Sup, Substance Use Counselor

Responsibilities

• Supervises clinical and peer activities of assigned team in Adult Acute Psychiatry Service.
• Supervises the development and implementation of specific peer bridger goals for all patients in assigned unit.
• Makes hiring and termination decisions regarding clinical staff.
• Serves as primary consultant to other direct service clinical staff.
• Works with Psych Therapists Chief to ensure smooth and cost-efficient program operations.
• Works with Department of Psychiatry Quality Assurance/Utilization Review Administrator to implement QA/UR monitoring within assigned clinics.
• Chairs case conference meetings.
• Provides education to clinical teams regarding peer and CASAC roles and services.
• Supports all programmatic needs for the peer discipline.
• Directly supervises clinical and peer staff in assigned clinic, including orientation of new staff.
• Sets the tone for an integrated approach to the treatment of patients who have both mental illness and substance use.
• Coordinates urgent care, access to treatment, special arrangements and complicated cases’ needs.
• Develops and leads creative programmatic needs such as the peer internship program, training and education for peer advocates, lead group supervision for peers across the department, provides discipline specific supervisory support to CCBHC peer supervisors.
• Provides trainings to peer supervisors as needed.
• Provides consultative services to peer supervisors in the department regarding supervision best practices.
• Prepares, tracks, and plans for changes in census and patient services in assigned unit.
• Maintains a working knowledge of Finger Lakes Region substance use and mental health treatment services, self-help groups, and other services, and referral for these programs.
• Maintains competency in relevant areas of substance use and mental health treatment, and maintains knowledge of referral sources, and eligibility and treatment requirements for other facilities.
• Performs chart auditing and coordinates incident reporting procedures.
• Coordinates program evaluation/Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement activities including incident reviews with Clinical Coordinator and Quality Assurance Administrator.
• Provides weekly supervision of each staff member for one hour.
• Provides weekly huddle with peer bridgers to share program announcements, community events, review competencies, provide support and trainings.
• Reviews staff notes through co-signature for the first three months, maintains all tracking requirements for the OMH peer bridger grant, and tracking to monitor frequency of CASAC need in various units across SMH.
• Attends the monthly OMH bridger meeting.
• Affords coordination of fleet vehicles for peer bridgers, maintains all time cards, performance reviews and onboarding of new employees, completes resume review, interviewing, hiring, and also termination needs.
• Reviews and co-signs CASAC evaluations (as clinically indicated) and safety plans.
• Tracks all peer and CASAC referrals, attends all acute leadership meetings.
• Assists other members of the leadership team manage substance use and mental health community resources for the inpatient team.
• Establishes communication using established rules of confidentiality and laws concerning rights of patients, and uses correspondence with family, other health-related agencies, employers, criminal justice programs, and social service status.
• Provides senior leadership staff with this data for incorporation into diagnostic team assessment of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patients and their families.
• Ensures effective liaison with other program components within Acute Psychiatry.
• Represents assigned clinic on Department of Psychiatry committees as assigned.
• Represents assigned unit within the Department of Psychiatry, to achieve effective liaison with other programs in the Department and continuity of care for patients who may be in more than one program within the Department of Psychiatry.
• Participates in Program Staff Development and Informational Activities.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a discipline related to health and human services required.
• 5 years related of combined clinical and/or supervisory experience, including both substance use disorders treatment experience and/or specific co-occurring disorders treatment experience required.
• Or equivalent combination of education and experience required.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Addiction treatment.
• Counseling theories and techniques.
• Clinical writing.
• Health and human services resources; preferred.

License and Certifications

• NYS Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) or (CASAC-T) required.
• If CASAC-T upon hire, successful completion of examination to remove the (T (training)) designation must be completed within 12 months of hire required.