AOD Counselor/ Case Coordinator

Job Title: AOD Counselor/Case Coordinator

Reports To: Program Manager

About CLARE|MATRIX:

CLARE|MATRIX is a nonprofit organization providing effective and compassionate treatment, recovery, and prevention services for alcoholism and substance misuse to individuals, families, and the community. Since 1970, CLARE|MATRIX has provided quality substance misuse and mental health treatment to men, women, and children in southern California.

Through programs run by a compassionate, committed, results-oriented team of counselors, therapists, and administrators, CLARE|MATRIX continues to build its reputation as a leader in Evidence- Based Treatment practices and continues to break new ground in the areas of positive outcomes, outreach, research, and community involvement.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, CLARE|MATRIX maintains 7 facilities in the Southern California region; providing services to participants in a manner consistent with its Core Values: Compassion, Teamwork, Integrity, Empowerment, Adaptability and Equality.

Summary:

The Counselor/Care Coordinator works on assigned grants and agency projects. Responsible for using a collaborative and coordinated approach to linking participants with appropriate health and social services to address their specific needs and treatment goals and supports the activities of the department, which provides high quality substance misuse recovery services for people who are struggling with the addictions to alcohol and other drugs by assisting them in achieving identified goals. This role requires that the Counselor/Care Coordinator is knowledgeable of relevant community resources and effective at communicating with other professionals, providers, and participants to successfully link participants to services. In addition, the Counselor/Care Coordinator offers support services to participants to increase self-efficacy, self-advocacy, basic life skills, coping strategies, self-management of biopsychosocial needs, benefits and resources, and reintegration into the community.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

• Manage a caseload of clients
• Group Facilitation, individual counseling & case management of clients
• Crisis Management
• Collaborative team work
• Maintain a good knowledge and understanding of CLARE|MATRIX’s mission, vision, & philosophy
• Contribute to a healthy work environment
• Actively participate in meetings and team-building activities.
• Communicate on a direct and timely basis about needs and problems as they arise.
• Ensure standards of conduct are upheld to CLARE|MATRIX standards.
• Ensure a community environment is maintained.
• Ensure health and safety regulations are upheld to CLARE|MATRIX standards.
• Maximize learning opportunities by remaining receptive to constructive feedback and utilizing support available from your supervisor and others.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Registration or Certification with a state approved AOD certifying body. Must be registered or certified upon hire.
• In collaboration with the multi-disciplinary treatment team, the Care Coordinator will assess participants to address any problems, needs, or barriers identified in the areas of: Housing, Employment, Education/Training, Financial, Legal, Sobriety/Social Support, SUD Treatment, Family/Social, and Medical/Psychiatric.
• Provides participants with high-quality referrals and linkages for patients to necessary resources and services as identified in the Treatment Plan/Problem List, playing an active role in reducing access barriers and ensuring participants have ‘actual’ access to needed services.
• Acts as a bridge between health and human service providers to ensure that information is appropriately exchanged, and participants are successfully linked to needed resources/services.
• Coordinates care with other community agencies by assisting participants with eligibility, documentation, and applications, etc. needed to access services/resources.
• Assists participants with transitions within the SUD system of care, referring to higher or lower level of care as appropriate.
• Follows up with participants to ensure all scheduled appointments and linkages are completed.
• Collaborates and communicates fully with other team members regarding participant behavior and provides weekly updates of participant’s progress.
• Routinely identifies new and existing community resources that participants may benefit from.
• Effectively and professionally communicate with participants, staff, and other service providers through telephone, emails, letters, and progress notes and or reports to the County, State, and other service providers on behalf of the participant.
• Provides individual counseling, group facilitation, and crisis intervention as part of a multi-disciplinary team, as needed.
• Provides regular, comprehensive progress note charting in participant’s electronic health record, which documents contacts, progress towards identified goals, program participation, referrals, discharge planning, and other care coordination activities.
• Maintains accurate and timely documentation of care coordination or other services provided.
• Develops and submits accurate reports regarding services delivered, clients served, outcome of referrals, retention rates, and other information as needed.
• Ensure client files are upheld and managed to contractual and CLARE|MATRIX standards.
• Develop a treatment/recovery plan with each client; update the treatment plan as needed or as required by licensure, certification, and/or contract.
• Conduct goal oriented individual counseling sessions with caseload clients or as needed within the assigned department.
• Conduct group counseling and educational sessions.
• Act as a client advocate and assist clients with problem solving.
• Maintain contact with each client as required by contract and program guidelines.
• Maintain accurate and up to date information in each client’s chart and document client contact by using the progress note system.
• Advocate with primary care providers to ensure access to quality treatment and/or care
• Attend and actively participate in case conferences, related training, and collaborative relationships between CLARE|MATRIX and established partners.
• Represent CLARE|MATRIX at community meetings, collaborate with other social services agencies as a part of continuum of care, and serve as an advocate for CLARE|MATRIX constituents, if applicable.

Other Related Classes:

• Counselor II is an AOD Counselor who is certified by a recognized governing body by the state of California.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

The ideal candidate will have counseling experience in a substance misuse treatment center setting. Certified AOD Counselor required. In addition the following are strongly desired/ required experience and ability to work well with diverse populations.

• Possess an understanding of issues of substance use and mental health.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Excellent organizational, verbal, written, and counseling skills.
• Passion and desire to work with individuals with a substance use disorders using a compassionate and person-centered approach.
• One year of experience in social services or related field preferred.
• Professional manner and appearance.
• Ability to work independently and within a team.
• Ability to take direction.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse group of clients, staff, and community members.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and a creative problem-solver.
• Lived experience with substance use disorder and homelessness a plus.

The 12 Core Functions of an alcohol and other drug counselor are as listed below:

Screening

Intake

Orientation

Assessment

Treatment Planning

Counseling

CaseManagement

Crisis Intervention

Client Education

Referral

Reports and Record keeping

Consultation with Other Professionals

Medical History:

All employees whose functions require or necessitate contact with client or food preparation shall complete a health screening report or a health questionnaire. Health screening report or health questionnaire will be provided upon hire. For all residential employees a health screening report be completed and signed off by a medical practitioner signature for clearance. All outpatient employees will complete at minimum a self-report screening questionnaire. TB test are to be conducted under licensed medical supervision not more than 60 calendar days prior to or 7 calendar days after employment and renewed annually from the date of the last tuberculosis test. Staff with a known record of tuberculosis or record of positive testing shall not be required to obtain a tuberculosis skin test. Unless there is documentation that the staff completed at least 6 months of preventive therapy, the staff shall be required to obtain, within 45 calendar days of employment, a chest x-ray result and a physician’s statement that the incumbent does not have communicable tuberculosis and has been under regular care and monitoring for tuberculosis. A chest x-ray within the prior 6 months is acceptable. The physician’s statement shall be renewed annually.

Physical Demands:

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions.

Work Environment:

This job will be primarily located at the CLARE|MATRIX’s offices in Santa Monica, CA. While performing the responsibilities of the job, these work environment characteristics are representative of the environment the job holder will encounter. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.