Certified Counselor

Position Summary:

Person in this position will be responsible for the delivery of clinical substance abuse treatment to clients participating in the program. Essential job functions include those listed below.

Essential Job Functions:

• Complete assessment of each client with required assessment tools.
• Initiate and sustain each individuals motivation to participate in treatment, using techniques of engagement including therapeutic relationships, individual counseling, and brief interventions based on the stages of change.
• Develop a comprehensive service plan for each client that includes the results of assessments, and short- and long-term treatment goals and objectives of the client (the service plan is developed with the input of the client, but within the limitations imposed by IDOC).
• Provide daily treatment and curriculum-based education groups on the basic concepts of therapeutic communities, emotional incarceration, relapse prevention, motivation for treatment and the stages of change, communicable diseases, cognitive skills, conflict resolution, fundamental social skills, and personal moral development.
• Assist clients in the development of self-help groups, such as AA/NA, which offer clients an opportunity to support one another in recovery.
• Maintain individual client treatment files in accordance with agency policies and procedures, including documentation of vocational/educational activities, as well as all other pertinent documentation and ensure files are securely stored.
• Provide general client supervision, including planning and scheduling therapeutic activities.
• Maintain all information according to the laws of confidentiality as required by the Federal Register, General Provisions, Title 42, Chapter 1, Part 2, which prohibits making disclosures without the specific written consent of the client, or as otherwise permitted by such regulations.
• Obtain a signed release of confidential information (disclosure form) from each client authorizing IDOC to review case files for quality assurance reviews and evaluation of WestCare performance, and maintain as a part of the client file.
• Maintain thorough records of each clients participation, including participant IDOC number, unique identifier for the WestCare program, beginning and ending dates of service, number of hours of participation, and number of days of participation.
• Submit all individual client data on a weekly basis for entry into the WestCare database.
• Attend all required staff development training, including cross-training, and WestCare in-service training such as conducting assessments, clinical skills, developing service plans, basic TC concepts, emotional incarceration, relapse prevention, motivation for treatment and stages of change, cognitive skills, conflict resolution, social skills, moral development, communicable diseases, and self-help groups.
• Embrace and embody the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision and goals of WestCare Foundation.
• Perform any other duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

Certifications/Licenses:

• Clinical Certification, must:
  • Hold clinical certification as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor from the Illinois Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association (IAODAPCA), or
  • Be a licensed professional counselor or licensed clinical professional counselor pursuant to the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing Act [225 ILCS 107]; or
  • Be a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987; or
  • Be licensed as a psychologist pursuant to the Clinical Psychology Practice Act [225ILCS 15]; or
  • Be licensed as a social worker or licensed clinical social worker pursuant to the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act [225 ILCS 20
• If permissible and upon approval of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), other clinical certifications that mirror one of the requirements above may be acceptable

• Training:

• If licensure is CADC, must complete 40 hours of continuing education biennially.
• If licensure is not CADC, must complete required continuing education hours as required to maintain the other licensure.

Education:

• Masters or bachelors degree is preferred.
• High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Experience and Competencies:

• Two (2) years of experience providing alcohol and substance abuse counseling services
• Knowledge of offender populations, criminal subcultures, cultural differences, substance abuse assessment tools, therapeutic community concepts, and various specialty treatment categories, such as: methamphetamine addiction, geriatrics, co-occurring disorders, lower functioning, anger driven and young adult offenders and other programming needs
• Intake and assessment experience is preferred
• Bilingual is preferred
• Must be highly organized, detail focused, and have excellent time management
• Must possess strong computer skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to pass background check
• Ability to obtain and maintain OIG LEIE clearance
• Ability to pass pre-employment drug screening
• Ability to exercise good judgment and discretion
• Ability to work well in a team environment
• Adherence to the highest standard of ethical conduct, especially to standards governing confidentiality
• Must have professional appearance and demeanor
• Must be culturally/linguistically sensitive to populations served
• Ability to obtain and maintain clearance from Illinois Department of Corrections
• Ability to obtain and maintain CPR certification, first aid certification, and an annual tuberculosis test

Working Conditions:

• Work is primarily performed in an institutional setting.
• Some outdoor activities may be required.

Essential Physical and Mental Demands of the Job

The employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or without accommodation:

Physical Demands:

• Requires mobility and physical activity: Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in an office, residential, or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to 50 pounds. Use of computer and telephone systems is required, which includes coordination of eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files). Requires the ability to defend oneself and clients in physically abusive situations through the use of approved verbal de-escalation techniques.
• Requires talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Talking is required to impart oral information to employees, clients, patients, and the public, and in those activities in which the employee is required to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Requires hearing: Hearing is required to receive and communicate detailed information through oral communication.
• Requires seeing: Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less and at distance. This factor is required to complete paperwork for many of the employees essential job functions and to observe client behavior and activities in and out of the facility.

• The normal work routine involves no exposure to human blood, body fluids or tissues. However, exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee.

Mental Demands:

• Requires the ability to collect and analyze complex numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions.
• Requires the ability to work and cooperate with clients, co-workers, managers, the public and employees at all levels in order to exchange ideas, information, instructions and opinions.
• Requires the ability to work under stress and in emotionally charged settings.
• The ability to defend oneself and clients in mentally/verbally abusive situations through the use of approved mental/verbal de-escalation techniques.