Substance Use Counselor

Location: New Rochelle, NY Hours: M-F 5:45 am to 1:45 pm (35 hours a week) Rate of Pay: $28.50-$35.00 (Depending on Certification Level and Licensure) CASAC-T required at a minimum    Overview of Primary Responsibilities: Responsible for a caseload of participants living with Opioid use disorder and other co-occurring mental health diagnoses. Maintains up-to-date knowledge of the Opioid Treatment Program (OTP), medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder, and applicable regulatory standards. Provides orientation to new participants, including review of program rules, participant rights, grievance procedures, take-home medication policies, and 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality protections. Completes comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments for substance use and co-occurring conditions, including ASAM-informed clinical impressions for level-of-care determination. Develops, implements, and reviews individualized treatment plans in collaboration with the participant, with measurable goals and objectives. Updates treatment plans at required intervals and at clinically indicated milestones. Provides Individual therapy, family/couples therapy, and group therapy. Delivers psychoeducation to participants and their support systems on the disease of addiction, harm reduction, relapse prevention, MAT medications, overdose prevention, and naloxone use. Provides crisis intervention for participants in acute distress, including relapse, overdose risk, suicidal ideation, or other psychosocial emergencies, and coordinates appropriate clinical response. Distributes naloxone kits and provides naloxone/overdose prevention training to participants and their families per OASAS and DOH protocols. Reviews toxicology screening results with participants, interprets results in clinical context, addresses positive screens therapeutically, and provides clinical input on take-home medication eligibility, phase movement, and level-of-care reviews in collaboration with the medical and nursing team. Discusses MAT dose increases and other medication changes with participants and collaborates with the medical provider to ensure decisions are made as a team, documented appropriately, and aligned with the participant’s current treatment needs. Coordinates care with the interdisciplinary team and external providers (medical, psychiatric, criminal justice, social services, mutual-aid recovery supports) to ensure continuity of treatment. Ensures all clinical forms, assessments, and required documentation are completed accurately, comprehensively, and within established timeframes in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. This includes, but is not limited to, intake assessments, biopsychosocial evaluations, treatment plans and treatment plan reviews, progress notes, PAS-26 reports, discharge summaries, and any other regulatory or program-required forms. Maintains compliance with OASAS, OMH, Joint Commission, HIPAA, and 42 CFR Part 2 documentation standards always. Attends and participates in supervision as scheduled with the assigned supervisor. Attends and participates in all scheduled team meetings and training courses. Provides assessment of participants' social needs and makes referrals to case management as appropriate. Assists participants with referrals to psychotherapy and/or psychiatric evaluation as clinically indicated. Serves as backup to the Peer Specialist to assist with MAS (Medicaid Answering Service) transportation arrangements when the Peer Specialist is unavailable. Practices within the OASAS CASAC Scope of Practice and adheres to the CASAC Canon of Ethical Principles. Maintains active CASAC/CASAC-T credential, including completion of required continuing education and timely credential renewal. Performs other duties as needed to ensure the success of the program. Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree required, OR an associate’s degree with a minimum of 2-3 years of experience in the substance use field. CASAC or CASAC-T required. Qualifications and Attributes: Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel & PowerPoint). Working familiarity with EMR's. Positive attitude and demeanor with an ability to engage individuals of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and needs. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interface with regulatory agencies, personnel, community stakeholders, participants /families. Bilingual Spanish speaking a plus. Travel Requirements: Less than 10%. Physical Characteristics: These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to perform the job's essential functions successfully. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position described, which are reviewed in each case. Capable of collaborating face-to-face with clients. Able to sit for extended periods of time. Able to work in open space floor plan. Must be capable of moving throughout workday. Occasional lifting of > 25+ pounds.   IND2024