Center for Alternative·New York
The Substance Use Counselor provides individual, family, and group counseling and performs SBIRT assessments for justice-involved individuals. They collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to develop person-centered treatment plans and facilitate recovery through relapse prevention and crisis intervention.
Job Title: Substance Use Counselor
CASES is a New York City agency at the forefront of the intersection between behavioral health and involvement in the criminal justice system. Our mission is to increase public safety through innovative services that reduce crime and incarceration, improve behavioral health, promote recovery and rehabilitation, and create community success opportunities. The Behavioral Health division consists of a continuum of services for justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness. The Nathaniel Clinic is an OMH-licensed Article 31 clinic that provides outpatient mental health services to adolescents and adults, focusing on providing care to those involved in the criminal legal system.
The Substance Use Counselor plays an integral role in the recovery process, and the services they provide have shown to promote positive health and recovery outcomes. The Substance Use Counselor is part of a multidisciplinary team working collaboratively with therapists, psychiatrists/PNPs, and nurses. The Substance Use Counselor will perform initial substance use assessments, complete SBIRTS, provide individual and group counseling, contribute to person-centered, trauma informed treatment planning, provide crisis intervention, and assist participants in developing relapse prevention plans.
The salary for this role is $57,000.00 per year
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY 10027 or 424 E 147th St, Bronx, NY 10455. Our office is easily accessible by public transportation.
Hybrid - Positions for which staff can work from a remote (home or another suitable space) one day per week or more (in a typical week) as by leadership. Occasional travel required.
Provide substance use treatment including individual, family and group counseling.
Perform Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).
Provide services that are person/family-centered, strengths-based, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally competent.
Identify the treatment needs of and with participants, based on severity of substance use, stage of change, and immediate needs as well as recommended treatment objectives.
Engage participants with urgent and crisis substance use needs to offer support and resolve crisis
Assess treatment needs, and provide substance use expertise for person-centered evaluation and treatment planning.
Establish the degree of risk for substance use and harmful behaviors and provide interventions and support to promote progress towards recovery.
Provide relapse prevention, psychoeducation, and harm reduction using motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Run evidence-based substance use treatment and Relapse Prevention groups.
Act as an advocate and liaison for participants in securing access to MAT, emergency detox, rehabilitation care, and other community supports that promote integrated substance use or dual disorder treatment.
Dispense Naloxone response kits as an approved NYS dispenser.
Outreach and network with DCO partners providing crisis stabilization, inpatient/residential detox and rehabilitative treatment centers.
Contribute to ongoing organizational commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracist practices in delivery of services and work.
Provide culturally competent services in accordance with CASES policies and practice.
Help ensure we maintain a safe working environment by reporting any hazards or unsafe conditions, e.g., liquid spill in hallway, to the appropriate facilities staff member or supervisor.
Any other duties as required by senior clinical leadership.
Must have active CASAC (Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor) certification status in good standing
High school diploma or equivalent.
At least 18 months of work experience providing substance use services to individuals with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder and criminal justice involvement.
Individuals with previous criminal justice experience are encouraged to apply.
Individuals with lived experience are encouraged to apply.
• Fluency in Spanish.
Although we would love to learn about the skills of every candidate, only selected candidates that are selected will receive a response. We encourage you to apply for any position(s) you feel you are qualified for.
CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with prior involvement in the criminal legal system.
00 AM – 5:00 PM with flexibility to wok 1-2 days from 11am - 7pm. 35 hours per week
Candidates must hold an active CASAC certification and a high school diploma or equivalent. At least 18 months of experience providing substance use services to individuals with serious mental illness and criminal justice involvement is required.
Market context
In New York, substance use counselor roles are often tied to ongoing demand for outpatient, residential, and community-based behavioral health services. These positions are competitive because employers typically look for OASAS CASAC-T or CASAC certification, experience with clients with substance use disorder, and familiarity with trauma-informed care and co-occurring disorders. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits on this platform to save time, then confirm your certification status and prepare examples of client support work before applying.