NWITC SUDP Counselor

Reports to:
Treatment Center Director

FLSA Status:
Exempt

TS Range: 9/10A($68,679.96 Annually)

SUMMARY: The Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) Counselor III provides culturally grounded, trauma-informed, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-informed substance use disorder treatment services within a Tribal inpatient residential facility. This position recognizes that substance use disorders in Tribal communities are often rooted in the ongoing impacts of historical and intergenerational trauma, colonization, forced assimilation, boarding school experiences, loss of land and language, institutional racism, violence, and systemic inequities, and requires a comprehensive understanding of how these factors continue to contribute to substance use and broader behavioral health challenges within Native communities.

The SUDP Counselor supports Native individuals and families in their healing journeys by integrating evidence-based practices with cultural identity, traditional teachings, community strengths, and resilience-based approaches. Healing is viewed not only as individual recovery, but as restoration of connection to self, family, culture, and community.

include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Provide comprehensive SUD assessments, ASAM placement determinations, group, and individualized treatment planning.
• Deliver individual and group counseling utilizing DBT-informed approaches with culturally responsive treatment plans that address substance use disorders, PTSD, historical trauma, grief and loss, identity development, and relapse prevention
• Facilitate skills-based groups incorporating culturally relevant adaptations.
• Develop and update person-centered treatment plans reflecting client goals and cultural identity.
• Coordinate discharge planning and continue care services.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in accordance with WAC, Tribal, Medicaid, and accreditation standards.
• Monitor and support the therapeutic milieu to ensure emotional safety, stability, and accountability.
• Conduct pre-admission screenings, intakes, biopsychosocial assessments, and ASAM placement determinations.
• Provide crisis intervention services, develop safety plans as indicated, and respond appropriately to behavioral health emergencies.
• Implement structured DBT skills groups in residential setting.
• Support clients in applying DBT skills during real time emotional crises.
• Collaborate with clinical team to ensure consistent use of DBT language and strategies.
• Participate in DBT consultation team meetings.
• Facilitate individual and group counseling using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) principles, including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

• Integrate traditional healing practices in collaboration with Cultural Advisors, Elders, and Traditional Practitioners.
• Support access to ceremony, cultural teachings, and land-based healing activities.
• Recognize historical trauma and its impact on substance use and behavioral health.
• Practice cultural humility and uphold Tribal values in all clinical interactions.
• Coordinate care with mental health providers, probation officers, attorneys, referral sources, ICW, behavioral health, primary care, and community partners.
• Transport patients and obtain program supplies as needed.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, training, and consultation groups.
• Advocate for clients within Tribal and community systems.
• Collect and maintain outcome data to support quality assurance and reimbursement requirements.
• Participate in quality improvement activities and assist in preparation for external reviews including DOH, IHS, and CARF.