Primary Counselor

Job Summary:

The Primary Counselor is responsible for providing counseling and abuse intervention services to residents of the OASAS Part 820 Chemical Dependency Services Program. He/She works closely with the Director to ensure that the agency’s mission of providing individual counseling, group therapy and crisis intervention for substance abusers is adhered to.

Services are provided within a drug-and violence-free Residential Treatment Program. He/She is responsible for adhering to OASAS and the agency’s policies and procedures, and for bringing all significant concerns regarding the program and/or residents to the Program Director.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Facilitates therapeutic groups as assigned: Documents results in group notes and any significant issues in progress notes.
• Ensures weekly urine samples are taken for residents for the first 90 days and random urine sampling two times per month for all other residents. Ensures that all toxicology results are filed in resident’s clinical folder and that the STARS data entry staff person has this information for online reporting.
• Monitors and encourages resident’s participation in daily meetings.
• Facilitates daily meetings, when needed, to address treatment concerns and issues, and makes everyone aware of all matters pertaining to the program.
• Facilitates or attends general meetings to address treatment concerns and issues, and makes everyone aware of all matters pertaining to the program.
• Facilitates abuse intervention in concert with the treatment team around crisis or special situations.
• Conducts individuals counseling sessions once per week with each resident on caseload. Documents results in clinical folder. The content of counseling sessions must relate to treatment plan goals, and must meet OASAS regulations.
• Ensures that all reportable incidents that occur during program hours are documented and reviewed by the Program Director for possible submission to OASAS or other governing authority.
• Monitors and ensures the resident’s ADL Skills are developed in a consistent and satisfactory manner. These issues must be addressed in groups and individually.
• Facilitates seminars, as assigned by Program Director/Coordinator.
• The primary counselor must observe and relate to residents on a daily basis and provide feedback to the treatment team regarding behaviors and problems. Must note such matters in the daily communication log.
• Participates in daily feedback meetings, scheduled staff development meetings, and scheduled staff training sessions. Attends progress review meetings.
• Attends treatment plan meetings weekly, which are led by the Program Director/Coordinator.
• Participates in the identification of health and legal problems of the consumers and communicates in a timely manner such information to the treatment team.
• Responsible for maintaining documentation of staff supervision for monthly review by Program Director.
• Meet regularly with the treatment team to ensure accuracy of treatment plans, counseling notes and residents folder. This meeting will be assessment and training vehicle to ensure that counselors follow program requirements, learn to implement individual treatment plans, to modify them and make their counseling notes relevant to the treatment plans and OASAS requirements.

Qualifications/Criteria:

• Must have minimum of two years’ experience working with substance abusers; through Knowledge of Residential Treatment Programs.
• Must have working knowledge of the regulations that govern Residential Treatment Programs.
• Must be able to relate effectively to contract managers, evaluators, regulatory and other agencies.
• Must be computer literate and have excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be capable of handling routine and crisis situations using good judgment and direction.

Education:

• Must be a Qualified Health Care Professional or equivalent