03/11/02                                                          L0701

DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT SPECIALIST 

DEFINITION: This is professional counseling and client monitoring work utilized in a Single County Authority (SCA) Drug and Alcohol Functional Treatment Unit.

An employee in this class performs a variety of duties related to counseling drug and alcohol dependent clients and maintaining documentation of services provided and progress of clients in treatment. Work involves providing counseling, monitoring and management of a case load of drug and alcohol clients utilizing skills in behavior modification, group counseling, individual counseling, and family counseling. Employees develop treatment plans for clients, coordinate services with community support to agencies, and monitor treatment progress. Work involves the preparation of treatment plans, monthly reports, reports to probation and parole officers, and referral letters. Employees in this class may serve as a lead or senior treatment counselor in relation to drug and alcohol treatment specialist trainees and less senior drug and alcohol treatment specialists. Supervision is received from a drug and alcohol treatment specialist supervisor or higher-level administrator through review and guidance on difficult cases, review of client case files prior to discharge from program, and through weekly discussions. Work is performed using independent judgment and in conformance with established guidelines.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Counsels, monitors and manages an assigned caseload of drug and alcohol clients.

Interviews clients and takes intake notes, develops treatment plans, and writes treatment plan updates, ongoing counseling notes, referral notes and discharge summaries.

Presents a summary of cases at staff meetings to elicit input from other counselors, supervisors, or the medical director on alternative approaches to treatment and to update staff on case progress.

Plans or conducts family or group counseling through telephone contact, home visits, and emergency room support.

Interviews clients to obtain drug and alcohol history and socio-economic information and to develop treatment service plans.

Consults with and provides advice and guidance to student interns, drug and alcohol treatment specialist trainees and less senior drug and alcohol treatment specialists on difficult or unusual cases.

Instructs student interns, drug and alcohol treatment specialist trainees and less senior drug and alcohol treatment specialists on office policy and procedures and reports problems to the supervisor for appropriate action.

Conducts intake interviews of court referred clients to obtain background information and completes the intake, assessment, liability and release forms.

Initiates case conferences with individual counselors in other agencies to provide coordinated treatment services to clients.

Interviews and screens clients in offices, jails, or hospitals to determine needs, refers clients to facility deemed most appropriate for meeting those needs and refers clients to human service agencies for support services.

 Conducts interviews, writes evaluations and makes recommendations on court referred driving-under-the-influence (DUI) offenders using the court reporting network evaluation form.

Monitors progress for clients referred to treatment facilities by reviewing reports submitted from those facilities, visiting facilities, maintaining contact with clients and treatment facility in resolving client/therapist problems.

Provides technical support and counseling to special interest groups.

Maintains daily logs and makes monthly reports to supervisor.

Composes form letters, correspondence and reports to court officials, treatment facilities, community agencies, clients and supervisor.

Travels to off-site locations including jails and hospitals to conduct interviews, solicit information and coordinate client treatment.

Performs related duties as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the drug and alcohol abusing subculture.

Knowledge of treatment facilities and human service agencies providing services to drug and alcohol dependent clients.

Knowledge of crisis intervention methods; individual, family and group counseling techniques; and techniques of modifying behavior.

Knowledge of the practices and procedures of the criminal justice system in dealing with drug and alcohol related offenders.

Ability to develop a therapeutic relationship with clients to gain cooperation and securing client information, acceptance of the treatment plan and participation in counseling sessions.

Ability to conduct individual group and family counseling sessions.

Ability to read, interpret and explain policies and procedures to student interns, drug and alcohol treatment specialist trainees and less senior drug and alcohol treatment specialists.

Ability to read and interpret treatment plans, court orders, reports from other treatment facilities and correspondence from clients and other human service agencies.

Ability to write and update treatment plans, discharge summaries, daily logs, monthly reports, form letters and correspondence relating to specific clients.

Ability to orally evaluate or summarize individual cases, present information at court hearings, counsel clients and provide drug and alcohol information to local groups.

Ability to secure appropriate transportation to facilities off-site.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: One year as a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist Trainee.

or

A Master’s Degree or above with a major in chemical dependency, psychology, social work, counseling, nursing (with a clinical specialty in the human services) or other behavioral sciences, which includes a practicum in a health or human service agency or six (6) months clinical experience in a health or human service agency that can be substituted for a practicum;

or

A Bachelor’s Degree with a major in chemical dependency, psychology, social work, counseling, nursing (with a clinical specialty in the human services) or other behavioral sciences and two (2) years of clinical experience (a minimum of 3,640 hours) in a health or human service agency;

or 

DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT SPECIALIST (CONTINUED)

An Associate Degree with a major in chemical dependency, psychology, social work, counseling, nursing (with a clinical specialty in the human services) or other behavioral sciences and four (4) years of clinical experience (a minimum of 7,280 hours) in a health or human service agency;

or

Full certification as an addictions counselor by a statewide certification body, which is a member of a national certification body or certification by another state government’s substance abuse counseling certification body, which is a member of a national certification board.

Commonwealth Equivalent PSG ST06