Social Worker, Substance Use Disorder Specialist

About the role

The role of Social Worker, Substance Use Disorder Specialist lies within the Yale Health, Mental Health Service Line and is a strategic leadership position responsible for overseeing, developing, and enhancing substance use treatment services for faculty, staff, students, and their dependents at the university.

Responsibilities

• Leadership of Substance Use Treatment Services for Yale Health
• Direct all aspects of substance use treatment, ensuring accessible, effective, and compassionate care for all eligible university populations.
• Responsible for direct patient care delivery.
• Collaborative Care Delivery. Work closely with Internal Medicine clinicians who have expertise in substance use to develop and implement collaborative care models for treating patients with substance use disorders. Facilitate multidisciplinary team meetings to ensure coordinated and comprehensive care.
• Prevention Program Development. Design, launch, and evaluate student-focused prevention initiatives in partnership with university administrators. Tailor programs to address emerging trends and specific campus needs, promoting education, early intervention, and risk reduction.
• Screening Program Implementation. Establish and oversee screening protocols to systematically identify adult and pediatric patients with substance use disorders. Ensure that screening tools and processes are evidence-based, confidential, and culturally responsive.
• Continuous Quality Improvement. Monitor program outcomes, collect and analyze data, and apply findings to improve service delivery, treatment effectiveness, and prevention efforts.
• Training and Education. Develop and provide training for clinical staff, university personnel, and peer leaders on best practices in substance use identification, intervention, and referral.
• Policy Development and Compliance. Collaborate with university leadership to develop and update policies related to substance use treatment and prevention in alignment with legal, regulatory, and accreditation standards.
• Internal Medicine Clinicians. Partners with clinicians possessing substance use expertise to optimize patient outcomes through integrated, team-based care.
• University Administrators. Engage in ongoing dialogue and joint initiatives to enhance prevention efforts and foster a university-wide culture of wellness.
• Campus and Community Stakeholders. Build and maintain relationships with campus departments, community providers, and advocacy groups to support comprehensive substance use services and resources.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of progressive clinical experience in substance use treatment. Preferably within a university, healthcare, or behavioral health setting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage complex programs, and inspire staff toward excellence.
• Deep knowledge of evidence-based substance use treatment approaches and the unique needs of adult and student populations.
• Proven skills in program development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to foster effective partnerships across clinical, administrative, and academic domains.
• Capacity to utilize data for decision-making, program evaluation, and outcome measurement.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery and program design.

Skills

• Master’s Degree in Social Work and three years providing clinical care post licensure.
• State of Connecticut Clinical Social Worker License or Connecticut Clinical Social Worker license eligible.

Benefits

We are committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package to support the health and well-being of our employees. This includes:

• Health insurance options
• Retirement savings plans
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee assistance programs
• Time off and leave policies

Pay

$82,000.00 - $131,500.00

Schedule/Shift

Full-time, 37.50 hours/week; weekdays 8:30 - 5:00 flexible schedule. Early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays/recess periods may also be required. Participates in on-call rotation.