Substance Abuse Counselor - Rio Arriba County

Essential duties and responsibilities of this position are described below and are subject to change by management, as may be necessitated by changes in business needs, contract requirements, accommodation requests or other reasons.

Job Summary:

The Substance Abuse Counselor will provide counsel and support to patients suffering from drug or alcohol dependency, educate families in the best ways to help in the recovery process, and with both inpatient clients and those participating in outpatient programs.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team members in the development/review of individualized behavioral/mental health treatment plans and in the monitoring and treatment of patients as indicated on the treatment plans.


• Update and maintain accurate and legible patient information and records in accordance with policy.


• Meets with clients to obtain personal information and medical histories and consults with other professionals to get a clear picture of the patient's status and extent of problems.


• Designs a program of treatment and rehabilitation tailored to patient's individual situation based on knowledge of alcohol and drug dependency and counseling and treatment methods.


• Uses a combination of individual and group counseling sessions to help clients and observe their attitudes and readiness to accept help and guidance.


• Inform, coordinate and advise all applicable parties regarding patient discharge or transfer. May act as a liaison with community agencies and contacts providing services to patients.


• Identify and maintain professional boundaries to preserve the integrity of the therapeutic process and relationship.


• Acquire and maintain current clinical knowledge and skills and professional standards.


• Educates patients about community-based organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and social and employment services that may help restore them to productive roles in the community.


• Maintains case histories and progress reports. Modifies treatment programs based on observation.


• Assists patients with coping with family problems and recommends appropriate social services as support for the entire family unit.


• Proactive in performance improvement activities as demonstrated by participating in the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) program (peer review; record reviews; membership on the CQI committee as requested) and modifying clinical practices based on CQI recommendations.


• Ensure compliance with all agency and Company policies, Federal and State laws, regulations, guidelines including HIPPA.

Position Core Competencies:

• Problem Solving: Acts collaboratively in resolving problems. Ability to present solutions rather than just identifying problems. Can acknowledge when one does not know something and is willing to take personal responsibility for finding a solution.


• Team Building: Works well with others and helps build a cohesive working environment. Helps others learn and shares knowledge. Respects diversity of the workplace and individuals' unique characteristics.


• Communication: Able to appropriately express opinions in written and verbal form. Clear and articulate when speaking with an individual or group and using audience-appropriate language. Listens to others.


• Documentation: Ensures that medical record entries and other documentation are accurate, thorough and timely. Written documentation is completed on required forms or using required formats without omissions.


• Effective Time Management: Organizes and prioritizes work by devoting adequate time and attention to individual tasks. Effectively plans meetings/keep appointments and multitask effectively.


• Attentive to Detail: Able to provide accurate and consistent work on a timely basis. Documents important details to ensure miscommunications are minimized.


• Accountability: Follows through on commitments and agreements. Demonstrated dependability. Takes responsibility for mistakes and missed deadlines. Communicated about progress on commitments.


• Stress Tolerance: Must be able to effectively handle stressful or adverse situations and work effectively under difficult conditions. Ability to remain calm while handling volatile, threatening, or emergency situations. Remains focused in spite of distractions and interruptions.


• Safety Consciousness: Maintains awareness of and acts to minimize the safety risk in one's environment.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Empathetic manner to deal with clients who may have multiple problems.

Education, Credentials, and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree with concentration in psychology, sociology, or public health required.


• Specific training in alcohol and drug abuse counseling.


• At least two years of experience working with drug or alcohol abusers under close supervision.


• BLS/First Aid & CPR certified

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.


• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.


• Must possess general good health and retain sufficient stamina agility, and visual and auditory acuity necessary to perform all duties required. Physical activity includes walking, climbing, standing, sitting, bending, stooping, and carrying; repetitive physical activity; repetitive mental activity, such as checking entries in a report, etc.


• Must be able to react quickly and appropriately in an emergency situation.


• May be required to work throughout a large facility, grouping of facilities, or travel between multiple facilities.


• Potential exposure to internal and external hazardous materials, including but not limited to: blood and bloodborne pathogens, infectious/communicable diseases, and physical injury from patients.


• Must be able to identify and minimize safety risks within the environment whenever possible.