PRINCIPAL ALCOHOLISM COUNSELOR
New Jersey treats Principal Alcoholism Counselor as a competitive-class job, so the gate is an examination and the ranked list it produces rather than a direct offer.
Eligibility comes down to 3 years of relevant experience.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
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Principal Alcoholism Counselor is a local service title. It is filled by the counties, municipalities, authorities and other employers that have adopted civil service under Title 11A, not by State departments. Those employers set pay by ordinance or contract rather than from a State salary schedule, which is why most local titles carry no salary range here.
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Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction, provides individual or group counseling to clients or families who participate in a program involving the prevention, cure, or treatment of alcohol abuse; assists in supervising counselors; supervises and develops educational or service programs; provides public information concerning alcoholism programs; does other related duties.
Examples of work
- Develops work programs and schedules for assigned personnel.
- Provides instruction and advice to other counselors in developing a treatment plan for clients.
- Supervises work of alcoholism counselors and interns assigned to inpatient cases.
- Conducts inpatient group sessions for alcohol dependent persons.
- Plans outpatient programs for families of alcohol dependent persons.
- Charts individual progress notes for inpatients and outpatient family group members.
- Attends initial clinical staff conferences and interviews new patients in unit.
- Apprises client's family of progress or special problems, and offers suggestions to family members.
- Keeps current with new developments in the field of alcoholism rehabilitation.
- Prepares reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendation.
- Supervises the maintenance of records and files.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
Three (3) years of experience providing counseling or training involving the treatment and/or rehabilitation of alcohol- dependent persons or, in the prevention of alcoholism.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of the social and economic problems of alcohol dependent persons.
- Knowledge of the physical and behavioral effects of alcohol.
- Knowledge of problems involved in supervision.
- Knowledge of interviewing and counseling techniques.
- Knowledge of the types of agencies available to provide assistance in the rehabilitation of alcohol-dependent persons.
- Knowledge of signs, symptoms and causes of alcoholism.
- Ability to provide instructions and guidance to staff, and supervise their work performance.
- Ability to read, interpret and apply laws, rules, regulations regarding alcohol abuse.
- Ability to communicate effectively with individuals of varying backgrounds.
- Ability to evaluate and assess needs and problems of clients.
- Ability to establish an effective therapeutic relationship with clients.
- Ability to work harmoniously with associates, families, individuals and social organizations.
- Ability to recognize appropriate treatment modalities.
- Ability to collect, identify and evaluate significant facts and other information.
- Ability to plan and execute educational and service programs regarding alcoholism.
- Ability to evaluate client progress.
- Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate and informative reports.
- Ability to maintain records and files.
- Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
CERTIFICATION
Applicants must possess a certificate as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), issued by the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners, New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety.