Substance Abuse Counselor

Summary: This individual will have a case load assigned to them as well as individual brief interventions in a primary care setting as needed. They will be responsible for coordinating and supporting substance abuse services and mental health care within the clinic and for coordinating referrals to clinically indicated services both inside and outside the clinic. The individual will also assist patients in recognizing that drug and alcoholism (substance abuse) is a disease, motivate them to actively participate in their own recovery process, assist them in learning skills and gaining knowledge, and introduce them to the recovery process so they may live without drugs or alcohol.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Support and closely coordinate mental health care with the patient’s primary care provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers.

• Screen and assess patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and available treatment options.
•  Support psychotropic medication management prescribed by PCP’s, focusing on treatment adherence, side effects and other complications, and effectiveness of treatment.
• Provide individual and group therapy to patients in the Pain Management Program.
• Provide brief interventions using evidence-based techniques such as Behavioral Activation, Problem-Solving Treatment, Motivational Interviewing, or other treatments appropriate for primary care settings.
• Provide or facilitate in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g., CBT, IPT) as clinically indicated.
• Participate in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient’s PCP. Consultations will focus on patients new to treatment or who are not improving as expected.
• Facilitate patient engagement and follow-up in care.
• Track patient follow-up and clinical outcomes to adhere to grant requirements. Document in-person and telephone encounters in the registry and use the system to identify and re-engage patients.
• Documents patient progress and treatment recommendations in the EMR so they can be easily shared with PCP’s, the psychiatric consultant, and other providers.
• Facilitate treatments or appropriate referrals for additional services.
• Screening for substance abuse and brief intervention in a primary care practice, and providing referral for treatment to community programs when indicated.
• Maintains accurate documentation of service objectives and outcomes as well as other services.
• Work with prescribing physicians and Behavioral Health Director to establish treatment protocols and workflows.
• Provide screening for participation in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program in a primary care practice.
• Knowledge of community treatment agencies and resources.
• Conducts crisis intervention as needed.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in a team setting.
• Ability to maintain effective and professional relations with patient and other members of the care team.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate and apply policies and procedures to solve everyday problems and deal with a variety of situations.
• Comfort with the pace of primary care.
• Ability to effectively engage patients in a therapeutic relationship, when appropriate.
• Ability to work with patients by telephone or in person.
• Experience with screening for common mental health and/or substance use disorders.
• Experience with assessment and treatment planning for common mental health and/or substance use disorders, when appropriate.
• Working knowledge of different diagnosis of common mental health and/or substance use disorders, when appropriate.
• Working knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial treatments for common mental health disorders, when appropriate.
• Familiarity with brief, structured intervention techniques (e.g. / Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation), when appropriate.
• Must be able to demonstrate leadership abilities, and be able to work with and communicate with persons from all educational and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to prioritize and perform with minimal direction.
• Strong computer skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability and experience to review and analyze data and information, recommending actions which support clinic goals and objectives.
• Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for common mental health disorders that is within appropriate scope of practice for type of provider filling role.

Evaluation: The evaluation of work performance, including: specific duties, responsibilities, demeanor, and work ethic, will be ongoing and implemented by the Behavioral Health Director per center policies.

Minimum Qualifications: Must have a Master Degree in SW or Psychology; Certified in Substance Abuse, Experience working in Substance Abuse.

Compliance: Adhere to company policies and procedures and all Federal, State and Local medical service requirements. To include HIPAA Privacy & Security.

Confidentiality (HIPAA): Every employee is required to sign a Pledge of Confidentiality. Failure to comply with our Pledge of Confidentiality can or will lead to immediate termination of employment. Confidentiality applies to a patient’s Personal Health Information (PHI) and includes: written, oral and electronic communications. Each employee has an obligation to maintain confidentiality after their employment/association with this facility ends. 

Security (HIPAA): Every employee is required to protect their computer log-on and password. You must secure your work area prior to leaving it unattended for an extended period of time. You are required to log-off of your computer and secure your work area prior to leaving at the end of the day. If you have a responsibility for closing or locking files, securing equipment, or locking the building and you do not comply with these requirements, you will be subject to reprimand and/or termination based upon the infraction. We are required by law to protect patient privacy, identifiable patient information, and all properties containing such information.

Physical Requirements: Varied activities include standing, walking, reaching, bending and lifting.  Employee must possess full range of body motion including the ability to assist or lift patients when necessary; occasional weight bearing to exceed 50  pounds,  use of portable stretchers/wheelchairs encouraged. Employee must possess hand-eye coordination with normal range of vision and hearing abilities. This position frequently requires working under stressful conditions and frequently requires irregular work hours.

Environmental Working Conditions:   This position includes both administrative and medical responsibilities. Employee is frequently exposed to communicable diseases, toxic substances, medical cleaning and processing solutions which my included ionizing radiation plus other elements common in a clinical environment.

THIS POSITION IS AT RISK FOR OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
 TO BLOOD AND/OR BODILY FLUIDS