JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Substance Use Specialist (ACTTAY)

Department: Various Departments

Division(s): Integrated Health Services

Program(s): ACTTAY

JOB SUMMARY:

The incumbent of this position is part of the multidisciplinary team and is responsible for

carrying out rehabilitation and support functions and assist in treatment; substance abuse

services; education, support, and consultation to families; and crisis intervention under the

clinical supervision of staff with professional degrees.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

● Know the basic elements of the ACT, the theory behind the ACT model, the core

processes that ACT teams follow, and the types of services that ACT team members

provide.

● Provide substance use counseling through holistic, person-centered care with

emphasis on personal strengths, skill acquisition and harm reduction, while using

stage-wise and motivational approaches that promote active participation by the

individual in decision making and self-advocacy in all aspects of services and

recovery/resiliency.

● Participate in daily staff organizational meets and treatment plan review meetings.

● Use interventions, based on individual strengths and needs, to develop

interpersonal/social, family, community and independent living functional skills

including adaptation to home, school, family and work environments when the natural

acquisition of those skills is negatively impacted by the individual's mental illness and

/or substance use disorder.

● Facilitate and support recovery/resiliency through activities including: defining

recovery/resiliency concepts in order to develop and attain recovery/resiliency goals;

identifying needs, strengths, skills, resources and supports and teaching how to use

them; and identifying barriers to recovery/resiliency and finding ways to overcome

them.

● Develop, implement, update, and revise as needed, a treatment plan that identifies

specific, measurable and individualized interventions to reduce and manage

symptoms, improve functioning and develop stability and independence. This plan is

developed by a team consisting of the following as appropriate: the individual, family,

community support specialist, community support supervisor, therapist, medication

providers, schools, child welfare, courts and other supports.

● Work collaboratively with the individual on treatment goals and service including the

use of collaborative documentation as a tool to ensure that individuals are active in

their treatment.

● Document services that clearly describes the need for the service, the intervention

provided, the relationship to the treatment plan, the provider of the service, the date,

actual time and setting of the service, and the individual's response to the service.

● Develop a discharge and aftercare/continuing recovery plan to include, if applicable,

securing a successful transition to continued services.

● Contact individuals and/or referral sources following missed appointments in order to

re-engage and promote recovery/resiliency efforts.

● Support individuals in crisis situations including locating and coordinating resources to

resolve a crisis.

● Maintain contact with individuals who are hospitalized for medical or psychiatric

reasons and participate in and facilitate discharge planning for psychiatric

hospitalization and for medical hospitalization as appropriate.

● Provide information and education in order to learn about and manage mental

illness/serious emotional disturbance and/or substance use disorders including

symptoms, triggers, cravings and use of medications.

● Reinforce the importance of taking medications as prescribed and assist the individual

to make medication concerns regarding side effects or lack of efficacy known to the

prescriber.

● Build skills for effective illness self-management including psych education, behavioral

tailoring for medication adherence, wellness/recovery planning, coping skills training,

and social skills training.

● In conjunction with the individual, family, significant others and referral sources,

identify risk factors related to relapse in mental illness and/or substance use disorders

and develop a plan with strategies to support recovery and prevent relapse.

● Make efforts to ensure that individuals gain and maintain access to necessary

rehabilitative services, general entitlement benefits, employment, housing, schools,

legal services, wellness or other services by actively assisting individuals to apply and

follow-up on applications; and to gain skills in independently accessing needed

services.

● Ensure communication and coordination with and between other interested parties

such as service providers, medical professionals, referral sources, employers,

schools, child welfare, courts, probation/parole, landlords, and natural supports.

● Ensure follow through with recommended medical care, to include scheduling

appointments, finding financial resources and arranging transportation when

individuals are unable to perform these tasks independently.

● Develop and supporting wellness and recovery goals in collaboration with the

individual, family and/or medical professionals, including healthy lifestyle changes

such as healthy eating, physical activity and tobacco prevention and cessation; and

coordination and monitoring of physical health and chronic disease management.

● Assist to develop natural supports including identification of existing and new natural

supports in relevant life domains.

● In coordination with the treatment team, improving skills in communication,

interpersonal relationships, problem solving, conflict resolution; stress management;

and identifying risky social situations and triggers that could jeopardize recovery.

● Provide family education, training and support to develop the family as a positive

support system to the individual. Such activities must be directed toward the primary

well-being and benefit of the individual.

● Help individuals develop skills and resources to address symptoms that interfere with

seeking or successfully maintaining a job, including but not limited to, communication,

personal hygiene and dress, time management, capacity to follow directions, planning

transportation, managing symptoms/cravings, learning appropriate work habits, and

identifying behaviors that interfere with work performance.

