Alcohol & Drug Specialist Portland
Job description
The Mission of NAYA Family Center is “… to enhance the diverse strengths of our youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education”. Position Description Position: Alcohol & Drug Specialist Department/Program: Youth & Education Services Department; Homeless Youth ProgramCompensation: $24-26 hourly/commensurate with experienceBenefits: NAYA recognizes 14 paid holidays per fiscal year. Additional paid time off includes accruals of sick and vacation hours; vacation time is based on tenure with the agency. NAYA also provides medical, dental, and vision insurance, aFlexible Spending Account, and Life Insurance. Employees may enroll in a401K retirement plan after 3 months of employment and NAYA will match employee contribution to their 401K, up to 6%. Employment Status: Regular, Full-Time, Non-ExemptHours: General working hours are 9am-6pm; flexible work schedule available upon approval; evenings and occasional weekends, as assigned.Supervision: No supervisory requirementsReports To: Youth Housing ManagerJob Location: Portland, ORCreated/Revised: January 2023 Position Description: The Alcohol & Drug Specialist provides casework services to young people (ages 16-24 years old) experiencing homelessness who are struggling with issues related to alcohol and/or drug use and mental health barriers. The target population is youth who are not connected to treatment, counseling or other recovery-related services.This position works with young people by providing drug and alcohol prevention activities, pre-treatment and connection to drug and alcohol treatment services and mental health supportive services. Duties include screening and assessment, individual and group counseling, case coordination, resource referral, community networking and collaboration, curriculum and program development, advocacy, clinical documentation and record keeping, development and support to the peer mentor program, and after care support. The Alcohol & Drug Specialist participates as a member of the Recovery Oriented Supports and Engagement (ROSE) Program, which includes partner agencies within the Homeless Youth Continuum (HYC). This position is primarily a direct service position (70%), with the balance of the time (30%) spent performing general administrative tasks and service coordination. Essential Functions: Screening, Assessment and Service Referrals: o Conduct and review A&D screenings to identify clients appropriate for the ROSE program o Work closely with service partners to schedule and complete A&D assessments and refer youth to the appropriate level of care for their stage of change and treatment needs o Conduct A&D assessment, when appropriate o Work closely with mental health providers to schedule and complete mental health evaluations and refer youth to appropriate level of care o Maintain communication with referral agency for coordination of care and services Counseling: o Provide and/or arrange for individual A & D counseling services o Develop and facilitate weekly to bi-weekly group counseling sessions for identified youth o Build rapport with youth and provide information on services, programs and groups available o Collaborate with case managers and peer mentors to ensure that goals are identified by the youth Manage crisis and provide service intervention as needed o Locating, distributing, or providing emergency crisis intervention supplies Support Peer Mentor in directly working with youth to engage them in recovery-oriented activities, promote healthy decision-making and support their individual recovery Facilitate youth engagement and self-determination o Engaging youth to build and strengthen their identity and role in the Native community o Facilitating interdepartmental activities to engage youth o Providing engagement services to unaccompanied youths while in host home/shelter placement, to assist them in reunification, if appropriate, or acquire an alternate safe, stable placement Provide referrals to other services as needed o Connecting clients with family or other counseling services as needed to prevent or mitigate youth homelessness o Presenting program information to referral agencies o Establish professional, collaborative working relationships with service coordinators, mental health care providers and other providers and practitioners working with homeless youth Maintain documentation in a timely, thorough and accurate manner in accordance with agency guidelines and as required by funding sources o Gathering basic demographic information (such as age, educational level, family and/or intimate relationship information, and current living situation) o Documenting and recording all client information and interaction o Assisting in database management, including entering client data o Preparing required activity reports and participating in program evaluation activities (such as programmatic and fiscal reports) Additional Duties: Other duties as assigned by Youth Housing Manager or Director of Youth and Education Services Additional Alcohol & Drug Specialist Duties: o Assist in developing resources and options for homeless youth ▪ Work with NAYA staff and community partners to provide accessible services to homeless youth ▪ Assist in developing resources for youth in need o Provide education and training to staff and volunteers in the area of Alcohol & Drug issues Additional NAYA Family Center Duties: o Understand and adhere to confidentiality o Coordinate wraparound services effectively