Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselor
4 days ago
Portland
Job Description Join a mission-driven team making a real difference in lives during critical reentry moments. At NWRRC, we are passionate about helping our residents successfully reintegrate into society. Since 1964, we have provided high-quality reintegration services to individuals transitioning from incarceration, probation clients, and those under community restoration orders. As a non-profit organization, we operate a 150-bed residential re-entry center, committed to promoting accountability, safety, and positive changes in our community. We are seeking a compassionate, skilled Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MHSA) Counselor to provide trauma-informed care and recovery support to justice-involved adults in a residential community corrections setting. In this role, you'll deliver individualized counseling, facilitate groups, manage crises, coordinate care with external providers, and help residents build stability, skills, and successful community reintegration. You'll join a team including two well-established counselors, who have both been here over ten years. This position is scheduled to start in August 2026. Key Responsibilities: • Provide individualized assessment, evaluation, referral, and weekly individual counseling to residents in the program, with availability for on-call crisis intervention., • Communicate regularly with staff and partner service providers about residents' participation in treatment, documenting as required., • Deliver a range of counseling services across various days and times, while promoting ongoing availability and services.., • Conduct mental health-related program orientation for all new residents including initial self-harm and risk assessments and reports; discuss mental health program options, requirements, and expectations., • Provide oversight of mental health and substance abuse treatment programming, including 12-Step recovery meetings (e.g., AA/NA), SMART Recovery, Canine Therapy, and other evidence-based or recovery-oriented groups., • Assist with referrals and consultations to outside service providers, aligned with residents' placement and individualized plans., • Collaborate with Case Management and Health Services to support medication compliance for residents on required psychotropic medications., • Serve as liaison with the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Community Treatment Services (CTS)-contracted MH/RDAP Aftercare provider, coordinating weekly appointment schedules, rescheduling notifications, and resident access to treatment locations., • Process petitions for residents seeking mental health treatment, medication monitoring services, or medically assisted treatment through CTS., • Perform data entry for all ongoing mental health and substance abuse treatment information to keep staff informed of weekly treatment schedules., • Starting salary: $70,000, • Benefits for Full-Time Employees:, • Healthcare: 100% of medical, vision, and dental premiums covered for employees; 50% for spouses and dependents. Includes life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance., • Retirement: Employer-funded SEP-IRA retirement plan with a 7% contribution of gross earnings, available after 1 year of service., • Vacation: Up to 18 days of PTO/vacation annually., • Sick Time: up to 12 days of sick time annually., • Tuition Assistance: Up to 50% of tuition costs for related degrees or certificates and ongoing professional development training, available after 6 months of service., • Fitness Perks: Up to $50 monthly fitness stipend. Education, Credentials and Experience: • Master's degree (or higher) in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related behavioral health field, demonstrating the capacity to meet Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) requirements per Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR 309-019-0125); or, • An equivalent combination of a Bachelor's degree in a related field plus relevant training, certification, and supervised experience in counseling/mental health services., • Certification or licensure in Oregon (e.g., CADC I/II/III, LPC, LCSW, LMFT) preferred; QMHP registration (QMHP-R or QMHP-C via MHACBO) required within a reasonable period upon hire., • Knowledge of justice-involved populations, trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, harm reduction, recovery-oriented approaches, and co-occurring disorders., • Proficiency in clinical evaluation, including bio-psycho-social assessments, co-occurring disorder screening, and determining client readiness/treatment needs., • Skill in developing, implementing, and updating individualized treatment/recovery plans using evidence-based practices and ASAM criteria., • Ability to deliver effective individual and group counseling tailored to justice-involved adults, addressing SUD, mental health, trauma, and criminogenic needs., • Competence in crisis intervention, de-escalation, and safety planning in community corrections., • Strong referral and service coordination skills, including collaboration with multidisciplinary teams (BOP, CTS, probation, health services), and linkage to community resources., • Humility when working with diverse backgrounds and reentry challenges. Why Join Us? Be part of a dedicated team supporting stability, recovery, and successful reintegration for individuals navigating complex transitions. This is an opportunity to make a positive impact on those we serve and to make a difference in our community. How to Apply: Submit your resume and cover letter. NWRRC is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the nature of the population we work with and our federal and state contracts, all staff must be able to pass a comprehensive background investigation and a pre-employment drug screening, which includes testing for the use of cannabis/thc. Job Posted by ApplicantPro