SUD Counselor

About the role

Crisis Solutions Center is a residential treatment facility that provides stabilization services to clients experiencing acute or ongoing behavioral health crises. Substance Use Disorder Counselors work within a multi-disciplinary team to create and support client-driven treatment plans; facilitate group and individual counseling; and ensure services are fully integrated with mental health, substance use, and primary care teams.

Responsibilities

• Perform alcohol and drug use assessments to develop and support client-driven treatment plans; facilitate linkages to collaborative resources when appropriate.
• Plan, organize, and facilitate treatment and support groups for clients.
• Provide substance use consultations and trainings to Crisis Solutions Center staff as appropriate; serve as a subject matter expert on harm reduction and best practices by providing trauma informed care/destigmatization in SUD language and documentation.
• Advocate for client access to community resources and services; consult and collaborate with community providers to ensure continuity of care.
• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients admitted to the CSC.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation in emergent situations; work as a team to maintain a safe, therapeutic environment including 15-minute client wellness checks.
• Maintain current and complete clinical and administrative records, including but not limited to goal planners, progress notes, safety and risk assessments, shift summary notes, and care-coordination between internal and/or external partners.
• Demonstrate DESC core values and professionalism in all client and staff interactions; follow agency clinical policies and procedures; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned
• Provide phone consultation for referents to the CSC, monitor office security cameras, answer phone calls, and other administrative duties.
• Serve food, do laundry and change linens, help clean common areas, and occasionally clean up bodily fluids and biohazardous waste using appropriate PPE.
• Provide transportation for clients as necessary.
• Attend a 2-week onboarding process upon hire and attend a full day of mandatory training during employment.

Qualifications

• Licensed by the State of Washington as a Substance Use Disorder Professional in good standing.
• Ability to drive an agency or conduct agency-related business. A current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record are required.
• Ability to obtain a Washington State Food Handler’s Permit.
• Interest in working with individuals who are experiencing mental illness and/or substance use disorders who may be difficult to engage in other treatment programs.
• Have a strong understanding of recovery and resilience, the value of client partnerships and client choice, and the balance between protection from harm and personal dignity.
• Possess strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to collaborate and work effectively with consumers and staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associates degree in a relevant social science.
• Knowledge of de-escalation skills, crisis intervention & stabilization, and harm reduction strategies.
• Familiarity of relevant community resources and methods for accessing them
• Experience working with adults living with mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders
• Bilingual

Benefits

• Insurance Benefits: Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)
• Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

Union Representation

This position is a part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

About DESC

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs, 19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder.