Counselor II START #57104 $23.35+

Position Close Date: 4/18/2025]

Make a difference with VOA Oregon! For over 125 years, Volunteers of America Oregon has been dedicated to serving the most vulnerable members of our community. Through our programs in behavioral health, addiction treatment, reentry services, and support for children and families, we provide life-changing services that promote safety, healing, and empowerment.

Join a mission-driven organization that truly values its employees! This is a full-time position with excellentbenefits, including:

Comprehensive health coverage- medical, dental, and vision insurance, with an employee medical premium starting at just $12.50 per paycheck

Financial protection- life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance

Retirement security- 403(b) with an automatic 5.5% employer contribution after 18 months, regardless of employee participation

Work-life balance- a generous paid time off (PTO) plan, starting with accruals that earn 15 days in the first year, 23 days in the second, and 26 days in the third

Upfront sick leave- 80 hours of front-loaded sick time (prorated in the first year), which resets annually on January 1

Paid holidays- 10 paid holidays each year, plus three personal holidays (prorated in the first year) for employees to take time off to celebrate holidays, events, or milestones that matter most to them

Student loan forgiveness- As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, VOA Oregon is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which can help employees reduce or eliminate their federal student loan debt after 10 years of qualifying payments.

Additional perks- flexible spending accounts, an employee assistance program, and other voluntarybenefitsand discounts

At VOA Oregon, you'll be part of a compassionate and dedicated team, making a real difference in our community. Apply today!

The Counselor II provides individual and group counseling services to both mandatory clients of the START Drug Court, a therapeutic specialty court in Multnomah County. Services provided include substance abuse and clinical evaluations, development of treatment plans and maintenance of timely documentation.

Education, Training and Experience:

• Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC I) certification required at time of hire or;
• Qualified Mental Health Associate certification with MHACBO, or meets QMHA minimum qualifications per the Oregon Administrative Rules; or
• A bachelor's degree and;
• An existing registration with MHACBO as a CADC I candidate or the ability to register with MHACBO as a CADC I candidate within 30 days of hire, and;
• The ability to obtain CADC I certification within 24 months of registering with MHACBO as a CADC I candidate.
• Two years of experience in substance abuse counseling.
• Skilled in provision of individual and group counseling with respect and compassion.
• Knowledge of criminal behavior and at-risk populations.
• Experience with engagement enhancement strategies.
• Experience with electronic health records preferred.

Competencies:

• Mission-focused and passionate, with an emphasis on serving high-risk populations using evidence-based practices.
• Ability to write accurate, concise reports using an electronic health record within billing deadlines.
• Well-developed clinical documentation skills and a strong commitment to quality management.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
• High level of ethical and professional standards.
• Knowledge and skills to deliver culturally competent services and work effectively in multicultural and diverse socioeconomic situations.
• Clear and effective oral and written communication skills.
• Basic computer skills and ability to use Microsoft Word and Outlook.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

• Ability to pass a criminal background check.
• Reliable form of transportation.
• If recovering from a substance use related disorder, must be able to demonstrate continuous sobriety under nonresidential, independent living conditions for the immediate past two years at time of hire.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide culturally informed individual and group counseling. Maintain fidelity to treatment models for substance use disorders.
• Conduct substance abuse, and clinical evaluations using standardized instruments, ASAM and DSM 5 criteria.
• Write and maintain accurate and timely treatment documentation in electronic medical record system including progress notes, treatment plans, assessments and summaries, contact logs and termination summaries.
• Follow program policies and procedures and provide services compliant with relevant state and federal treatment regulations and standards.
• Maintain current licenses and certifications; participate in required training as needed.
• Assist in program outreach activities.
• Participate with team members (clinical, administrative and support staff) in a manner that contributes to healthy team functioning.

Other Responsibilities:

• Attend and participate in counseling meetings, group supervision, dual diagnosis group supervision, and individual clinical supervision.
• Assist in program development.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory: Position is not responsible for supervision of other employees.

Work Environment:

• Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  
  
  
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is consistently required to sit most of day, stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects and keyboard, reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, kneel, talk or hear.
  • The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.
  
  
  
  

Environmental Conditions: Works in a professional clinical office setting with moderate light and temperature.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time position; 40 hrs. per week; Monday through Friday 8 am to 5pm, including some evening and weekend hours. Extended hours may be necessary as needed to cover staffing during center hours.