drug Counselor or Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor preferred.
• If prior or current history of alcohol and drug dependency, must provide evidence of sobriety for a minimum of 12 months prior to employment.
• Basic Life Support (CPR) certification required (American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or Military Training Network).

Physical Requirements

Characterized as sedentary work requiring exertion up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.