Counselor II TXR #56985 $23.58 DOE

Position Close Date: 4/3/2025

Make a difference with VOA Oregon! For over 125 years, Volunteers of America Oregon has been dedicated to serving the most vulnerable members of our community. Through our programs in behavioral health, addiction treatment, reentry services, and support for children and families, we provide life-changing services that promote safety, healing, and empowerment.

Join a mission-driven organization that truly values its employees! This is a full-time position with excellent benefits, including:

Comprehensive health coverage - medical, dental, and vision insurance, with an employee medical premium starting at just $12.50 per paycheck

Financial protection - life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance

Retirement security - 403(b) with an automatic 5.5% employer contribution after 18 months, regardless of employee participation

Work-life balance - a generous paid time off (PTO) plan, starting with accruals that earn 15 days in the first year, 23 days in the second, and 26 days in the third

Upfront sick leave - 80 hours of front-loaded sick time (prorated in the first year), which resets annually on January 1

Paid holidays - 10 paid holidays each year, plus three personal holidays (prorated in the first year) for employees to take time off to celebrate holidays, events, or milestones that matter most to them

Student loan forgiveness - As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, VOA Oregon is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which can help employees reduce or eliminate their federal student loan debt after 10 years of qualifying payments.

Additional perks - flexible spending accounts, an employee assistance program, and other voluntary benefits and discounts

At VOA Oregon, you'll be part of a compassionate and dedicated team, making a real difference in our community. Apply today!

The Counselor II is responsible for providing jail-based individual and group counseling services to justice involved clients in prison/jail diversion and reentry programs under the direct supervision of the clinical supervisor. Services are conducted in a secure setting with the treatment space and office located in the Multnomah County Inverness Jail. This counselor will interact with a multidisciplinary team comprised of VOA and corrections counselors, parole officers, mentors, and Sheriff Deputies.

Education, Training & Experience:

• Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC I) certification required at time of hire or;
• Qualified Mental Health Associate certification with MHACBO, or meets QMHA minimum qualifications per the Oregon Administrative Rules; or
• A bachelor's degree and;
• An existing registration with MHACBO as a CADC I candidate or the ability to register with MHACBO as a CADC I candidate within 30 days of hire, and;
• The ability to obtain CADC I certification within 24 months of registering with MHACBO as a CADC I candidate.
• Knowledge of criminal behavior and at-risk populations.
• Familiarity with reentry issues that face justice-involved population.

Competencies:

• Mission focused and passionate with an emphasis on serving high-risk populations
• Well-developed clinical documentation skills, including:
  
  
  
  • Electronic medical records
  • Progress notes,
  • Treatment plans
  • Assessments
  • Court reports
  • Termination summaries.
  
  
  
  
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Commitment to and actions consistent with the highest level of ethical and professional standards.
• Familiarity or ability to learn Feedback Informed Treatment.
• Computer literate, including MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook)

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

• Ability to gain identification and access into secure facility (Multnomah County Inverness jail) through Multnomah County Sheriff's Office background check process.

• Ability to pass a criminal background check.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide individual and group counseling services inside the Multnomah County Inverness Jail.
• Conduct substance abuse assessments and diagnoses.
• Make client placement decisions using standardized ASAM and DSM criteria.
• Identify client mental health concerns for referral and further assessment using DSM-V TR criteria.
• Develop individualized treatment plans for reentry individuals in consultation with the client, the client's family (when appropriate), and representatives of community partners.

Other Responsibilities:

• Attend and actively participate in individual and group supervision, weekly staffing and other meetings as assigned by the clinical supervisor.
• Work in a friendly, collaborative manner with community partners, including frequent communication regarding each client's progress with Multnomah County Sheriff's Office counselors and deputies, parole and probation officers and recovery mentors.
• Connect participants with culturally specific community services and supports.
• Attend trainings as required.
• Other duties as assigned by the clinical supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibility: Position is not responsible for supervision of other employees.

Work Environment:

• Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  
  
  
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is consistently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects and keyboard, reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, kneel, talk or hear.
  • The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.
  
  
  
  
• Environmental Conditions:
  
  
  
  • Services are conducted in a secure setting with the treatment space and office located in the Multnomah County Inverness Jail.
  • Must be prepared to handle client crises and/or emergencies
  
  
  
  

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time position, up to 40 hrs. per week.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent(s) of this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required for this position.