● Build skills associated with obtaining and maintaining success in school such as

communication with teachers, personal hygiene and dress, age appropriate time

management, capacity to follow directions and carry out school assignments,

appropriate study habits, and identification of behaviors that interfere with school

performance.

● Build personal self-care and home management skills associated with achieving and

maintaining housing in the least restrictive setting by addressing issues like nutrition,

meal preparation; household maintenance including house cleaning and laundry;

money management and budgeting; personal hygiene and grooming; identification

and use of social and recreational skills; use of available transportation; and personal

responsibility.

● Represent the agency in a professional manner.

● Demonstrates interest in long term and short term goals and objectives of the

company.

● Other duties as assigned by the Clinical Supervisor, Program Director, Vice President,

or Executive Team member.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

● Knowledge of case management and rehabilitation methods, principles and

techniques as they relate to mental health and/or substance use disorders.

● Knowledge of the problems encountered by persons with mental illness and/or

substance abuse disorders and how to access the various community resources

available.

● Knowledge of the methods and modalities as well as the legal requirements and court

procedures related to treating mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

● Some knowledge of supervisory and training techniques and practices used in a

substance use disorders/mental health setting.

● Aptitude to evaluate services within assigned program and give input.

● Capable of communicating ideas clearly and effectively verbally and in writing to

produce clear and concise reports.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS:

● A mental health professional as defined in 9 CSR 10 – 7.140 (2) (QQ) (Missouri);

● An individual with a bachelor's degree in a human services field, which includes social

work, psychology, nursing, education, criminal justice, recreational therapy, human

development and family studies, counseling, child development, gerontology,

sociology, human services, behavioral science and rehabilitation counseling;

● Per DMH certification regulations – Specialist is a Qualified Addictions Professional

(QAP) which includes:

● a person who demonstrates substantial knowledge and skill regarding substance use

by being one of the following:

● 1. A physician or qualified mental health professional, licensed or provisional

licensure, in Missouri or

● 2. A person certified or registered as a substance use professional by the Missouri

Credentialing Board

● A QAP is a person who is certified or registered with one of the following credentials

as per the Missouri Credentialing Board; (CADC, CRADC, CRAADC, CCJP, CCDP,

CCDP-D, RADC, and RADC-P are considered Qualified Addiction Professional

credentials).

● The following credentials are not considered a QAP: MAADC I, MAADC II

● With 1 year training or supervised experience in substance use treatment. If less than

1 year experience in providing co-occurring disorder treatment then shall be actively

acquiring 24 hours of training in co-occurring content and receive supervision from

experienced co-occurring staff as approved by the department.

Qualifying experience must include delivery of service to individuals with mental illness,

substance abuse or developmental disabilities. Experience must include some combination of

the following:

● Providing one-on-one or group services with a rehabilitation/habilitation and

recovery/resiliency focus;

● Teaching and modeling for individuals how to cope and manage psychiatric,

developmental or substance abuse issues while encouraging the use of natural

resources;

● Supporting efforts to find and maintain employment for individuals and/or to function

appropriately in families, school and communities;

● Assisted individuals to achieve the goals and objectives on their individualized

treatment or person centered plans.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS:

None

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

● Successful completion of background check including criminal record, driving record

and abuse/neglect.

● Completion of New Hire Orientation within 30 Days of employment.

● All training requirements including Relias Learning within two (2) weeks of

employment and annually thereafter.

● All community support staff in Missouri shall successfully complete DMH Community

Support 101 Training within 30 days of hire.

● Obtain trainings to assist in professional development meeting 36 hours every 2 years.

● First Aid certification within three (3) months of beginning employment and upon

renewal date.

● Obtain CPR certification within three (3) months of beginning employment and upon

renewal date.

● Medication Training upon hire and annually thereafter.

● Behavioral Management training completed within thirty (30) days of employment or

first available class after start date:

● CPI for Residential programs

● Peaceful Intervention or Verbal De-escalation for Outpatient programs

● Completion of “Billing Requirements” within 30 Days of employment.

● Achievement of thirty-six (36) hour training requirements within 2 year period in

accordance with 9 CSR 10-7.110 E 1.

● Growth and Development form (CPRC only) within thirty (30) days of employment.

● Privileging and Credentialing form (CPRC only) within thirty (30) days of employment.

● Extensive knowledge of the policies, procedures, and regulations of the program to

which the associate is assigned.

● Valid Driver's license in state of residency with an acceptable driving record is

required.

● Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age to operate a company-owned vehicle.

● Must be at least twenty-three (23) years of age to operate a company-owned fifteen

(15) passenger van.

● Must have reliable means of transportation in order to transport clients in personal

vehicle.

● Proof of valid and current auto insurance is required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

ADA Consideration - Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (exists

up the 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently (exists 1/3 to 2/3 of the

time) to lift, carry, push, or pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief

periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally

and all other sedentary criteria are met.