Alcohol and Drug Counselor

The Job

Be an agent of change and make a difference in delivering health and wellness to millions of residents.

Join a team that is passionate about the services they provide and is committed to making a difference throughout San Bernardino County.

The San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health invites qualified professionals to apply for the position of Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Alcohol and Drug Counselor provide screening, counseling, referrals, and outreach services to individuals experiencing substance use disorders. Duties include short-term crisis intervention; planning and implementing supportive and educational counseling; assisting adolescents, adults, and families in recognizing and addressing social and cultural patterns, family problems, and personal dysfunctional behaviors that contribute to alcoholism and drug abuse; making presentations to schools and community groups; and monitoring compliance with grants and contracts.

For additional details, please refer to the Alcohol and Drug Counselor job description.

The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder services to county residents who are experiencing major mental illness or substance abuse related issues. DBH provides mental health and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services to all age groups, with a primary emphasis on treating children/youth who may be seriously emotionally disturbed, adults who are experiencing a serious and persistent mental illness, and individuals who are experiencing substance use disorders. DBH also provides an array of outreach/engagement, prevention, and early intervention services. DBH's core values are service, integrity, accountability, and trust.

DBH is a unique County Department comprised of six (6) service areas: Outpatient Clinics and Youth Services; Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services; 24-Hour and Emergency Services; Forensic and Homeless Services; Administrative Services; and Program Support Services. The Department currently has a workforce in excess of 1000 positions and an approximate $700 million-dollar annual budget.

Click HERE to learn more about the Department of Behavioral Health

Click HERE to learn more about San Bernardino County

Immediate vacancies exist in the following Department of Behavioral Health programs; please indicate your availability for referral to each program in the Supplemental Questionnaire.

The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future vacancies as they occur throughout the Department.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Travel: Travel throughout the County is required. Employees will be required to make provision for transportation and maintain a valid California driver license and proof of automobile liability insurance for the individual providing the transportation.

Hours: Some evening and weekend work may be required.

RBEST/TEST Positions: Positions within the Recovery Based Engagement Teams (RBEST) and Triage Engagement and Support Teams (TEST) are field based and require working outside of the office frequently. TEST teams work within law enforcement departments, Probation office sites and ER hospital sites. Indicate your availability for these positions on the supplemental questionnaire.

Sponsorship: Please note that San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future.

Minimum Requirements

Certification/Education: Certification as an Alcohol or Other Drug (AOD) counselor by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

--AND--

Experience: One (1) year of full time equivalent experience in a Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program performing counseling, crisis intervention, and community resource referrals.

Desired Qualifications

Bilingual Positions: Applicants fluent in American Sign Language, Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish and/or Vietnamese are strongly encouraged to apply. Additional compensation is associated with positions requiring the use of bilingual skills. Applicants must pass written and oral language competency tests in order to be considered for bilingual vacancies.

The ideal candidate will be a certified AOD counselor and have exceptional communication skills with the ability to clearly convey information and ideas both orally and in writing, a customer service background, and presentation skills. For positions assigned to treatment programs working with the adult forensic population, it is highly desirable for candidates to have experience in behavioral health programs with individuals who have co-occurring disorders.

Selection Process

There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in the Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. You are encouraged to include detailed descriptions of your qualifying experience , as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department. Please ensure all relevant experience is indicated in the Application and responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire, as resumes and other attachments will not be reviewed for the competitive evaluation.

Completing your application with statements such as "see/refer to resume" or "see attached" rather than completing your work history may affect your eligibility or competitive evaluation score. Be sure to clearly describe your experience in meeting the minimum requirements.

If you require technical assistance, please click HERE to review the Government Jobs online application guide , or contact their Toll-Free Applicant Support line at (855) 524-5627. Please note that Human Resources is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by computer or browser used to submit the application.

EEO/ADA: S an Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants.

ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and require accommodations in the testing process, submit the Special Testing Accommodations Request Form (Download PDF reader) within one week of a recruitment filing deadline.

Veterans’ Preference: Eligible veterans and their spouse or widow(er) who are not current County employees may be awarded additional Veterans’ Preference points. Click HERE for information and instructions to request Veteran's Preference points.

Please click HERE for important Applicant Information and the County Employment Process .

Administrative Services Unit

The County of San Bernardino offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.

For a summary of benefits, please click here .

Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County's Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the Benefits website for more detailed information at hr.sbcounty.gov/employee-benefits/ .

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

San Bernardino, California United States View Map