Substance Use Disorder Counselor - Certified

Addiction CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$67K–$74K /yr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

For more than 55 years, Family Health Centers of San Diego’s (FHCSD) mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons.

FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the country. We operate more than 90 sites across San Diego County, including 29 primary care clinics, 23 behavioral health facilities, 10 physical rehabilitation clinics, nine dental clinics, five vision clinics, four outpatient substance use treatment programs, three mobile medical units, two mobile counseling centers, two urgent care centers, and a pharmacy.

Our staff provides care to over 227,000 patients each year, of whom 91% are low-income and 29% are uninsured. FHCSD provides care to all.

Services include, but are not limited to adult care, chronic disease management, pediatrics, comprehensive women’s care including obstetrics, dental, vision, case management, physical rehabilitation, speech therapy for children, vaccinations, infectious diseases, behavioral health, substance use counseling and a host of specialty services including cardiology, podiatry, endocrinology, dermatology, among others.

FHCSD also offers supportive services to those who are unsheltered and in need of intensive case management.

The breadth of our clinic locations, services and programs has grown over the last five decades, making us the largest community clinic provider of health care to the uninsured in the county and one of the top 10 largest community clinic organizations in the nation. We are also the largest health care safety-net provider, largest school-based health care provider and the largest mental health provider in the San Diego region.

Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) is looking for Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC) - CERTIFIED to provide substance abuse screening, brief interventions, therapy for individuals and groups, and coordinate referrals for patients. As the Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC), the responsibilities also include providing leadership and training to staff related to chemical dependency issues, and serving as a subject matter expert in the cross-functional treatment team.

Responsibilities

Completes all required documentation accurately, in a timely manner, and thoroughly in accordance with department standards; in addition, documentation complies with patients' insurance requirements.

Develops and maintains community resources information and contacts related to assigned patient population. Acts as a liaison and may provide consultations with community agencies.

Participates in the design and implementation of mental health and substance abuse service delivery, working closely with multi-disciplinary team to ensure continuity of care.

Provides direct substance abuse counseling services, including crisis intervention and individual, group, and family counseling, targeting assigned patient population groups experiencing substance abuse/dependency disorders. Provides support and assistance to maintain patients' treatment and recovery.

Provides substance abuse education and referral information to patients, families, and other staff members in the areas of substance abuse counseling and treatment services.

Provides substance abuse screening and assessments. Participates in the development of patients' individualized care plans. Assesses patients' need for enrollment in medical, self-help programs, outpatient services, and/or residential facilities and makes referrals, if necessary.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in related field required.
  • Certification from a California State Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Services certifying agency required.

Current American Heart Association healthcare provider CPR (BLS), or Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, or Advance Resuscitation Training required.

1 year experience in providing counseling required; 2 years of experience providing counseling to assigned patient demographics, such as patients diagnosed with serious mental illness or HIV, preferred.

Traveling between sites and other locations is occasionally required. Must have a valid California driver’s license, an automobile, and proof of minimum levels of car insurance as required under California law, although limits of $100,000 are recommended. An acceptable driving record is also required.

California law requires all drivers to obtain a valid California driver’s license within ten days of establishing residency. Reasonable accommodation may be provided on a case-by-case basis. Mileage and other reimbursement governed by policy.

Rewards

  • Job type: Regular Full Time
  • Competitive Salary with Excellent Benefits
  • Retirement Plan with Employer Match
  • Paid Time Off, Extended Sick Leave and Paid Holidays
  • Medical/Dental/Vision/FSA/Life Insurance

Employee Discounts and Wellness Programs

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to community medicine and providing culturally competent care to the medically underserved.

We are excited to share that the salary range for this position is:

$32.00 - $35.39

Information on our extensive benefits package can be found here: FHCSD Wellness – Employee Hub (gobenefits.net)

FHCSD provides Equal Employment Opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Certifications

ACLSATLS

Key Skills

Individual counselingGroup counselingCare planningReferral coordinationStaff trainingChemical dependency assessmentPatient advocacy

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 48% are remote, 38% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$70k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $63k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How many Substance Use / Addiction Counselor jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.6 / 10 · top 25% in substance use / addiction counselorranked against 1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$67k–$74kSubstance Use / Addiction Counselor median $60k (middle half $56k–$65k)109 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$63k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Addiction Medicine listings in California113 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All substance use / addiction counselor listings in California1,023 active12,843 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 48% remote · 38% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Addiction Medicine listings432 in the last 30 days231 the 30 days before (+87%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Family Health Centers of San Diegosilver tier, 73/100Top Employers work-life index34 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings), Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. California figures use all substance use / addiction counselors: too few California Addiction Medicine postings state pay.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Use Disorder Counselor - Certified at Family Health Centers of San Diego a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Substance Use / Addiction Counselor — ranked against 1,008 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Counselor Jobs

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

36 jobs · 27 employers
10
<$85k
11
$85k-105k
10
$105k-125k
4
$125k-145k
1
$155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

31 jobs · 27 employers
401k / retirement match
100% this job
Sign-on bonus
39%
CME allowance
29%
Loan repayment
13%
PSLF eligible
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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From $155k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

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$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$123k-$141k
#4

MCRT Licensed Team Lead LCSW LMFT LPCC - Mental Health 396

$103k-$128k
+ 34 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.6
Better work-life than 80% of Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,008 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Family Health Centers of San Diego logo

About Family Health Centers of San Diego

Hospitals and Health Care
San Diego, CA
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive Salary
Retirement Plan with Employer Match
Paid Time Off
Extended Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Medical/Dental/Vision/FSA/Life Insurance
Employee Discounts
Wellness Programs

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.00M
Typical market rent
$3,004/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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