School-Based Prevention Specialist (Substance Abuse Counselor)

Are you driven by a passion for helping others and creating real change in your community? We’re committed to personal and professional growth, offering a supportive environment where your development is a priority. You’ll gain valuable experience in case management, community outreach, and collaborative service delivery, all while being part of a mission-driven team. We also offer competitive benefits and the opportunity to be part of something bigger—an organization that values your voice, your growth, and your impact. If you’re ready to make a difference and grow your career with purpose, we’d love to hear from you.

Responsible for providing intervention and prevention services to those individuals who are substance abusers or who may be “high risk” for substance abuse and related problems. The goal is to reduce individual risk factors and increase protective factors. This process begins with identifying the “at risk” individual, conducting an assessment, and providing intervention, prevention, and supportive services. The School-Based Prevention Specialist may be called upon to do presentations related to drug use/abuse awareness both in school and community settings.  The Specialist will work towards developing service linkages between school and agency personnel, where possible.  This position will maintain effective relationships with students, parents, and other staff members. Decisions made are in response to changing conditions and often require discretion and conceptual analysis of data and situations and may frequently require the approval of the supervisor before implementation. 
 
The core responsibilities for this position are: (1) case management (2) prevention and intervention services (3) consults (4) community outreach and education (5) other duties as assigned.

• Provide prevention and intervention services, including individual, group, or family counseling to individuals identified as “at risk” for substance abuse/use and related problems;
• Provides outreach services to engage students and families who may be unable to attain services elsewhere;
• Maintain client records as required;
• Makes referrals for mental health and/or substance abuse treatment as indicated by professional assessment, diagnosis, or court order in coordination with supervisor;
• Conduct assessments at intake to determine each client/student’s individual needs;
• Develop an individualized service plan for each client/student addressing all needs identified at intake, including appropriate support services;
• Provide outreach services to school and community groups in the form of presentations, drug awareness presentations, and in-service to faculty or other agencies;
• Consult with school and/or community agencies for people not involved in direct service, as appropriate;
• As time permits, be available to students, parents, faculty, and the community at large;
• Attend staff meetings and consultations as well as participate in case conferences;
• Participate in supervision with the Program Director;
• Compile data on monthly activities;
• Attend trainings and workshops to keep abreast of current drug abuse trends, techniques and for skill development;
• Perform urine drug screenings as needed (off-campus);
• Prepare and develop prevention counseling/education materials;
• Perform all work duties and activities in accordance with County policies, procedures, and safety practices;
• Perform other duties as apparent or assigned.

Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Political Science, Economics, Business Administration, Social Work, or related field and five (5) years of progressive responsible jail alternative program experience.

• Thorough knowledge of youth prevention and intervention substance abuse strategies;
• Thorough knowledge of adolescent/youth learning theories and application; 
• Thorough knowledge of the unique needs of youth based on gender, developmental, and cultural differences;
• Thorough knowledge of networks of service providers involved in mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders for youth and families;
• Basic knowledge of human physiology, anatomy, biology, and the interactions of controlled substances on these systems;
• Thorough knowledge of individual, family, and group dynamics;
• Thorough knowledge of crisis intervention techniques and community resources;
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of ethical and legal standards related to client rights and the handling of client information;
• Thorough knowledge of methods and techniques of curriculum development and presentation;
• Ability to manage client/student caseloads and collaboratively discuss and resolve client case management issues;
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, tailoring the message to the intended audience;
• Knowledge and proficiency in the English language, including grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and vocabulary; and proofreading skills;
• Ability to follow an agreed-upon professional code of ethics including confidentiality, individual rights, professional and legal issues, and adherence to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards;
• Ability to represent Chatham County in a professional, responsible, and trustworthy manner;
• Ability to interact effectively with persons representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view;
• Ability to exercise autonomous and creative problem-solving to respond effectively and appropriately to a wide variety of situations and crises;
• Ability to collaborate and function as a team member with multi-disciplinary colleagues (school- staff, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, courts, corrections, hospitals, treatment providers, and others);
• Ability to network with stakeholders and decision-makers from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines to promote program efficacy and sustainability;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with law enforcement, school-based staff, jail staff, judges, courts, defense attorneys, district attorneys, probation/parole officers, community-based treatment providers, clients, co-workers, elected officials, public officials and members of the public; 
• Ability to work independently on projects and routine tasks;
• Ability to exercise good judgment in analyzing situations, answering questions, and interpreting policies;
• Ability to collect data, keep accurate and organized records, and ensure timely preparation of reports;
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks;
• Ability to handle moderate to high levels of stress, meet established deadlines, and solve problems appropriate to the position.

Physical Requirements
This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking, hearing, handling or feeling and repetitive motions; frequently requires standing, walking, and reaching with hands and arms and occasionally requires climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; work requires vocal communication to express or exchange ideas orally; work requires hearing to perceive information at normal spoken levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities;  work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, courtroom, light traffic).

Special Requirements
Must possess a valid North Carolina driver's license.
Substance abuse background training is required.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including on-call and crisis management.
Must be registered with North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board.
Must obtain certification/license within 5 years after registering with North Carolina Substance Abuse Professionals Practice Board (NCSAPPB).

Salary : $52,060 - $66,377