Group Life Counselor 1

 Position Summary                                                                                                                                          

The Group Life Counselor I is an entry level Human Service position that is part of the multi-disciplinary treatment team providing direct services to patients in a residential setting. Direct services may include

a combination or all of the following: admission procedures, monitor patient’s behavior, educational group facilitation, milieu management, and supervision of patients. Services are provided to out-of- control, high-risk, chronic runaway youth and their families. These youth/adults have a primary diagnosis of chemical dependency and may also have mental health problems. An entry level person is expected to have a basic understanding of how to provide the direct services listed above. This job description does not suggest or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. This person will be required to follow other instructions and to perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

 Duties and Responsibilities                                                                                                              

As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are based on the belief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity and enhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered, culturally-aware services.

Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an excellent client experience by:

• Understanding and empathizing with client needs
• Surpassing client expectations
• Demonstrating a high level of integrity
• Exhibiting compassion and commitment
• Advocating for social justice
• Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team
• Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices and technology

As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Maintains professional standards and follows the treatment policies and procedures of the agency, as well as applicable federal, state and local regulations, especially WAC 388-877 requirements.
• Gains a thorough working knowledge of appropriate WAC's, WIG's, and RCW's.
• Attends regular staff meetings and in-service training for staff.
• Completes all staff responsibilities as required, with emphasis on timeliness and accuracy.
• Supports the Chemical Dependency Professional/Trainee with the patient's individualized treatment plan as designed and implemented by the treatment team.
• Supports the Chemical Dependency Professional/Trainee in providing and referring clients to other treatment /service programs in the facility and in the community as needed.
• Monitors the clients, log all activities in the log book, do laundry for youth clients, clean up, and be responsible for graveyard shift activities. Group Life Counselors will also assist counselors: They will attend groups with clients who are more volatile to provide extra support, attend AA meetings with clients, and monitor clients while the clients are completing housework and during quiet time. They will serve food if necessary.
• Demonstrates clear and concise written and verbal communication.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
• Able to identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping of needs, such as those for infant, adolescent, or geriatric patients.
• Completes daily record keeping as directed by the Program Manager, following the structure of the problem - oriented patient records system.
• Completes daily logging, Extraordinary Incident Reports (EIR's), medication logging, etc. on time and accurately.
• Prepares current patient progress reports and completion notices and provides them to the courts, probation departments and referral sources when appropriate.
• Completes on time all of the required Federal, State, County and Local forms for each patient.
• Provides all physical care of patients required to meet their physical and emotional needs, consistent with agency policy and applicable licensing WAC's.
• Gains an accurate knowledge of available community and statewide referral resources.
• Maintains consistent and positive relationships with all collateral contacts.
• Provides training and oversight to patients in the area of housekeeping, meal service and various daily activities.
• Performs related work as assigned, including assisting staff and patients with laundry, dishes, housekeeping, and garbage.
• Maintains consistent and positive relationships with all staff, patients, and collateral contacts.
• Assists counseling staff in conducting patient urinalysis procedures and the required documentation as required.

 Qualifications                                                                                                     

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The person in this position must be of good character and able to maintain the understanding, physical health, emotional stability and personality suited to meet the physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of the adolescent and adult populations served.
• Must have good organizational and communication skills.
• This person must understand that chemical dependency is a treatable illness and a public health problem.
• Must complete an annual clinical competency test.
• Demonstrate professionalism and appropriate boundaries in all interactions.
• The person in this position shall have no history or evidence of alcohol or other drug misuse for a period of two (2) years prior to the date of employment at the facility, and no misuse of alcohol or other drugs while employed at this facility.
• This individual cannot be a person who has been convicted of a felony within the last seven years or ever been convicted of child abuse and / or any crime involving physical harm to another person nor be a perpetrator of substantiated child abuse.
• With regards to his/her driving record, this person may not have violations/accidents in excess of the limits in the table below at time of hire, or anytime thereafter.

No more than:

• Type A Violations (e.g. DUI, Reckless Driving, Suspended License, Negligent Driving)
  • Drivers between 25-65: None in the past 3 years
  • Drivers under 25/over 65: None in the past 5 years

• “At-Fault” Accidents:
  • Drivers between 25-65: 1 accident in the past 3 years
  • Drivers under 25/over 65: None in the past 3 years
• Moving Violations
  • Drivers between 25-65: 1 violation in 12 months or 2 violations in 3 years
  • Drivers under 25/over 65: 1 in 3 years
• Combination of Accidents/Violations
  • Drivers between 25-65: 1 accident/ violation in 12 months, 2 violations/accidents in the past 3 years
  • Drivers under 25/over 65: 1 in 3 years

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

REASONING ABILITY

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.