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Confidential Employer
San Francisco, California

Intake and Recovery Counselor

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$32-$36/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Pay range: $32-$36 Hourly

Overview

The Intake and Recovery Counselor works closely with the Program Director and is responsible for client screening/assessment and to carry out case management counseling services for clients in the Harbor Light Center.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Assist with client discharges as directed by the Program Director or Executive Director
  • Assist with urine analysis (UA) administration and documentation
  • Support client screening, assessment, and stabilization services
  • Complete discharge paperwork, including aftercare plans, referrals, and agency correspondence
  • Maintain accurate case records according to Harbor Light Center standards
  • Build referral partnerships and coordinate services with community agencies
  • Attend staff meetings and collaborate with team members
  • Monitor and evaluate resident progress throughout the program
  • Provide case management services as assigned
  • Facilitate individual counseling and group sessions, including education and process groups
  • Other related duties as required

Education and Experience

  • High school diploma or equivalent (required)
  • Experience in substance abuse and/or mental health counseling (2 years required)
  • Certification or License pursuant to CA Code of Regulations, Title 9 § 13010 (required)
  • Knowledge of community resources and linkages with Multi-Diagnosis and Substances Abuse Recovery communities.
  • Experience working successfully with issues of substance abuse, mental illness, and other potential barriers to self-sufficiency
  • Experience with Microsoft programs
  • First Aid and CPR certification (within first fourteen days of employment – company provided)
  • Tuberculosis clearance (within first seven days of employment)

Skills and Abilities

  • Ability to maintain required continuing education hours and certifications (CEH or CEU) to meet regulatory requirements
  • Bilingual in Spanish (preferred)
  • Ability to work with a highly diverse population
  • Ability to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner
  • Ability to multi-task
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Knowledge of clinical documentation
  • Knowledge of Medi-Cal Delivery System
  • Knowledge of co-occurring disorders, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed treatment

Equipment USED

  • Modern Office Equipment and Relevant Software

Physical Requirements

  • Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. (usually file boxes)

ADA Statement

Qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation. A qualified person with a disability may request a modification or adjustment to the job or work environment in order to meet the physical requirements of the position. The Salvation Army will attempt to satisfy requests if the accommodation needed is reasonable and no undue hardship would result.

Acknowledgment of Religious Purposes of The Salvation Army

Please note that The Salvation Army has a religious purpose and status as a church. We ask our employees that they do nothing to their relationship with The Salvation Army to undermine its religious mission. Employees must agree and understand that their services are a necessary part of The Army’s religious purposes and their work-related conduct must not conflict with, interfere with, or undermine such religious programs or The Army’s religious purposes.

At-Will

Any employment relationship with this organization is of an “at-will” nature, which means that an Employee may resign at any time and the Employer may discharge an Employee at any time with or without cause. It is further understood that this “at will” employment relationship may not be changed by any written document or by conduct unless such change is specifically acknowledged in writing by an authorized executive of this organization.

Key Responsibilities

The Intake and Recovery Counselor performs client screenings, assessments, and stabilization services while managing case records and facilitating individual and group counseling sessions. They also coordinate with community agencies and assist with discharge planning to support resident progress.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a high school diploma and at least two years of experience in substance abuse or mental health counseling. A valid certification or license pursuant to CA Code of Regulations, Title 9 is required for this role.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Substance abuse counselingCrisis interventionGroup facilitationReferral coordinationMulti-taskingConfidentialityTrauma-informed careCo-occurring disorders treatment

Counselor Career Context

In California, the Counseling weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$70k (32 salary observations; 69 listings), vs ~$66k nationally (305 salary observations; 1,168 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-03-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$71k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $64k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 50% are remote, 32% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is up 18.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top Counselor Jobs

47 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution47 jobs · 36 employers

15
<$85k
14
$85k-105k
12
$105k-125k
6
$125k-145k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks34 jobs

401k / retirement match
91%
CME allowance
41% this job
Sign-on bonus
38%
Loan repayment
12%
PSLF eligible
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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LifeStance Health · San Diego, California

$117k-$134k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Clinician (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · Ventura, California

$117k-$134k
#3

Psychotherapist, Behavioral Health

$94k-$132k
#4

MCRT Licensed Team Lead LCSW LMFT LPCC - Mental Health 639

$107k-$132k
+ 45 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 10% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 512 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in San Francisco

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.74M
Typical market rent
$4,682/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

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About Confidential Employer

Non-profit Organizations
Carson, California
51-200 employees