About Casa Esperanza

Casa Esperanza, Inc. is a bilingual/bicultural behavioral health treatment provider serving Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to recover from addiction, trauma, mental illness, and other chronic medical conditions; overcome homelessness and discrimination; and achieve health and wellness through comprehensive, integrated care.

About the role

The Conexiones ATS/CSS) includes education and counseling regarding the nature of addiction, relapse prevention and aftercare for clients with mental health, substance use or dual diagnosis issues.

As part of the Casa Esperanza, Inc. integrated care team, the ATS/CSS Counselor I provides services in a fully integrated, holistic, and collaborative manner using a team-treatment approach, to ensure the coordination of all client services, both across Casa programs as well as with external providers.  This integrated model aims to facilitate clear communication amongst all providers and eliminate duplication of efforts or conflicting approaches to care; details necessary follow up and assignments; and ensure-wrap around support services are in place to maximize treatment effectiveness and clinical outcomes.

What you'll do

Essential Functions & Responsibilities 

• Greet new clients and create a welcome, comfortable atmosphere for them
• Establishes orientation, session and follow up appointments with patient
• Acts as primary counselor and point of contact for both internal and external collaborators
• Provide high quality, compassionate care in a culturally responsive manner
• Completes a needs assessment including risk and safety planning
• Ensures evidence-based practices are appropriate per patient diagnosis and assessed needs.
• Maintains and adheres to all confidentiality and HIPPA 42 CFR laws.
• Communicates professionally and effectively with colleagues, collateral contacts, supervisors, etc. regarding client care, both verbally and in written formats.
• Complete assessments utilizing the American Society of Addition Medicine (ASAM) criteria to make clinical recommendations regarding appropriate levels of treatment.

• Conduct substance use screening and overdose assessment
• Interviews clients, reviews records, and confers with other professionals to evaluate condition of client.
• Completes a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of client.
• Shares responsibility for therapeutic, educational and other group programming.
• Facilitate clinical sessions, discusses relevant issues and prepares a treatment plan in consultation with the resident.
• Facilitate a variety of groups ranging from relapse preventions and other evidence based topics regarding health and wellness in recovery.
• Participates in care management for patient needs including case management and referral services
• Provides client education around symptom management in an individual and group setting
• Completes intake enrollment as needed
• Counsels clients individually and/or in family and in group sessions to assist client in to achieve treatment goals under the direction of the Clinical Supervisor.
• Prepares and maintains reports and case histories in accordance with agency guidelines for format, timeliness, and quality assurance.
• Enter client data into paper and electronic record in timely manner as outlined in program policies.
• Maintains all regulatory and licensing guidelines around clinical workflows
• Manages client crisis and de-escalation techniques in a holistic, trauma informed approach.
• Respond promptly to client needs
• Completes extension authorizations and clinical reviews with insurance and payers
• Complete discharge notes and client disenrollment forms to close cases upon client discharge
• Attend staff meetings and supervision sessions
• Participates in multi-disciplinary team meetings.
• Acts as liaison and advocate for patient needs.
• All other related duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in psychology, Social Work, or related field and experience in substance use treatment (required) or Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate Program, required. 
• Bilingual English/Spanish (required)
• Minimum of 2-3 years working in a substance use therapy program.
• Must demonstrate ability to relate to a substance use treatment population in a sensitive manner, an interest and willingness to work in a multicultural setting.
• Have a sense of compassion, patience, and empathy.
• Proficient with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office
• Must display use of appropriate independent judgment to determine appropriate course of action in resolving problems and in emergencies.
• Must be able to express self adequately in written and oral communication and to communicate effectively in an interdisciplinary, culturally diverse setting with clients, families, staff and regulatory agencies.
• Must share a customer service orientation.
• Manages difficult or emotional client situations.
• Responds promptly to client needs.
• Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Knowledge of relevant community resources for continuing care/aftercare placement.

What we offer:

Casa Esperanza Benefits Package:

• Compensation:  $68K - $70K annual salary
• Holiday Pay (12 days per year + 1 floating holiday)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) - 18 days year one, 20.5 days at year 2, 23 days at year 5
• Sick Pay - 10 paid days per year
• Long / Short Term Disability 
• Paid by Company Life Insurance
• Health Insurance (Medical Dental, Vison)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• FSA/DCA (Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care)
• ComPsych Guidance Resources - EAP
• Educational Opportunities
• Tuition Remission
• Employee Ticket at Work (Discounts for Entertainment, travel, movies; etc.)
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Increased Salary for Credentials
• and more....

Physical & Mental Requirements

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

At Casa Esperanza, Inc., the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. That’s why all offers of employment are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID 19 (currently one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and boosted, when eligible) to pass the pre-employment requirements. Individuals with medical issues or religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Casa Esperanza’s EEO Statement

Casa Esperanza, Inc. values its diverse workplace and encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, older members of society, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply.

We recruit, hire, employ, train, promote, and compensate individuals based on job-related qualifications and abilities. Casa Esperanza, Inc also has a longstanding policy of providing a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of each individual and is free from all forms of employment discrimination, including harassment, because of race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  All employees, interns, volunteers and contractors of Casa Esperanza, Inc. are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness and respect.

Casa Esperanza, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about an accommodation, or need assistance with completing the application process, please email hr@casaesperanza.org.