with other NAYA Family Center programs and staff o Input data, and maintain NAYA and/or contractually required information database systems to track client information ▪ Includes entering client data, assisting and/or preparing periodic reports o Participate in trainings and/or meetings to ensure program outcomes are achieved o Represent NAYA with the utmost professionalism at community events and other public relations opportunities o Work as an active member of departmental team o Participate actively in cross-departmental team projects o Contribute to fostering a safe and secure environment for community members and staff Qualifications: Education & Training: CADC I (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) required, with CADC II or III preferred Knowledge of addiction service systems and clinical issues related to homeless youth Knowledge and expertise in working with individuals and families Knowledge of Native American history, an understanding of the diversity of the local American Indian/Alaskan Native community and issues surrounding the Urban Indian experience required Certifications/Credentials: Certification (or ability to certify) and ability to maintain certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), 1st Aid and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Experience: Experience working within the Native American population, specifically with the urban and reservation Native American population, including working within a tribe, board, or other organization, strongly preferred; experience working with other diverse populations considered Experience in youth development and/or human services with low income and/or culturally diverse populations required Experience working with homeless youth issues, including youth risk prevention work preferred Demonstrated ability to recruit, enroll, manage and maintain caseload of 25-40 youth efficiently Skills: Ability to stay composed and exercise good judgment in stressful situations, such as dealing with distressed and/or demanding clients Ability to communicate with and develop positive relationships with youth, including skills such as: o Listening in a non-judgmental way o Using respectful language o Being direct and clear as appropriate o Avoiding power struggles o Honoring client confidentiality o Communicating effectively with both young people and adults Ability to work independently and efficiently in a variety of community-based, non-traditional settings Ability to consistently apply sound decision-making procedures and a thorough analysis of the situation when solving problems Ability to be extremely flexible when managing changing priorities and schedules, without compromising quality of outcomes, ability to complete tasks, or uphold commitments Ability to deal with different people and situations appropriately, including effective communication with people from diverse backgrounds Communication skills, active listening, verbal and written, including public presentation skills Proficient computer skills including: o Web-based research o Word Processing o MS Excel o Database use o Email Work Environment: 40% office/classroom/home/remotely, 60% outside office including travel time. NAYA staff are being asked to work on site at least 3 days per week; some of the position will happen through telework (video conferencing and telephone). Physical Requirements: The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee may be required to sit for extended periods of time. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Equipment Used: Computer, phone, fax, copy machine.Safety Considerations: Some travel may be required. Other Requirements: 1. Valid Oregon or Washington State Driver License or must be able to obtain one upon hire (must be eligible to be an insured driver under NAYA Family Center’s liability insurance policy which requires anOregon or Washington) 2. Successful completion of a background investigation (including a fingerprint criminal history check; see https://www.pps.net/cms/lib/OR01913224/Centricity/Domain/60/Forms%20-%20Fingerprinting/Disqualifying_Convictions_2015.pdf for more information) 3. Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (two weeks after a two dose or one dose regiment) before start date. Application Procedures: Interested candidates should submit: 1. A Cover Letter addressing your qualifications for the position and why you are interested in joining the NAYA Family Center team 2. A current Resume3. A completed NAYA Application for Employment Form Application forms and additional information about employment at NAYA Family Center can be found at http://www.nayapdx.org/about/jobs. Application Deadline: Open until filled. Attention: Incomplete applications will not be considered. Electronically submitted applications are preferred. Due to the sheer number applicants, only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Please respect our no phone calls policy. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change by the employer due to changes in grants and funding sources. Please send application materials to: Attn: Human Resources Native American Youth and Family Center5135 NE Columbia Boulevard Portland, OR 97218Fax: (503) 288-1260 Job Type: Full-time Pay: $24.00 - $26.00 per hour Benefits: 401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Flexible spending account Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Schedule: 8 hour shift Day shift Weekend availability Work Location: In person
