Title
Hire a Substance Abuse Counselor above the pay range minimum.
Body
Recommended Action: Approve the recommendation to hire a Substance Abuse counselor above the pay range minimum.
Background: This employee brings 13 years of experience working within the substance abuse field. This includes work as program director at local substance use treatment facility for 2.5 years. She has additional training that will not need to be provided by COMCARE decreasing training time and costs for COMCARE (SB123 certified, Thinking for Change, ISE, MI, SASSI, certified Person-Centered Case Management). She has significant experience using the Kansas Client Placement Criteria (KCPC). Her additional training and certification allows her to bill at a hire range increasing revenue potential for COMCARE.
The candidate also has a masters degree in criminal justice which will inform her work with the criminal justice involved clients at COMCARE’s addiction treatment program. Our substance abuse counselor positions have been difficult to fill. There is currently a shortage of licensed substance abuse counselors at this level of training and experience.
Alternatives: If this person were not hired, the search for another qualified candidate would continue.
Financial Considerations: Wage and benefits for the minimum of the range annualize to $53,782. The requested salary falls below the midpoint of the pay range and increases the annualized wages and benefits to $57,402. The difference between the requested salary/benefits and the salary/benefits at the range minimum is $3,620. This request is for position number 20003087.
Budget Authority: The position was included in the 2016 budget; no additional budget authority is being requested.
Legal Considerations: The authority for this action is K.S.A. 19-101 and a simple majority vote is required.
Policy Considerations: Policy 4.2001 states: The hiring wage rate is normally at the minimum of the position's salary ran...
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