First Steps Recovery·El Dorado Hills, California
The intern serves as a primary coordinator providing individual and group counseling services to support clients' recovery plans. Responsibilities include managing group processes, developing curricula, and coordinating with the clinical team to meet clients' health and daily living needs.
Drug and Alcohol Counselor Intern Interns are members of the treatment team and primary coordinator in the provision of individual, group, and supportive counseling services in accordance with the client's plan for treatment, to assure that the health and daily living needs of each client is met, and to promote the maintenance of the recovery during treatment. Please note this is an Unpaid Internship for Substance Use Disorder Counselors
Prior experience with substance abuse/chemical dependency counseling. Must have certification in field of expertise or certified and/or licensed with CA certifying organization. Must have valid CPR/First Aid certification and annual TB test.
WORK ENVIRONMENT Work is performed during day and night shifts primarily in residential detox facility.
This includes work in facility office as well as the grounds of the entire facility including upstairs resident rooms, clinical office, and laundry room that are accessed via staircase, and outdoor grounds.
Technicians periodically drive clients in company vehicles for intakes/discharges at other treatment facilities and transportation hubs, to doctor appointments, to outings and recovery meetings.
Work is often performed in emergency and stressful situations.
The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations.
Some job tasks involve exposure to blood, body fluids and/or tissue. Staff must wear gloves and follow infectious control procedures when interacting with clients in conditions in which exposure is possible such as handling onsite urinary analysis, conducting first aid, and conducting search of client’s belonging and person. Staff may be exposed to infectious disease, needles, and illicit substances during searches
Market context
In California, behavioral-health roles tied to substance use disorder counseling and case management are typically supported by ongoing community and treatment-program demand. These positions are competitive because employers often look for a high school diploma, at least 2 years of SUD counseling or case management experience, and current Registered or Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor status. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to quickly compare fit and note that professional development and paid continuing education are listed as benefits.