TENTATIVE

Occ. Code 8339100

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CLASS SERIES

Addictions Counselors are professional members of a multidisciplinary clinical treatment team providing therapy to patients in an Addictions Treatment Center (ATC). Incumbents play a central role in the design and delivery of comprehensive, short-term, individualized treatment programs through consultation with team members, individual and group counseling of patients, discharge planning, community involvement, and case management services; and counsel patients, families, and significant others to assist them in recognizing and accepting their addiction and its social, medical, economic, and psychological causes and consequences.

These positions are located in the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 1: full performance level; under the supervision of a higher-level Addictions Counselor, serves as the primary counselor for an assigned group of patients in one or more units of an ATC; and provides the full range of addictions counseling services. 

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 2: advanced performance level; independently provides the full range of addictions counseling services to patients with more difficult conditions; and assists Addictions Counselors 1 in dealing with more difficult cases.

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 3: supervisory level; provides addiction services to a specialized population; serves as the treatment lead in an ATC and primary counselor to patients with the most difficult and unusual cases; and supervises Addictions Counselors 1 and 2.

RELATED CLASSES

Addictions Counselor Assistants serve as a member of a multidisciplinary clinical treatment team providing therapy programs tailored to the individual needs of patients in an ATC. Under the supervision of an Addictions Counselor, incumbents assist in the delivery of rehabilitation programs, and serve as secondary counselors for groups of patients in one or more units of an ATC. 

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 1

Serves as a primary counselor for an assigned group of patients in one or more units of an ATC.

·       Completes psychosocial assessments of individual patients.

·       Interviews patients and reviews medical and psychological reports to obtain personal information relative to an individuals family history, developmental stage, work history, marital relations, history of drinking and drug use, and diagnosed medical and emotional conditions.

·       Develops individualized treatment plans for each patient, including the definition and prioritization of issues, patient strengths and weaknesses, measurable short and long-term goals and objectives, and identification of appropriate modalities for treatment. 

·       Continually monitors patients and reports any extraordinary signs or symptoms which require specialized medical, psychological, or social service intervention to appropriate supervising professional staff.

• Provides orientation to patients regarding the nature of the treatment facility, including its programs, activities, policies, and rules.
• Conducts individual and group counseling sessions.
• Provides information about recognized self-help groups including Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Alateen.
• Documents all patient services, including all pre-admission data, patient progress, and participation in individual and group therapy, clinical record of treatment, and discharge summaries.
• Maintains relationships with vocational, educational, social services, probation, parole, referral agencies, and other community agencies associated with patient rehabilitation to ensure continuity of services provided by the State operated facility with those received by the patient before and after admission.
• Develops personalized continuing care plans for patients, including recommendations for future treatment and contact information for any community service team, referral agency, and/or others who will be involved in patients continuing recovery.
• Provides information on various services available for post-discharge continuing care and educates patients and significant others on relapse prevention.

Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team.

• Attends and participates in regular clinical staff meetings and provides clinical team with suggestions for changes in the treatment program.
• Attends and participates in case review conferences, discusses the course of treatment of primary patients, and integrates the comments and suggestions of other team members into treatment plans.
• Meets with community agencies to achieve a greater understanding of addictions and encourages appropriate referrals and use of resources.
• Educates the public on alcoholism and substance abuse and the services offered by the ATC and OASAS.
• Provides clinical backup to members of the team by assisting with other programs and patients; performs tasks which contribute to the effective operation of the treatment center; works on special projects; and serves on assigned committees.

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 2

Performs all the duties and activities of an Addictions Counselor 1, and:

• Coordinates with other clinical disciplines in the development of treatment plans for patients with multiple health, social and/or addiction issues, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions.
• Works with medical staff to develop lectures on health issues related to addiction and recovery.
• May serve as admission or discharge coordinator.

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 3

Performs all the duties and activities of an Addictions Counselor 1 and 2, and:

• Oversees specialized service components of an ATC, which includes women with children, patients with co-occurring psychiatric disorders, community residence services, and cultural specific services.
• Serves as a member of facility Quality Assurance Team and reviews clinical areas to ensure compliance with OASAS regulations and other oversight organizations, such as the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
• Serves as an admissions coordinator and works with community agencies to establish appropriate linkages and referral sources within a catchment area.
• Serves on the facility management team to establish protocols for services.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 1

Open-Competitive: Incumbents must be a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) in New York State.

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 2

Open-Competitive: CASAC credential and one year of post-CASAC addictions counseling experience in a certified or licensed program.

Promotion: one year of service as an Addictions Counselor 1.

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR 3

Open Competitive: CASAC credential and two years of post-CASAC addictions counseling experience, and one year of clinical supervision in a certified or licensed program. 

Promotion: one year of service as an Addictions Counselor 2.

Revised:  8/17

NOTE: Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe. Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class. The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written. Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.