About the Department

The Counselor I is a valuable member of the Women's Residential Services team who is responsible for evaluating and admitting clients.   Prepares and implements treatment plans with clients.  Provides individual, group, and family counseling and education.  Provides chemical dependency education to the general public, service providers, and individuals.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for someone who 

• Assist in support services such as reviewing clinical charts, admission, and discharge checklists, and maintaining supplies of forms and documents. 
• Drive candidates to offsite appointments as needed.
• Good understanding of mental health/chemical dependency.
• Compassionate, patient, and empathetic.
• Lived experience is a plus.  

Schedule hours:  20 hours a week

• Monday (6-10pm)
• Friday and Saturday (11:15pm-7:15am)
• $5.00 shift differential for working hours deemed eligible for shift and weekend premium

Position Duties

• Conducts crisis intervention/evaluation/referral to persons who present themselves at the program. 
• Performs initial evaluations and assessments of potential clients regarding their appropriateness for participation in the program. 
• Focuses on client empowerment and evidence bases practices in providing treatment, seeking to assist clients to build on strengths in addressing treatment needs.
• Provides direct services to clients including individual and group treatment. 
• Facilitates with clients and collaborates with the treatment team to develop, review and update treatment goals and referrals both internally and externally.
• Provides education and direction to clients, family members and/or significant others. 
• Takes responsibility for training in and documenting clinical chart requirements to meet program and state standards. 
• Provides consultation to assist in the identification of persons in need of treatment and makes referrals as appropriate. 
• Provides program coverage including weekends as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED and 3 years of experience, or
• Associate’s degree in a related field
• Must possess a valid driver's license

All professional staff providing clinical services, shall:

• Hold clinical certification as a (CADC) Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor from the Illinois Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association (IAODAPCA) or
• Be a licensed professional counselor or licensed clinical professional counselor pursuant to the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing Act; or
• Be a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987; or
• Be licensed as a psychologist pursuant to the Clinical Psychology Practice Act [225 ILCS 15]; or
• Be licensed as a social worker or licensed clinical social worker pursuant to the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act [225 ILCS 20].

Any new professional staff, who will provide clinical services in a treatment or designated program service and who do not meet the requirements of above when hired shall meet the requirements specified in within (2) two years after the date of employment in the substance use disorder (SUD) field. Time in the SUD field is accumulative, it is not per employment episode.

Other Qualifications

As the largest human service provider in Lake County, we believe that services must be available without barriers. No residents are turned away due to the inability to pay. We believe in providing services in an environment of mutual respect, free of discrimination or bias. Whether assuring accessible and effective care, impacting policy, or assessing and monitoring risks, the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center has been an essential part of the public health system in Lake County for 60 years. We are looking for passionate, qualified team members who can help make a difference in our agency and, most importantly, in our community. 

Additional information about the Lake County Health Department, our culture, and why you should join our team can be found at https://lakecountyil.attract.neogov.com/health-department.

At this time, you must live in Illinois or Wisconsin to be eligible to work at Lake County Health Department. You can find our salary grades at https://www.lakecountyil.gov/4515/Salary-Grades. For unionized positions, a list of our collective bargaining agreements can be found here: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/2686/Collective-Bargaining-Agreements.This position is represented by AFSCME Council 31

Any offer of employment is conditioned on the successful completion of a background screening, drug and alcohol testing and may include a pre-employment medical exam.

The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.