Senior Therapist - Opioid Intake Coordinator

Senior Therapist - Opioid Intake Coordinator

An Overview

The City of Alexandria is recruiting for the Opioid Intake Coordinator (OIC) position whose primary responsibility is to ensure that individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder, seeking medication assisted treatment, are assessed, and admitted to the Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). The OIC is responsible for collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to successfully execute all duties associated with the program in adherence with program, agency, state and federal policies and procedures. In addition to facilitating admission to the program, the OIC provides clinical services to a small caseload under the supervision of the Mental Health Team Leader for our Substance Abuse Outpatient Program. For over four-decades the City of Alexandria has been serving Alexandrians and our region in providing evidence-based medication assisted treatment. The underlying philosophy of the Alexandria Medication Assisted Opioid Treatment Program is that an opioid use disorder is a complex, recurrent health condition that can be successfully managed through medication, therapy, and recovery support.

About Our Program

The Substance Use Disorder Outpatient Program (SUD OP) has been the primary substance use disorder and co-occurring treatment provider for over 30 years to individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorders including opioid use disorder. SUD OP provides evidence-based, client-centered, trauma informed and recovery focused treatment that meets the multiple needs of residents of the City of Alexandria and their families. SUD OP services are provided by a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural team of helping professionals and stakeholders

What You Should Bring

The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience coordinating direct care services and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders as well as clinical and medical professionals. The ideal candidate has knowledge and understands the benefits of Medicated Assisted Treatment for the treatment of opioid use disorder and effectively utilized evidence-based treatment though individual, group and family therapy.

Examples of Duties :

• Has a demonstrated track record of working with clients seeking Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), as evidence by employment history;
  
• Has an understanding and knowledge about the pharmacotherapeutic medications used to treat opioid use disorder;
  
• Conducts screening, assessment and develop a client-centered, individualized treatment plan based on strengths, needs, goals, defined objectives, and treatment preferences for clients seeking admission to out MAT program;
  
• Conducts clinical intake using DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, DLA-20 and ASAM level of care to determine diagnoses, understand psychosocial needs, and appropriate level of care;
  
• Works with a multidisciplinary medical team to ensure timely client admissions;
  
• The intake coordinator responds to all referrals or calls on the Opioid Information line;
  
• Is knowledgeable of resources in the area related to MAT and serves as a resource to peers and other community agencies;
  
• The intake coordinator is familiar with contractual relationships and external stakeholders, the program serves individuals referred by neighboring community services boards;
  
• Responsible for conducting outreach to overdose victims to offer services and manages overdose data that is reported monthly in the Opioid Work Group;
  
• Monthly Opioid Work Group participation;
  
• Provides and/or refers to individual, group and family therapy utilizing evidence-based treatment such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT). Ability to implement evidence-based group level intervention such as Matrix, Moral Reconation Treatment (MRT) and Living in Balance (LIB);
  
• Provides care coordination with other ACSB units such as psychiatry, Comprehensive Recovery Team, Mental Health Outpatient, ACT or other related programs;
  
• Conducts screening and orientation to program for criminal justice involved and referred individuals who have substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health diagnoses;
  
• Provides resources to program participants to link to community resources identified by the clinician or client. These include but not limited to access to: residential services, shelter, housing, healthcare, education, clothing, transportation, food, and state/federal benefits;
  
• Ability to conduct risk assessment to determine referral to Emergency Services;
  
• Coordinates treatment with referral sources (including Probation and Parole, ASAP, Court Services, Child Welfare, and other) and other treatment providers (including opioid treatment, psychiatry, detox, or residential team members, or community health or housing professionals);
  
• Leads treatment team meetings, conveying concerns, challenges, strengths, and progress of subject client;
  
• Prepares written reports including assessment, treatment plan, progress notes, quarterly treatment updates, treatment status reports to the treatment court team, probation officers and collaborating providers;
  
• Conducts alcohol and drug screenings per program guidelines and as needed;
  
• Attends treatment team meetings, relevant training sessions and conferences;
  
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  

Minimum & Additional Requirements

• Possession of Master’s degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, Education or related field.
  
• At least two years of post-graduate work experience in providing direct clinical services to consumers having one or more substance abuse, psychiatric, and emotional disorders.
  
• Licensure or license eligible (has completed all required education and supervision as required by applicable board) as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner (LSATP) or Clinical Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia at the time of appointment; if license eligible, the employee must obtain Virginia licensure at the first available opportunity, but no later than one year after appointment; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
  
• Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence if they are in a position with driving responsibilities.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Three to five years post-master’s experience providing direct clinical services to address substance use disorder, and/or mental health disorder using individual and/or group modalities.
  
• Experience in evaluating, diagnosing, and recommending treatment using DSM-5 criteria for individuals with substance-use disorder, mental health disorder and/or co-occurring disorders.
  
• ASAM certification or eligible to be certified within the first 12-months of employment.
  
• Minimum of five years of employment in a mental health community agency environment.
  
• Bilingual, Spanish.
  
• Training/certification in evidence-base therapeutic modalities such as Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or other.
  
• Ability to follow and implement evidence-base group level intervention.
  
• Experience using Credible or other Electronic Health Record Systems.