State of Maryland

An Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Specialist is the full performance level of work in a multi-person program assessing, designing, coordinating and implementing alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs within a local health department.  Employees in this classification do not have supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Supervisor.  

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Specialist is differentiated from the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Coordinator in that the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Specialist performs the full range of staff duties and responsibilities in a multi-person program under general supervision while the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Coordinator is responsible for administering a single person program, performing the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Specialist is differentiated from the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Supervisor in that the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Specialists and Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Coordinators.

Assists in monitoring data collection to identify the problem areas specific to the community in order to develop local addictions prevention plans and increase community awareness;

Coordinates and implements prevention educational programs and alternative youth activities to decrease and prevent drug and alcohol involvement and related risk behavior;

Maintains and distributes alcohol and drug abuse prevention educational materials;

Assists community groups or agencies and organizations in developing, organizing and conducting programs to prevent and resolve conditions and problems related to alcohol and drug abuse;

Coordinates and conducts training for staff of other State and local agencies, schools, local businesses, industries and community groups involved in alcohol and drug abuse programs;

Prepares and maintains reports, records and documents pertaining to funding sources, program evaluation and reference information on chemical dependency;

Evaluates the alcohol and drug abuse prevention program activities of the local health department to determine effectiveness and efficiency;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of disease concepts of alcoholism and drug abuse dependency;

Ability to stimulate community action in the development of effective alcohol and drug prevention programs;

Ability to compose promotional and educational literature relating to alcohol and drug abuse prevention;

Ability to provide consultation in the areas of occupational alcoholism and/or drug abuse for employee assistance programs;

Ability to effectively present topics on substance abuse;

Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with other professionals and agencies.

Education: Completion of sixty credit hours from an accredited college or university, 18 of which are in the behavioral sciences, health services, human services or education.

Experience: None.

Notes:

1. Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate and two years of experience in a community or school based alcohol or other drug abuse prevention program may be substituted for the required education.

2.  Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Drug and Alcohol Counseling classifications or Mental/Behavioral Health and Drug and Alcohol Counseling specialty codes in the health related field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education. 

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.  

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.  

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit E – Health Care Professional classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.  

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.