Alcohol and Other Drug Services Counselor I - English and Bilingual (English/Spanish)

• One year of experience managing alcohol and other drug treatment and education programs
• A valid certification as an AODS Counselor
• Experience working with clients to resolve conflicts and de-escalate situations
• Effective communication skills and the ability to work with individuals from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds
• A desire to work in a fast-paced, highly dynamic environment
• The ability to develop rapport with clients and service providers and maintain cooperative relationships
• An understanding of working with justice-involved clients to reduce recidivism and increase access to services
• The ability to efficiently navigate electronic health records and manage documentation while multitasking

• Crisis Assessment, Prevention, and Education Team (CAPE)
  • The Crisis Assessment, Prevention, and Education (CAPE) Team provides services on site at select high schools in Sonoma County. There will be a CAPE Team in each region of the County which includes an AODS Counselor and a Behavioral Health Clinician. Services include mental health crisis response, screening, linkage and referral to mental health and substance use treatment, substance use prevention and early intervention services, and education for students, school staff, families and the community about mental health and substance use disorders in youth.
• Mobile Support Team (MST)
  • The Mobile Support Team is a 24/7 service providing mobile crisis intervention, de-escalation, evaluation, resources, and referrals county-wide. The MST staffs the Santa Rosa-based response team and provides backup to the other crisis teams in the area. Positions assigned to the MST are responsible for staffing the call center and taking Behavioral Health crisis calls from the community. AODS Counselors will triage and determine the level of crisis response for the mobile response team to respond in the field. When staffing the mobile response team, AODS Counselors will be responsible for crisis assessment, developing and implementing safety plans, and conducting warm handoffs.
• Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
  • The Driving Under the Influence Program works with the Court to provide services to first-time and multiple offenders. The DUI Program is a state-mandated service that is governed by Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations, which requires ongoing monitoring for compliance. Positions assigned to the DUI program must have two years of experience providing alcohol and/or drug education and will provide case management, counseling, consultation, education, and evaluations to individuals, groups, and families participating in the program. AODS Counselors also screen and assess clients, prepare court and client program reports, provide diversion services, and assist in planning and coordinating services.
• Adolescent Treatment Program (ATP)
  • The Adolescent Treatment Program provides screening, assessment, and individual and group education/counseling services to justice-involved juveniles at Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall and Valley of the Moon Children's Center. AODS Counselors in this position will provide screening, consultation, assessment, education, and resources for non-custody juvenile probation clients. They will also work collaboratively with members of the Human Services Department and other Behavioral Health teams.
• County SUD Outpatient (OTP)
  • County SUD Outpatient operates at the Day Reporting Center (DRC) and is done in collaboration with the Adult Probation Department. Probation Staff are present on-site at the DRC and may be involved with the County SUD OTP activities, including but not limited to case management sessions and check-ins. The Probation Staff conducts "team case planning meetings," and the frequency of these meetings is referenced in the participant handbook. New Program staff will attend required orientation activities by both Probation and DHS. AODS Counselors assigned to this program will assist in facilitating AOD group sessions, one-on-one counseling, and conducting ASAM assessments.

• Hiring Incentive*** - (Prorated based on FTE) The Department of Health Services is currently offering a $15,000 signing bonus paid over three installments during the first two years of service for permanent full-time and part-time positions
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Career Advancement - With time and good performance, the opportunity for advancement to Alcohol and Other Drug Services Counselor II
• Bilingual Premium Pay** - An additional $1.50/hour on top of the hourly pay rate for fluent bilingual positions
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Staff Development/Wellness Pay - Annual benefit allowances of up to $850 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be either:

One year of experience with responsibilities involving alcohol and drug treatment and education programs and academic coursework in sociology, psychology, alcohol and other drug services and other closely related fields.

OR

Some experience with responsibilities involving alcohol and other drug treatment and education programs and possession of a bachelor's degree in sociology, psychology, alcohol and other services drug treatment or other closely related fields.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including necessary special endorsements, as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Special Qualification: All employees of this class must register, obtain, and maintain a Counselor Certification as defined by the California Code of Regulations, Chapter 8: Certification of Alcohol and Other Drug Counselors. Upon appointment to this class, employees will have six months to register and five years to obtain Certification from an ADP approved certifying organization whose curriculum includes a minimum of 240 hours of formal classroom training. Human Resources will waive the Counselor Certification requirement for licensed professionals (or registered interns) who successfully pass a written examination similar to that administered for Certification. This examination will be administered by the Sonoma County Human Resources Department, and will be designed to measure those areas included in the curriculum required for certification.

Additional Special Qualification: Some positions may require the ability to fluently speak and write a language other than English.

Working knowledge of: the needs, problems, attitudes and behavior problems of the alcohol and drug abusing person; basic principles of individual and group behavior; socio-economic, environmental, and cultural factors affecting the behavior of alcohol and drug abusing persons; principles and techniques of group, family and individual counseling; laws, rules, regulations and department policies related to client confidentiality; counseling techniques related to the treatment of alcohol and other drug abusing clients; services and resources provided through other governmental agencies and community-based organizations.

Knowledge of: County program policies and procedures; court procedures and etiquette; County, State and Federal laws governing public alcohol and other drug abuse programs.

Ability to: understand and apply County alcohol and other drug program policies and procedures; provide consultative services in complex situations involving behavioral and physiological conditions of the alcohol/drug client; evaluate the behavioral and physiological conditions of the alcohol/drug client; coordinate the delivery of alcohol and other drug abuse services; analyze situation accurately and adopt an effective course of action; recognize problems which call for the use of public and private community resources; effectively listen, mediate and resolve complaints; read, interpret, apply, and explain complex regulations and reports; communicate effectively with persons from a variety of social, cultural, and economic backgrounds; establish and maintain effective work relationships with all types of persons encountered in the course of work; develop rapport and maintain cooperative relationships with clients and service providers; read, understand, apply and explain regulations and procedures governing job training programs; work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team; use computers and related equipment as necessary for job assignments.

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.