Substance Abuse Treatment Counselour

Summary

SUMMARY

The Drug/Alcohol Abuse Counselor provides essential clinical support services at the Collbran Job Corps Center, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service facility. The primary purpose is to assist financially disadvantaged youth (typically ages 16 to 24) in a residential setting through early detection, diagnosis, and prevention/education regarding substance misuse and abuse. The counselor works to ensure students become responsible, productive citizens by addressing substance use barriers to employability.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS Pay Range: $25.19 - $27.00/hr comprehensive federal benefits package available to full-time employees, including health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plan participation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Clinical Assessments: Conduct substance misuse and abuse assessments for applicants and new students (utilizing Social Intake Forms and Health History Forms) and respond to written referrals.
• Treatment & Intervention: Provide short‑term or brief interventions, crisis intervention for emergencies, and referrals for long‑term therapy.
• Case Management: Monitor students with chronic substance conditions, participate in chronic care management plans, and collaborate with the Center Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) on co‑occurring conditions.
• Documentation: Maintain and safeguard all student health records (SHR) in compliance with HIPAA; document every student interaction in a timely manner using systems such as the Center Information System (CIS).
• Promotion &
  
  Education:
  
  Conduct a minimum of one-hour prevention presentations for all new students and at least three annual center-wide prevention and education activities.
• Collaboration: Coordinate with the Center Physician and Health & Wellness Director (HWD) regarding medication management; collaborate with departments like residential, recreation, and education to integrate promotion services.
• Reporting: Submit monthly status reports to the HWD and report adverse student behavior incidents in a timely manner.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Clinical Expertise: Ability to examine mood, behavior, thinking, and reasoning related to emotional wellness and substance misuse.
• Teamwork: Ability to work both independently and as an effective member of a multidisciplinary healthcare team.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills to facilitate student willingness to pursue treatment and ensure positive student satisfaction.
• Technical Proficiency: Ability to use electronic health record systems (CIS) and maintain compliance with infection control and HIPAA standards.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Education Requirements

• Degree: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in a behavioral health field (e.g., Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, Human Services, or Substance Use Disorders).
• Credentials: Active, unencumbered Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS) (or higher, such as a Licensed Addiction Counselor [LAC]) regulated by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
• State Exams: Passing scores on the National Certified Addiction Counselor Level II (NCAC II) exam and the Colorado Jurisprudence Examination.

Experience Requirements

• Supervised Clinical
  
  Hours:
  
  To hold the required CAS credential in Colorado, the individual must have already completed a minimum of 3,000 hours of clinically supervised work experience in the addiction treatment field.
• Professional Job
  
  Experience:
  
  1 to 2 years of active work experience post-certification in an institutional, residential, or community healthcare environment.
• Specialized
  
  Skills:
  
  Strong background in crisis intervention triage, diagnosing co-occurring mental health conditions, and presenting educational training to large groups.
• Adolescent Care: Experience providing services to a population of disadvantaged youth ages 16 to 24 is preferred based on the target demographic.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

• This position does not have explicitly defined supervisory responsibilities over staff but involves managing student caseloads and collaborating with the health and wellness team.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The role is based at a Job Corps Center, which is a…