Substance Use Specialist - Intensive Services Unit

• Provide community-based direct services to a limited, specialized caseload of pretrial participants managing challenges in the areas of Substance Use and Behavioral Health.
• Rapidly at the point of arraignment conduct Intake Assessments to identify immediate critical needs that must be addressed, to further sustain program involvement and enrollment.
• Participate in regularly occurring team meetings and case conferences to ensure seamless coordination among staff, wide dissemination of participant information as well as rapid responses to urgent the need of Substance Use.
• Support and encourage efforts to incorporate a Harm Reduction framework to interactions with participants that avoids stigmatization, shaming and negative perceptions related to Substance Use.
• Serve as the point person for Narcan kit distribution and Substance Use resources and referrals.
• Conduct review of legal and court screening documentation to facilitate admission and ongoing needs assessment of criminal history, psychosocial, developmental, and behavioral health needs, supervision risks to identify engagement approach, focus for behavioral change, and needed supports to reduce re-arrest, and promote success in the community following program completion.
• Facilitate effective collaboration with staff delivering court services to ensure the efficient enrollment of new participants into the program while gathering the necessary basic information for ongoing service provision.
• Primarily link participants to critical resources that support their recovery and mitigate the potentially harmful impacts of the ongoing use of substances.
• Utilize problem solving and motivational interviewing to help motivate and engage participants in the change process, ensuring the supervision and case management approach is culturally competent, gender-responsive, trauma-informed, and adheres to evidence-based risk-need-responsivity principles.
• Provide culturally competent and anti-racist services 1) in accordance with CASES’ policies and the delivery of quality services to address the needs of youth and young adults, adults, and individuals with behavioral health needs and 2) that are responsive to the race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and criminal legal history of program participants.
• Ensure timely, complete, and accurate documentation in the case record database including assessments, supervision schedules and progress notes in accordance with confidentiality regulations.
• Participate in clinical supervision, case review, staff meetings, and in-service trainings to develop clinical, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed, supervision, case management, and self-care competency.
• Strive to meet monthly supervision, case coordination, and outcomes goals.
• Any other duties as required by the Team Leader, Intensive Services Unit to support the overall functioning of the program.

What we are looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Human Services, Psychology or relevant field.
• Associate degree with two or more years of experience working in a Substance Use program.
• Active CASAC or CRPA certificate in New York State preferred.
• One to two years of experience providing Substance Use services to individuals, Families or groups managing challenges in the areas of Behavioral Health and the Criminal Legal System.
• Experience providing direct services in a field-based setting strongly preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to work effectively within a diverse team environment.

For more information about CASES benefits please visit: Careers - CASES