Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor; LCDC)

Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC)

Under the supervision of the Program Director, Division Director, or designee, the Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) provides substance-use prevention, education, screening, counseling, case management, and outreach services to youth served by the Center. The LCDC provides trauma-informed drug abuse prevention and human trafficking education to youth, families, schools, and community partners and works collaboratively with the treatment team to support youth safety, stability, and successful transitions.

This position also supports the Center's 24/7 residential program and may be assigned responsibilities that provide experience toward eligibility for Texas Child Care Administrator licensure.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct substance-use screenings and assessments within the scope of LCDC licensure and identify substance-use concerns, risk factors, protective factors, and treatment or support-service needs.
• Provide individual and group counseling focused on substance-use prevention, intervention, recovery, relapse prevention, coping skills, decision-making, and related needs.
• Utilize evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, strengths-based, and youth-centered practices appropriate for adolescents and young adults.
• Identify mental-health, medical, behavioral-health, or other needs outside the LCDC's scope of practice and coordinate appropriate referrals.
• Participate in the development, implementation, review, and updating of Individual Service Plans (ISPs), including goals and interventions addressing substance use, safety, education, family relationships, behavioral health, independent living, and workforce readiness.
• Provide case management and service coordination and make appropriate referrals to treatment, behavioral-health, medical, educational, employment, housing, and community resources.
• Collaborate with youth, families, caregivers, schools, treatment providers, child-welfare professionals, juvenile-justice partners, and other service providers.
• Participate in multidisciplinary staffings, treatment-team meetings, discharge and transition planning, referrals, follow-up, and aftercare services.
• Support youth safety, family stability, permanent connections, safe reunification, and successful transitions.
• Participate in crisis intervention and stabilization activities within professional scope and agency procedures.
• Develop and deliver age-appropriate, trauma-informed substance-use prevention and human trafficking education to youth, parents/caregivers, school personnel, agency staff, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Provide education regarding the risks associated with substance use and abuse, prevention strategies, protective factors, healthy coping skills, and decision-making.
• Provide education regarding labor and sex trafficking, including recruitment and grooming tactics, warning signs, risk factors, exploitation, healthy boundaries, and strategies for seeking assistance.
• Provide information regarding local, state, and national substance-use, trafficking, behavioral-health, and other support resources.
• Develop and adapt presentations, curricula, handouts, workshops, and educational materials based on age, developmental level, culture, language, audience, and community needs.
• Recognize and respond appropriately to suspected trafficking, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other safety concerns in accordance with agency policies and mandatory reporting requirements.
• Conduct outreach to schools, youth-serving organizations, service providers, coalitions, and community partners.
• Represent the Center at community events, resource fairs, educational presentations, outreach activities, and stakeholder meetings.
• Develop and maintain community partnerships and referral networks that strengthen prevention, intervention, and access to services.
• Coordinate outreach activities with other Center programs and identify opportunities to expand drug abuse and trafficking prevention efforts.
• Work collaboratively within the Center's 24/7 Emergency Shelter for Youth and support a safe, structured, trauma-informed, and youth-centered residential environment.
• Serve as a resource to shelter personnel regarding substance-use concerns, trauma-informed responses, youth behavior, coping strategies, and appropriate interventions.
• Provide consultation, coaching, education, and training to shelter staff while maintaining appropriate clinical and professional…