Prevention Specialist (TEMPORARY)

Position Summary:

Person in this position will educate clients on the hazards of substance abuse. This person acts as first line role model for clients and staff, by demonstrating through actions, appropriate behaviors, and social interaction. Essential Job Functions include those listed below. Other duties may be assigned as needed.

Essential Job Functions:

• To assure that a comprehensive smoking cessation education program is offered to all youth clients, including use of appropriate up-to-date curriculum, videos, assignments, and guest speakers.
• To improve the health, welfare, and well-being of at-risk youth by providing a daily schedule of educational and therapeutic activities. This includes early education of misuse/use/abuse of substances, physical and psychological effects, health related concerns, and appropriate use of leisure time skills.
• To advocate for informed choices by providing resources and referrals for continued care.
•  To provide community education on the Youth Services continuum of service delivery options.
• Meet all grant requirements.
• Flexibility to meet scheduling and fulfill program needs.
• Document in case files all attendance in groups and pertinent data collected relevant to treatment goals.
• To collect all statistical data, maintain logs, and provide necessary reporting data monthly to the immediate supervisor.
• To report all concerns to the program coordinators for any follow-up that may be needed.

• To assist the Registered Nurse with community awareness of the availability of treatment services and the growth of the medically monitored detoxification unit.
• Embrace and embody the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision, and goals of
• WestCare Foundation.
• Other relevant duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

Certifications/Licensures:

• N/A

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in health-related field preferred or comparable years of qualifying experience.

Experience and Competencies:

• One year experience within a social service setting or equivalent preferred.

Working Conditions:

Essential Physical and Mental Demands of the Job

The employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or

without accommodation:

Physical Demands:

• Requires mobility and physical activity: Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in an office, residential, or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to 50 pounds.  Use of computer and telephone systems is required which includes coordination of eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files).  Requires the ability to defend oneself and clients in physically abusive situations through the use of approved physical de-escalation techniques.
• Requires talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.  Talking is required to impart oral information to employees, clients, patients, and the public, and in those activities in which the employee is required to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Requires hearing: Hearing is required to receive and communicate detailed information through oral communication.
• Requires seeing: Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less and at distance. This factor is required to complete paperwork for many of the employee’s essential job functions and to observe client behavior and activities in and out of the facility.
• The normal work routine involves no exposure to human blood, body fluids or tissues.  However, exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee.

Mental Demands:

• Requires the ability to collect and analyze complex numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions. 
• Requires the ability to work and cooperate with clients, co-workers, managers, the public and employees at all levels in order to exchange ideas, information, instructions and opinions. 
• Requires the ability to work under stress and in emotionally charged settings.

• The ability to defend oneself and clients in mentally/verbally abusive situations through the use of approved mental/verbal de-escalation techniques.