Certified Drug and Addiction Counselor

Position Title: Certified Drug and Addiction Counselor

Agency: Homeless Childrens Network

SCHEDULE: Full Time - Starts Immediately

SALARY:

Benefit: Health, Dental, and Vision insurance; Commuter stipend

HOMELESS CHILDREN’S NETWORK MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Homeless Children’s Network is to decrease the trauma of homelessness and domestic violence for children, youth, and families; to empower families; and to increase the effectiveness of collaborative efforts among service providers to end homelessness and poverty.

Homeless Children's Network is a community-based organization providing mental health and family support services to children and families who are homeless and formerly homeless.

JABALI YOUTH ADVOCACY PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Jabali Youth Advocacy Program Is a youth-led initiative designed to amplify young voices on issues of substance abuse and prevention. This program empowers youth leaders, ages 14-17, including those who are African American, low-income, LGBTQQ, under-housed, academically underperforming, or disconnected from school. Additionally, it supports youth exposed to violence, abuse, trauma, or those facing mild to severe mental and behavioral health challenges. Through skill-building activities, the program helps participants refine their personal stories, develop effective messaging platforms, and advocate for youth perspectives in the substance use conversation. By fostering leadership and action, the Healing SF Youth Advocacy Committee aims to address substance use challenges in San Francisco and promote the well-being of at-risk and system-involved youth

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Substance Use Counselor will be working alongside and in partnership with the Initiative's Licensed Healing Arts Practitioners and Case Managers. The Substance Use Counselor will support outreach and engagement activities across the network, and provide referral development, screening, intake and assessment, individual/group counseling, treatment planning, case management and collateral services.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Outreach and Networking

• Develop and implement an outreach plan for engaging youth in programming.
• Network with other agency and school staff, probation/parole officers, etc., to raise awareness of the JABALI initiative and services.
• Facilitate referrals through effective networking.

Client Engagement and Education

• Identify potential clients within Horizons current programming for participation in JABALI services.
• Collaborate with agency staff to increase knowledge and participation in JABALI services and initiatives.
• Educate JABALI clients on resources available to them through the JABALI network.

Assessment and Counseling

• Conduct client intakes, screenings, and assessments to determine needs, strengths, and supports.
• Develop strength-based Treatment Plans of Care for each client and consistently monitor progress.
• Conduct individual counseling sessions, including follow-ups.

Documentation and Coordination

• Document and maintain up-to-date client files while ensuring confidentiality per clinical procedures.
• Attend weekly interdisciplinary clinical meetings with clinical staff.
• Attend bi-weekly care management meetings with JABALI partner agencies.
• Participate in bi-weekly JABALI Service Network meetings.
• Develop and facilitate workshops as required.
• Prepare written monthly reports and collect data on client outcomes.
• Track and enter client services into the CMS system daily and within 24-48 hours of service provision.
• Provide coordination support to achieve the mission and objectives of the Jabali Outpatient Program.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Director.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of 2.5 years working with at-risk youth and their families.
• Must be a registered or certified Substance Use Counselor through an accredited institution such as CAADE or CCAPP, and complete all annual requirements to maintain registration/certification.
• Versed in best practices and interventions such as Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Stages of Change, etc.
• Knowledge of youth services in San Francisco from which clients can benefit.
• Experience working with youth and their families, youth within the juvenile justice system, youth with disabilities, youth with co-occurring disorders, and/or gang-affiliated, etc.
• Experience in clinical treatment, healing arts, and intervention techniques/approaches to youth development

Skills and Abilities

• Knowledgeable about youth development and empowerment principles, prevention strategies, best practices in serving high-risk youth, behavior modification, harm reduction, etc.
• Ability to meet deadlines and juggle multiple competing deadlines/tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to maintain confidential, accurate, and complete records, including documentation of daily encounters, progress notes, weekly and monthly reports, etc.
• Excellent organizational, communication, written, and verbal skills.
• Ability to work as a member of a team.
• Willingness to work outside regular business hours to attend events, meetings, etc. (including evenings, weekends, and before work, as needed).

Salary : $70,000