Drug and Alcohol Counselor

The Opiate Treatment Outpatient Program (OTOP) and the OTOP Mobile Methadone Van Program provide methadone maintenance dosing and counseling to patients with opioid use disorder in conjunction with medical and psychiatric services. The target population for OTOP’s methadone maintenance service is low-income medically/psychiatrically compromised individuals with opioid use disorder who reside in San Francisco, primarily in the South of Market, Mission, Castro, and Tenderloin areas. This includes a large proportion of African Americans and Latinos, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, and women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and post-partum women. The target population includes people of all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions or spiritualties, socioeconomic classes, partner statuses, and physical and mental disabilities. OTOP clients are low-income and uninsured or underinsured. This population has multiple layers of problems, multiple substance use disorders, psychiatric difficulties, life-threatening health problems, and significant cultural barriers to receiving proper care. This population is at especially high risk for HIV.

Under the direct supervision of the Clinical Supervisor, the incumbent provides a range of social work services to OTOP patients with multiple layers of instability and vulnerability including housing, financial, legal, medical care coordination, transportation, food and clothing. Services are provided to all OTOP patients with priority given to HIV+ clients and patients with severe and persistent mental health issues. While OTOP is able to provide medical treatment for opioid dependence and substance use counseling, this social work position is essential for successful treatment of client, retention in treatment, and engagement in community resources. All sites serve culturally diverse low-income opiate users with co-occurring psychiatric disorders. The incumbent provides culturally appropriate social work services, including mental health screening, brief interventions, consult with the multi-disciplinary teams from within the clinic and the community at large.

The OTOP Social Work Associate position is essential in providing the psychosocial services and interventions that are mandatory for the provision of comprehensive substance use treatment services.

Key Responsibilities

Minimum Requirements:

• BA/BS degree and one year of related experience, or five years of related experience providing prevocational, job development services, substance use counseling, or employment counseling
• Knowledge of Harm Reduction theory.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience providing culturally competent care with populations that are diverse in gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.
• Knowledge of the health and psycho-social problems associated with opioid dependence and other substance use disorders.
• Knowledge of effective treatments for opioid dependence and other substance use disorders.
• Ability to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with others. 
• Ability to work in a high stress, high volume clinical environment, and work well under pressure and with deadlines. 
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions accurately, and be detailed oriented. 
• Able to efficiently prepare clinical notes and written summaries of activities, set priorities and complete notes and reports within required timeframes. 
• Knowledge of medical and psychiatric terminology.
• Good oral, written, and telephone communication skills. 
• Demonstrate excellent attendance and reliability.

• Demonstrate professional behavior in a multi-disciplinary clinical environment.

Preferred:

• One-year preferred work experience in human services.
• Motivational Interviewing training/experience preferred.
• Experience working with severely mentally ill adults, the homeless and dual diagnosis populations.
• Experience working with populations that are diverse in gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.
• Graduate school course work in psychology, counseling, social work, addiction studies, or public health leading to certification or licensure
• Case management experience and one year of work experience in human services
• Experience with community outreach, peer educator programs, and volunteer supervision
• One or more years of experience working in opiate treatment programs
• Prior UCSF experience

Licenses/Certifications:

• California state registration (RADT or SUDRC). Candidates registered on/after July 1, 2025 must have already completed the required 80 hours of approved core competency education.  
• Certification as an Alcohol/Drug Counselor or registration as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist or Associate Social Worker or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor or Psychological Associate.