Substance Abuse Counselor, Mobile Clinic

Salary: $19.63 - $28.27 Per Hour
If hired for this position, you will be required to provide proof that you are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to your start date, or have a valid religious or medical reason qualifying you for an exemption (that may or may not require accommodation)
SUMMARY
The Mobile Clinic is a street medicine multidisciplinary team that will provide medical and behavioral health care to people experiencing homelessness in the unsheltered setting. Direct patient care will be provided in a Mobile Clinic, encampments and on the streets. The behavioral health unit of the street medicine will include two clinical supervisors, Senior clinical social workers, Substance Abuse Counselors, community health workers, and medical case workers. The patients that will be served include clients with complex medical mental health conditions and those with high risk with complex behavioral health issues. The Mobile ClinicSubstance Abuse Counselor will be part of the behavioral health unit including the social work Supervisor, psychiatrist, clinical social workers and community health workers. The Substance Abuse Counselor in collaboration with the street medicine medical provider and psychiatrist will provide medication assisted treatment to patients with opioid use disorder in collaboration with the Substance Abuse Counselor. The Substance Abuse Counselor will refer patients in need of behavioral counselling to the clinical social worker to maximize patient outcomes in those enrolled in the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program. Therapy will be individual as well as in group in collaboration with the clinical social worker. The Substance Abuse Counselor will collaborate with the community health worker and other team members to ensure access to Substance Abuse treatment medications and their safe storage in the community
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Interviews clients and collect information and health history to evaluate and implement treatment plans.
• Counsels' patients/clients to prevent relapses by assisting them in recognizing causalfactors of Substance Abuse/mental illness and in developing appropriate coping behaviors.
• Counsels' patients/clients regarding communityresources or treatmentservices available to help prevent or cope withrelapses
• Leads/participates in Substance Abuse groups.
• Refer to higher level of care such as inpatient residential facility and work with MCW for placement arrangements as necessary.
• Participates with multi-disciplinary team in developing and implementing Substance Abuse treatment/therapy.
• Monitors and documents client's progress with Substance Abuse. Informs clients on preventative care methods, education regarding relapses, available community resources and coping skills.
• Provide intake for MAT patients, complete ASSIST and TNQ tools upon admission to program, and monitor progress with program participants through all phases of treatment
• Provide MAT groups for program participants as needed
• Provide Harm reduction education and harm reduction kit to patients as needed
• Provide follow up to clients to assist with maintenance of client progress and assessment for additional resources.
• Maintains a close system of follow via in person visit or telephone calls in order to follow up with clients.
• Attends trainings and other opportunities to enhanced professional skills in order to address the specific needs regarding Substance Abuse with PEH
• Provides Educational In-Services to Treatment team related to substance use disorder.
• Conducts in-services, workshops, and groups with the substance use population, including running MAT groups for program participants
• Participates in clinic discussions, team meetings, case conferences/rounds and provides relevant information to interdisciplinary staff to improve coordination of care.
• Participates in educational activities in formal academic settings and in treatment or rehabilitation centers to improve knowledge of Substance Abuse and mental healthrelated areas.

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in team huddles, case conferences, and multidisciplinary team meetings as needed.
• Participates in performance/quality improvement (PI/QI) activities.
• Shares knowledge and effective practices with other Care Team members.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Existing relationships and trust within communities of focus.
• Familiarity working with or navigating within the health and social services system, preferably as a result of lived experience.
• Ability to build and maintain trusting relationships with community stakeholders and health and social service providers.
• Ability to work independently in a constantly changing environment.

• Homeless health care experience
• Experience/expertise in assessing and managing clients with dysfunctional SUD, including knowledge of MAT
• Experience/expertise in trauma-informed care and harm reduction principles
• Demonstrated teaching and communication skills with clinical and non-clinical staff
• Familiarity with Department of Mental Health, Department of Public Health and community mental health and substance use programs and resources

Relevant Work and Lived Experience is preferred

• Lived experience in one or more of the communities of focus: people experiencing homelessness, people coming out of incarceration, people with substance use disorder, people continuously admitted to hospitals due to homelessness, women with barriers to a healthy pregnancy, and people with mental illness.
• Member of the community, close affiliation, or shared life experience with the community being served.
• Potential or demonstrated community leadership.
• Experience working with medically and socially complex individuals.

LICENSE
A valid California driver's license, proof of vehicle insurance, and reliable transportation or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
Education/Experience
One year ofexperience in a Substance Abuse program with experience providing physical assessment of patients, counseling of individuals, families and groups, and documentation -OR- one year oftraining at the level of Substance Abuse Counselor Aid in a Substance Abuse Counselor training program -OR- Completion of 60 semester units or equivalent quarter units in an accredited college or university with specialization in Substance Abuse counseling, social work, psychology, sociology, or human services.
Other Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
• Successful clearance through Los Angeles County's Live Scan process.
• Successful clearance through the Medical Clearance process.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Stand Frequently
Walk Frequently
Sit Frequently
Handling Occasionally
Reach Outward Occasionally
Reach Above Shoulder Occasionally
Climb, Crawl, Kneel, Bend Occasionally
Lift / Carry Occasionally - Up to 50 lbs.
Push/Pull Occasionally - Up to 50 lbs.
See Constantly
Taste/ Smell Not Applicable
Not Applicable Not required for essential functions
Occasionally (0 - 2 hrs./day)
Frequently (2 - 5 hrs./day)
Constantly (5+ hrs./day)
WORK ENVIRONMENT
General Office Setting, Indoors Temperature Controlled
Heluna Health is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer that encourages minorities, women, veterans, and disabled to apply.
EEOC STATEMENT
It is the policy of Heluna Health to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)