Primary Counselor SUD

Akeela, Inc.; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Akeela, Inc. in Anchorage is seeking a licensed counseling professional to provide therapeutic services to Primary Care clients, including assessments and counseling.

You will facilitate individual and group sessions, apply crisis management as needed, and tailor treatment to each client’s recovery goals.

The role emphasizes compassion, adaptability, and evidence-based approaches to support recovery and overall health.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Counseling or a related field.
• Licensed or eligible for licensure in Alaska.
• Experience with addiction treatment preferred.
• Ability to adapt counseling for diverse client needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide therapeutic services to Primary Care clients.
• Assess clients to determine level of services.
• Deliver skill-based and process groups and individual counseling.
• Provide crisis management as needed.
• Engage clients to set realistic recovery goals.
• Use evidence-based group counseling models.
• Document client progress and adapt treatment plans.

Job description

Position Summary:

Provide therapeutic services to Primary Care clients. This includes assessment of clients to establish level of services needed, the provision of clinical skill-based and process groups, as well as individual counseling. Provide crisis management services as needed.

Principle Duties And Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To:

• Counseling:******
• Establish a helping relationship with the client characterized by warmth, respect, genuineness, concreteness and empathy through a continuing assessment process.
• Facilitate the clients engagement in the treatment/recovery process.
• Work with the client to establish realistic, achievable treatment goals consistent with achieving and maintaining recovery.
• Encourage and reinforce all client actions that are determined to be beneficial in progressing toward treatment goals.
• Recognize how, when, and why to use the clients family members or significant others (as appropriate) to enhance or support the treatment plan.
• Promote client knowledge, skills, and attitudes that contribute to a positive change in substance abuse behaviors.
• Promote client knowledge, skills, and attitudes consistent with the maintenance of good health (as defined by both the client culture and the treatment culture) and the prevention of HIV/AIDS, TB, STDs, and other communicable diseases.
• Facilitate the development of basic and life skills associated with recovery and the understanding of their existing mental illness.
• Adapt counseling strategies to the individual characteristics of the client, including (but not limited to): disability, gender, sexual orientation, developmental level, acculturation, ethnicity, age, and health status.
• Make constructive therapeutic responses when the client behavior is inconsistent with stated recovery goals.
• Apply crisis management skills.
• Mentor the clients identification, selection, and practice of strategies that help sustain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for maintaining treatment progress, relapse prevention, maintenance of their mental illness and continuing care.

Group Counseling

• Describe, select, and appropriately use strategies from accepted and evidence-based, culturally appropriate models for group counseling with addicted or substance abusing client.
• Perform the actions necessary to start a group, including: determining group type, purpose, size, and leadership; recruiting and selecting members; establishing group goals and clarifying behavioral ground rules for participating; identifying outcomes; and determining criteria and methods for termination or graduation from the group.
• Facilitate the entry of new members and the transition of existing members.
• Facilitate group growth within the established ground rules, and precipitate movement toward group and individual goals by using methods consistent with group type.
• Understand the concepts of process and content, and shift the focus of the group when such an intervention will help the group move toward its goals.
• Describe and summarize client behavior within the group for the purpose of documenting the clients progress and identifying needs/issues that may require modification of the treatment plan.