Substance Use Counselor; Clinical Social Worker

Description

The Substance Use Counselor conducts comprehensive drug and alcohol assessments to determine appropriate treatment options and level of care required for patient recovery. Provides substance use counseling either individually or in group sessions to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Assists in overcoming dependencies and adjusting to life changes. Provides education and training with relapse prevention and urge reduction techniques. Encourages and supports patients with issues associated with addictions and substance abuse.

The home base for this position will be the Buzz Westfall Justice Center in Clayton, working with individuals in the County jail. This position will also work in all three of the Department of Public Health Clinics to include John

C. Murphy in Berkeley, North Central Community Health Center in Pine Lawn, and the South County Health Center in Sunset Hills.

The annual starting salary will be $64,480. St. Louis County offers a generous benefits package including affordable health insurance, dental and vision coverage, 4 weeks of paid time off the first year, 11 paid holidays, deferred benefit retirement plan, paid life insurance, and short and long term disability. A full listing of benefits is available under the benefit tab at the top of this page.

• Assess patients for substance use disorders and evaluate to determine the most appropriate level of care and treatment support needed.
• Make referrals when determined appropriate and support patient access to treatment and needed services.
• Provide substance use counseling and interventions either individually or in group sessions to promote recovery and good behavioral and mental health.
• Develop and implement patient treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
• Use a strengths‑based and trauma‑informed approach to work collaboratively with patients to support their treatment and recovery.
• Monitor patients’ use of medication in collaboration with medical providers and/or psychiatrists.
• Perform crisis interventions with patients and act as a patient advocate to coordinate required services or to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
• Stay abreast of new developments in counseling; read professional literature, attend courses and seminars; establish rapport and maintain contact with other social service agencies.
• Work with health center staff to educate them on therapeutic communication and effective client interaction.
• Maintain excellent interpersonal skills, able to work independently as well as within a team and represent DPH professionally both internally and externally.
• Submit reports on patient outcomes and productivity.
• Complete all patient documentation in the Electronic Medical Record according to DPH standards.
• Maintain HIPAA compliance.
• Serve on DPH committees and work groups as assigned.
• Actively participate in patient huddles with other team members.
• Perform additional duties as determined needed for this job class.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Masters Degree in Social Work or Counseling and a minimum of one year of related counseling experience or any equivalent combination of experience and post graduate training. Must possess a valid driver's license. Licensure by the State of Missouri as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Professional Counselor (LPC) must be obtained prior to completion of a six month probationary period.

Prefer experience working with adult and pediatric patients.

A selection committee will evaluate the qualifications of each applicant which will include recentness and appropriateness of the applicant’s education and experience, answers to the supplemental questions, results of employment references investigated and any other appropriate information available. The selection committee will admit to the interview only those persons who possess the most job‑related qualifications and may establish admittance criteria beyond the minimum qualifications stated above.

The interview will comprise 100% of the applicant’s earned grade. A candidate must earn a qualifying grade…