Alcohol and Other Drug Services Intake Interviewer - Extra-Help

Position Information

See Laura's story below to know what it's like to work with the Driving Under the Influence Program in the Department of Health Services!

Starting salary up to $35.26/hour*!

Note : California Health and Safety Code Section 11833(b)(1) requires that any individual who provides counseling services in a licensed or certified AODS program, except for licensed professionals (see Minimum Qualifications below)*, must be registered or certified with an organization approved by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Individuals must be currently registered, certified, or licensed to be eligible for employment.
For more information on registration and a list of approved certification agencies recognized by the DHCS, please visit here .

About the Position
The Alcohol and Other Drug Services Intake Interviewer will schedule and conduct intake interviews with referred clients in the Driving Under the Influence program in the Department of Health Services. This will entail:

• Explaining all program rules, objectives, payment schedules, and requirements
• Assessing the client’s substance use according to established and standardized evaluation tools
• Creating client program schedules, gathering data, and maintaining all records and relevant caseload documentation
• Assisting clients with all documentation of leaves of absence, transfers, schedule changes, re-enrollments, financial assessments, and other appointments
• Preparing and submitting referral forms and related documents to the courts, the justice system, and the Department of Motor Vehicles

As the ideal candidate for this position, you will have knowledge and understanding of alcohol and other drugs and their impact on the individual. In addition, you will possess many of the following:

• The ability to communicate effectively and work with individuals from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds
• Extensive knowledge of universal precautions and relevant privacy and confidentiality laws/standards (i.e., HIPAA, CFR 42, Part 2, etc.)
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care principles and de-escalation techniques
• A working knowledge of community resources and substance use disorder services
• Excellent communication skills, both in speaking and writing
• Empathy and patience when working with clients
• The ability to be flexible depending on the needs of the program

Extra-Help Employment

Extra-help employees relieve or augment permanent staff. Intermittent, extra-help employees are not in the classified civil service and do not have property rights to permanently allocated positions. In addition, they do not receive most regular employee benefits such as long-term disability insurance coverage; accrual of vacation; participation in the County retirement program; or eligibility to take promotional examinations. Intermittent, extra-help employees are limited in their employment to a maximum of 1,380 hours within any twelve-month consecutive period. Extra-help employees who meet the eligibility requirements may qualify for a County contribution toward medical coverage.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill an Alcohol and Other Drug Services Intake Interviewer intermittent, extra-help position in the Department of Health Services. This employment list may also be used to fill future extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of this list.
*Salary is negotiable within the established range.
Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Successful completion of twelve (12) semesters units college level coursework in alcohol and drug studies, psychology, counseling, social work or a closely related field and one year of program or administrative support experience, preferably in the area of alcohol and other drug services programs.

For positions in the Drinking Driver Program: California State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs requires two years of experience which meets the requirements of Title IX of the California Administrative Code in providing services to persons with alcohol and/or drug problems.

One year (24 semester units) of college level education including twelve (12) semester units of alcohol and other drug studies, psychology, counseling, social work or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

Special Qualification: All employees of this class must register, obtain, and maintain a Counselor Certification as defined by the California Code of Regulations, Chapter 8: Certification of Alcohol and Other Drug Counselors. Upon appointment to this class, employees will have six months to register and five years to obtain Certification from an ADP approved certifying organization whose curriculum includes a minimum of 240 hours of formal classroom training. Human Resources will waive the Counselor Certification requirement for licensed professionals (or registered interns) who successfully pass a written examination similar to that administered for Certification. This examination will be administered by the Sonoma County Human Resources Department, and will be designed to measure those areas included in the curriculum required for certification.

Due to regulatory changes, California Health and Safety Code Section 11833(b)(1) requires that any individual who provides counseling services in a licensed or certified AODS program, except for licensed professionals*, must be registered or certified with an organization approved by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Individuals must be licensed, registered, or certified by the date of hire to be eligible for employment.

A list of approved certification agencies recognized by the DHCS may be found at the following site:

http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/provgovpart/Pages/CounselorCertificationOrganizations.aspx

* Licensed professionals include a physician licensed by the Medical Board of California; or a psychologist licensed by the Board of Psychology; or a clinical social worker or marriage and family therapist licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, or an intern registered with the California Board of Psychology or the California Board of Behavioral Sciences .

Additional Special Qualification: Some positions may require the ability to fluently speak and write a language other than English.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: County program policies and procedures; County, State and Federal laws governing public alcohol and other drug abuse programs; laws, rules, regulations and department policies related to client confidentiality; counseling techniques related to the treatment of alcohol and drug abusing clients; basic principles of individual and group behavior; basic interviewing techniques and procedures; socio-economic, environmental, and cultural factors affecting the behavior of alcohol and drug abusing persons; the needs, problems, attitudes and behavior problems of the alcohol and drug abusing person; services and resources provided through other governmental agencies and community-based organizations; other related alcohol and other drug program laws that impact the provision of services such as Medi-cal, motor vehicle, penal, and criminal justice codes.

Ability to: understand and apply County alcohol and other drug program policies and procedures; learn about the specific provisions of the full spectrum of alcohol and other drug services provided by both Sonoma County and other community service providers; interview a variety of clients, including hostile clients, to gather all needed information in a manner that develops trust and cooperation; select and apply appropriate evaluation tools to recognize and record behavioral and physical conditions of the alcohol and drug abusing client; provide consultative services in complex situations involving behavioral and physiological conditions of the alcohol/drug client; evaluate the behavioral and physiological conditions of the alcohol/drug client; analyze situation accurately and adopt an effective course of action; recognize problems which call for the use of public and private community resources; effectively listen, mediate and resolve complaints; read, interpret, apply, and explain complex regulations and reports; communicate effectively with persons from a variety of social, cultural, and economic backgrounds; establish and maintain effective work relationships with all types of persons encountered in the course of work; develop rapport and maintain cooperative relationships with clients and service providers; read, understand, apply and explain regulations and procedures governing job training programs; work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team; operate a variety of routine office support machines and equipment including calculators, copiers, facsimile, printers and peripheral devices; use computers and related equipment as necessary for job assignments.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions are used to evaluate your qualifications. Please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (pass/not pass) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's combination of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position to ensure satisfaction of the minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who possess the minimum qualifications for the position will be placed on an extra-help employment list and referred to the department. The department may contact candidates from the employment list who possess the most appropriate job-related qualifications for further consideration.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

For positions that are required to have access to Sheriff’s Office or Probation Department facilities, a more extensive “Security Clearance” will be performed after hire. Successful completion of the probationary period may be contingent upon passing the security clearance, which may include completion and review of a Personal History Statement packet, Live Scan fingerprint-based criminal history checks, warrant checks, written reference checks, etc.* If you are offered a position which requires a security clearance, the job offer letter will clearly specify this as a condition of the probationary period.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: SZ

HR Technician: RR

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off :Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan : Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generousCounty contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement :Fully integrated with Social Security.For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan : Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical :County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief :County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331.Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources/divisions-and-units/employee-relations/labor-agreements-and-salary-resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.

*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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