Certified Counselor (MAI)

Position Summary:

Person in this position will be responsible for providing comprehensive counseling services to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. The Counselor schedules and facilitates individual and group counseling activities, completes clinical documentation, develops individual treatment plans, and assesses clients.

Essential Job Functions:

• Complete assessment of each client with required assessment tools.
• Initiate and sustain each individual's 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.
• Embraces and embodies the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision and goals of WestCare Foundation.
• Performs any other duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

Certifications/Licensures:

• CADC or equivalent certification in good standing is required

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in social work, Psychology, Counseling or related field is strongly desired.

Experience and Competencies:

• Two-Three (2-3) years providing direct counseling services to persons with substance use disorders, preferably with populations affected by HIV/AIDSD setting, preferably with populations affected by HIV/AIDS and substance use disorders.
• Strong clinical assessment and diagnostic skills.
• Ability to build trust and rapport with clients from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience working with individuals suffering from mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge of local resources and services related to mental health, substance use, and HIV/AIDS.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent organizational and time management abilities.
• Two -Four-year degree from accredited college with a degree in Counseling, Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology, or related field.
• eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files).
• 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 employee's 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.

Working Conditions:

• Work is primarily performed in an office or in a Residential/Outpatient treatment setting.
• Travel throughout and around the community and outreach is 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

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.