Chemical Dependency Counselor
Universal Health Services
Chemical Dependency Counselor
Universal Health Services
Manages hospitals and behavioral health facilities
Northwest Texas Healthcare System is a 495-bed system serving the city of Amarillo and the surrounding region. We offer the ideal combination of traditional values and the most advanced technologies in healthcare, plus the conveniences of big city living in a friendly, smaller-town atmosphere. From the beauty of Palo Duro Canyon and great recreational facilities to our quality educational system, Amarillo is a great place to live and work.
A hospital is only as good as its employees. That's why we're looking for professionals who are dedicated and passionate about their work. We're looking for employees who can add to our culture of exemplary patient care and personal excellence. We're looking for exceptional professionals who share our vision and values.
Visit us online at: https://www.nwths.com/careers
Position: Chemical Dependency Counselor
Position Summary: Under indirect to general supervision, the Chemical Dependency Counselor performs a broad range of chemical dependency counseling functions. These include conducting Substance Abuse Assessments; providing insight-oriented addiction education and therapy to individual patients, families and groups; providing education and referrals to appropriate community resources and treatment programs; and acting as a member of the multidisciplinary treatment team in treatment planning and discharge planning for patients with a Substance Use Disorder diagnosis. The Chemical Dependency Counselor assists the Director of Clinical Services and the department in program evaluation, planning and implementation to ensure the provision of effective, evidence-based treatment is provided to the addicted patient population. The Chemical Dependency Counselor supports an organizational culture for Service Excellence and practices the Service Excellence and practices the Service Excellence Standards to all customer groups.
Job Duties/Responsibilities:
Provides direct patient services to patients from age 2 to geriatric including:
1. Conducts Substance Abuse assessments with identified patients to establish presence and severity of addictive behaviors.
2. Provides insight-oriented education and therapy to individual patients, families and groups.
3. Works with patients and their families to create an individualized Relapse Prevention Plan which identifies specific patient triggers and recovery-oriented coping skills.
4. Consults with psychiatrists, other physicians or therapists and staff of other departments. Identifies patient needs and communicates these to the treatment team.
5. Maintains appropriate documentation of therapeutic and assessment activities in a timely manner and with appropriate attention to detail
6. Communicates with patients, families, caregivers, significant others and members of the healthcare team to promote maximum benefit of care.
7. Provides education and training to peers and community groups to increase knowledge of Substance Use Disorders, Substances of abuse, Evidence-based practices, Pavilion chemical dependency programming and treatment methods.
8. Operates within scope of practice of LCDC licensure and demonstrates competencies described in CSAT Tap 21 (Addiction Counseling Competencies) as required under that licensure.
Leadership:
1. Provides leadership and guidance related to unique expertise in substance abuse assessment and treatment on the Pavilion unit where assigned. Utilizes appropriate skills in delegating, organizing and educating coworkers.
2. Provides training and mentorship regarding chemical dependency and substance use disorders to masters level interns as assigned.
3. Responds to department needs; flexes time or work location relative to census.
4. Participates in and contributes to the quality improvement process for the department and institution. Accepts responsibility for portion of outcome data collection.
5. Collaborates effectively with interdisciplinary team processes.
6. Provides support as needed on inpatient unit where assigned without requiring specific direction.
7. Cooperates with requests of other departments such as Medical Records and Business Office.
8. Shares creative ideas with interdisciplinary teams and management with the goal of improved patient care.
9. Maintains licensure, competencies and specialty knowledge in chemical dependency.
Maintenance of a Safe Environment:
1. Maintains competency in CPR and PMAB for patient and staff protection.
2. Assesses risks for safety and implements appropriate precautions.
Operational Excellence:
Provides services in such a way as to meet the fiscal goals of the organization. Implements value added programs and services. Manages the satisfaction of department customers to include patients, employees and physicians through effective communication and appropriate responsiveness to customer issues.
Benefit Highlights:
About Universal Health Services
Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS) is one of the nation’s largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services. Since our founding in 1979, UHS has grown steadily into a premier Fortune 500® corporation perennially recognized by multiple esteemed national rating entities. Through its subsidiaries, UHS operates inpatient acute care facilities, inpatient behavioral health facilities, outpatient and other facilities, nationwide virtual behavioral health services, an insurance offering, a physician network and various related services with physical locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Ireland and United Kingdom. www.uhs.com.
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Education, Training, Experience and Licenses/Registrations Required:
LCDC licensure preferred, or Licensure at Masters level in Social Work, Counseling or related mental health field with 2 years experience in substance use disorders assessment and treatment.
Physical and Sensory Requirements:
1. Ability to read and write in English.
2. Ability to communicate at an appropriate level with patients, families, staff, physicians, support agencies, vendors and others.
3. Ability to evaluate and interpret information and make independent decisions.
4. Ability to tolerate prolonged sitting.
5. Ability to move from office to patient care areas as needed.
6. Must have physical stamina to handle wheelchairs and to assist functionally impaired patients with transfers and personal care as needed.
7. Must have emotional stamina to deal with a variety of stressful situations including response to complaints, maintaining a calm demeanor and good judgment under stress.
8. Ability to respond to pages, telephone and other auditory stimulation.
9. Quantitative mathematical ability (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, standard/metric measurements).
EEO Statement
All UHS subsidiaries are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. UHS subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and as such, openly support and fully commit to recruitment, selection, placement, promotion and compensation of individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Avoid and Report Recruitment Scams
We are aware of a scam whereby imposters are posing as Recruiters from UHS, and our subsidiary hospitals and facilities. Beware of anyone requesting financial or personal information.
At UHS and all our subsidiaries, our Human Resources departments and recruiters are here to help prospective candidates by matching skill set and experience with the best possible career path at UHS and our subsidiaries. During the recruitment process, no recruiter or employee will request financial or personal information (e.g., Social Security Number, credit card or bank information, etc.) from you via email. Our recruiters will not email you from a public webmail client like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.
If you suspect a fraudulent job posting or job-related email mentioning UHS or its subsidiaries, we encourage you to report such concerns to appropriate law enforcement. We encourage you to refer to legitimate UHS and UHS subsidiary career websites to verify job opportunities and not rely on unsolicited calls from recruiters.
Manages hospitals and behavioral health facilities
Universal Health Services operates a network of acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, and ambulatory centers across the United States. It generates its services by acquiring and managing healthcare facilities, then integrating them under centralized operating practices to deliver patient care. The company’s offering is the management and provision of hospital and behavioral health services, with a focus on standardized clinical operations, economies of scale, and nationwide coverage. What sets UHS apart is its long history of growth through acquisitions, its size and scale in both acute and behavioral health markets, and its ability to integrate new facilities while maintaining consistent care quality. Its goal is to provide high-quality healthcare across a broad network, improve patient outcomes, and sustain long-term value for shareholders by expanding access and efficiency in hospital and behavioral health services.
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