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Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Counselor (PCN 20-4343)

Salary

$2,295.00 - $2,558.25 Biweekly

Location 

Anchorage, AK

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

42186

Department

Corrections

Division

Inmate Health Care

Opening Date

09/15/2023

Closing Date

9/29/2023 5:00 PM Alaska

Division

Health and Rehabilitation Services

Position Open To

All Applicants

Bargaining Unit

General Government

Range

17

• DESCRIPTION
• BENEFITS
• QUESTIONS

Job Description

 

The Department of Corrections, Division of Health and Rehabilitation Services, is recruiting for a Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Counselor located at the Anchorage Correctional Complex (ACC) in Anchorage, Alaska. 

 

Watch Alaska DOC HARS video here:

https://vimeo.com/789872805/e68dd6b1e3

 

What you will be doing:

• Providing substance use disorder screenings on inmates that will include a thorough chart review, administering a brief questionnaire, reporting findings to program staff and consulting with the treatment team regarding the need for an assessment and referral for treatment;

• Performing ASAM assessments on designated inmates with substance use disorders and mental health problems, which includes obtaining collateral information (pre-sentence reports, disciplinary actions, criminal history, mental health records, substance abuse treatment records, etc.) and use of the SBIRT model to better determine inmate needs;

• Providing Vivitrol to inmates who are near release, have an opioid use disorder, meet certain medical criteria, and who are either sentenced or unsentenced, which requires expertise in the area of organization, tracking on an Excel spreadsheet, and an understanding of the legal process.
   

Our organization, mission and culture:
The HARS Mission Statement:  To provide timely access to essential care through an evidence-based multidisciplinary approach.  We are committed to a culture of professionalism, quality, and safety.
 
We seek applicants who are interested in furthering the HARS Mission and who will strive to uphold the Division's Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Teamwork and Safety.  The successful applicant will have the ability to serve this population and be a part of a strong team by modeling exceptional clinical and professional skills utilizing evidenced based practice.

The benefits of joining our team:
Full time employment with the State of Alaska includes competitive benefits such as: medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, 11 paid holidays, 2 days personal leave accrual monthly, 2 retirement plans and other optional benefits. For other information regarding these benefits, please review the following web site https://drb.alaska.gov/.

The working environment you can expect:
This position is located at Anchorage Correctional Complex, a secure facility for incarcerated offenders. This position will work closely with teams of correctional officers, mental health clinicians, medical staff, and probation officers.
 
Who we are looking for:

We are looking for a candidate that possesses the following position-specific competencies.

• Working knowledge of principles and techniques of addiction and behavioral health counseling;

• Skill in the application of counseling knowledge, skills and attitudes with consistency and effectiveness in a variety of counseling interactions;

• Skill in the identification of the behavioral, psychological, physical health needs, and social effects of psychoactive substance use on individual clients and their family members;

• Skill in tailoring counseling materials to fit individual client characteristics, such as disability, gender, cultural identity, sexual orientation, development level, age, and health status;

• Skill in establishing rapport with clients in a way that facilitates cooperation and engagement in treatment;

• Ability to maintain composure during stressful situations; recognize and respond positively to cultural differences, lifestyles and values.

 

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor's degree from an accredited university in a behavioral health related field, such as sociology, psychology, addiction, counseling, psychiatric nursing, human services, or social work.
AND
Chemical Dependency Counselor I certification from the Alaska Commission for Behavioral Health Certification.

Special Note:       
An individual without an Alaska certification, who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements for certification as a Chemical Dependency Counselor in the State of Alaska may apply for the vacancy. An applicant qualifying under this option may receive a job offer conditional upon completion of the certification requirement. Proof of certification will be required prior to reporting for duty.

Additional Required Information

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Applicants are required to either attach the following to their application or provide at time of interview: 

• Current CDC certification;
• College transcript denoting a degree in a related behavioral health area;

EDUCATION 
If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of interview, at the discretion of the hiring manager.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION 
Education completed in foreign colleges, universities, or high schools may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the post-secondary institution or high school.  It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

WORK EXPERIENCE
If using work experience in your Applicant Profile, you must also provide the employer name, your job title, dates of employment and whether full or part-time. Applicant Profiles will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and Minimum Qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.

PREA NOTIFICATION
The Department of Corrections follows and maintains federal and state requirements standards including, but not limited to, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards which apply to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders. PREA standards preclude the department from hiring or promoting anyone who has engaged in, or been convicted of any conduct which would violate PREA standards related to sexual assault including:

• Sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution;
• Convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or
• Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described above.

CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS/APSIN/ACOMS
Please be aware – this position requires the use of the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN)/Alaska Corrections Offender Management System (ACOMS).  A security clearance issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is necessary to use APSIN/ACOMS.  DPS will deny security clearance for any applicant who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in this state or another jurisdiction, or who may be a fugitive from justice.  Additionally, security clearance will be withdrawn if DPS discovers that material information was falsified or omitted at the time of the initial application for security clearance.

FINGERPRINT NOTICE
All Department of Corrections employees are required to be fingerprinted. The successful candidate must pass a criminal history check.

EEO STATEMENT
The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-0430 or 465-4095 in Juneau or (907) 465-3412 (TTY) or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at the address above. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.

WORKPLACE ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE
Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are located in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.

For applicant password assistance, please visit:  https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword

 

Contact Information

Doug Zock
Deputy Chief Mental Health Officer 
doug.zock@alaska.gov 

Agency

State of Alaska

Address

PO Box 110201

Juneau, Alaska, 99811

Phone

(800) 587-0430 (Statewide toll-free number)
(907) 465-4095 (Juneau and out-of-state callers)

Website

http://workplac